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Latest Issue: January - February 2022

Improving the lives of children with special educational needs and disabilities in the Dudley borough.

Keeping stakeholders, parents and carers informed about Dudley’s
SEND Improvement Programme

Helen Ellis
Service Director for Early Help/Schools and SEND
Dudley Council

Welcome from Helen

As you are aware, Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission carried out their revisit between 31 January and 3 February. I would like to thank everyone, from parents, carers, young people, schools, colleges, early years providers, alternative provision providers, and health and council colleagues, who took part in the revisit and for their contributions and feedback to the inspectors

Dudley Parent Carer Forum Turns One!

In December, the Dudley Parent Carer Forum celebrated their one-year anniversary on becoming an independent forum. 

Local Offer

Our ‘new’ Local Offer launched last year (June, 2021). Although we know we still have long way to go until we are fully happy with all of the content, it was important that we share something as soon as possible to both demonstrate how this Local Offer is going to be different to our previous one and to gain feedback from users to inform ongoing improvement and development. 

Events and Workshops 

Dudley SENDIASS (special educational needs & disabilities information advice and support) Service is running a range of online activities over the coming months to help parents and carers or young people with SEND.

Join the PCF

The newly independent Dudley Parent Carer Forum is looking for parents and carers across the borough to sign-up to become members.

Lateral flow testing remains in place in SEND settings

The Government is retaining asymptomatic lateral flow twice-weekly testing for staff, students and pupils in SEND and AP settings (including SEND units in mainstream settings and equivalent identifiable cohorts in FE colleges). More information is available on the Government website. 

Local GP encourages MMR vaccine uptake

Parents across the Black Country and West Birmingham are being urged to make sure children are up to date with their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) jab.

Measles is a highly infectious disease which can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and inflammation of the brain. It also damages and suppresses the whole immune system, meaning children can be left much more susceptible to catching other illnesses.

All children are invited for their first MMR vaccine on the NHS when they turn one. The second dose is given when they reach three years and four –months of age.

To find out more, please read the attached press release.

More information:

Visit the Local Offer website to learn more about the services available in the borough. To find out more about the SEND Improvement Programme, please visit Dudley's Health and Wellbeing Board. 

Useful contacts:

Service Director for Early Help/Schools and SEND: 

Helen Ellis - Helen.Ellis@dudley.gov.uk

Interim Head of SEND: Toni Dawodu -  Toni.Dawodu@dudley.gov.uk

SEND Manager: Sue Powell – Susan.Powell@dudley.gov.uk

SEND Team Manager North: Rob Bennett -  Robert.X.Bennett@dudley.gov.uk

SEND Team Manager South: Kelly Warne -  Kelly.Warne@dudley.gov.uk

SEND Programme Manager: Simon Hickman -  Simon.Hickman@dudley.gov.uk

SEND Programme Manager: Paul Klein -  Paul.Klein@dudley.gov.uk