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Latest Issue: March 2024
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.
Sal Thirlway, Service Director of Education, SEND & Family Solutions
Welcome to our latest edition of our SEND Improvement Programme Stakeholder Bulletin
I'm excited to share updates on the progress of our 4 Cornerstones training across the partnership and the promotion of coproduction culture in Dudley. We've conducted 11 joint Parent Carer Forum multi-agency sessions, with more planned for next month, including involvement from Schools and Early Years providers. In addition we are working on a coproduction charter; the first draft we are hoping to share in April for further discussion.
This month we are featuring on Workstream 2 of our Delivering Better Value SEND Programme, which addresses how we are making sure that there are enough specialist places available locally to those pupils who need them now and in the future (this is called a Sufficiency Strategy). We also have some exciting news about new bases being set up in mainstream schools, and newbuild projects at Halesbury and Pens Meadow Special Schools.
Finally we are moving at a good pace in developing our SEND training and workforce development offer for our educational settings, which we hope to launch in the next few months.
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Delivering Better Value – Update Workstream 2:
Developing and delivering our sufficiency strategy
In February’s bulletin we provided an update on the Delivering Better Value Programme (DBV) which has been commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to support Dudley and 54 other local authorities across England to identify and implement changes that we can make .to better support our local children and young people with SEND.
For this month’s bulletin we are focussing on Workstream 2:
1. Making sure that there are enough specialist places available locally to those pupils who need them (developing a sufficiency strategy). This includes
a. Developing our SEND bases within mainstream education settings.
b. Developing our Early Years Inclusion Hubs
c. Building a new Pens Meadow Special School in Pensnett
d. Extending Halesbury Special School in Halesowen
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Parent Carers Forum Update:
Coffee Morning - Friday 19 April
Brierley Hill Family Hub 9:30 - 11am
Our coffee morning is open to parent carers of children/young people with SEND living in Dudley.
This will be an opportunity to find out more about Dudley Parent Carer forum, who we are and what we do. No booking needed, just turn up for a chat.
Find out more information
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WeLoveCarers : Carers Awards Nominations are now open
Do you know an unpaid carer or a supporting professional who is worth of recognition?
Local charity Welovecarers is seeking nominations for consideration at their annual awards ceremony being hold in June.
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WeLoveCarers: April coffee morning
Are you an unpaid carer of an adult or child? Come and join us for a cuppa and a chat, for a peer support, information and advice.Click to edit this placeholder text.
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Courses For Carers: NCFE Level 1 Award in Interpersonal Skills
From Monday 8 April to Monday 8 July 2024, 9.30am – 12.30pm
As part of our courses for carers we are able to offer carers an opportunity to access a NCFE Level 1 Award in Interpersonal Skills. While completing this qualification, learners may develop their knowledge, understanding and essential skills, team working, independent learning and problem solving or communicating with professional colleagues/peers.
The course is for 14 weeks and will take place at Queens Cross Carers Hub, Wellington Road, Dudley, for more information please see details below in flyer or contact Dudley Carers Hub on 01384 818723 to register a place.
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Women’s Health Awareness
Tuesday 23 April 2024, 11am – 3pm at Brett Young Carers Hub, Old Hawne Lane, Halesowen, B63 3TB
Women who provide care and support to a family member or friend are invited to attend a Health Awareness event at Brett young Carers Hub. The event is aimed at supporting women to access information, advice and support around looking after their own health. Research shows that carers are more likely to experience health issues than non-carers and may not attend important health screening and medical appointments as they are concerned about who will provide care in their place. For more information call Dudley Carers Hub on 01384 818723 or email dudleycarershub@dudley.gov.uk
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Preparing for Adulthood – Understanding Welfare Rights post 18 for parent carers
Wednesday 1 May 2024, 10am – 12.30pm, at Queens Cross Carers Hub, Queens Cross Network, Wellington Road, Dudley, DY1 1RB
A workshop for parent carers of young people aged 14 – 25 years to find out more about Welfare Rights and Benefits for them and their child post 18. The workshop will be delivered by Dudley Disability Service, Dudley Carers Hub and Wellbeing Service and Dudley Welfare Rights Service.
Places are limited so please book via Eventbrite or call Dudley Carers Hub and Wellbeing Service on 01384 818723 or email dudleycarershub@dudley.gov.uk
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Living Well Feeling Safe – Get Connected
Live event:
Living Well Feeling Safe – Get Connected, Friday 19 April 2024, 9am – 3pm, Merry Hill Shopping Centre, Brierley Hill, DY5.
A community information event for people who want to find out about services that can support them to stay safe and well in Dudley. Visit advisors on the lower mall near to the Customer Service Desk.
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Family Hubs Stay and Play
Families with babies and preschool children can enjoy FREE fun activity sessions at local family hubs across Dudley borough. The sessions are a great opportunity for parents to get together, as well as for babies and children to have some fun.
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Sleep and mealtime workshops to parents to help their children
Dudley Parenting Team is hosting a series of workshops for help parents with developing good bedtime routines and hassle-free mealtimes for their children and wards.
If your child struggles with sleeping on their own bed, or have trouble eating well, then plan to attend this workshop. Find details of event schedules, venues, and session booking below.
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SENDIASS
Dudley SENDIASS will be hosting a range of workshops and event this coming Spring term for parents of children with SEND and Young People with SEND (Special Educational Needs and/or Disability).
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These workshops cover a range of topics and aim to provide information to enable you as a parent/carer or Young Person to be involved in.
For more: https://dudleyci.co.uk/workshops-and-events
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Education Setting Workforce Development
Part of our Delivering Better Value SEND Programme, we are currently undertaking an evaluation of training requirements for mainstream schools. This work is focussing on building capacity in mainstream schools, across all areas of the graduated model, and also includes workforce development of the council’s own specialist advisory services.
To date two task and finish group meetings have been held with a variety of settings and services represented. The group agreed that we had gathered enough information around what the barriers are to meeting needs at universal and SEN SUPPORT and the training requirements for Primary and Secondary.
The areas therefore for further focus are SEMH and behaviour, speech and language, communication, sensory, development of teaching assistants and transition and to this end the group has approved a series of training pilots in these areas for settings.
The next steps will be to identify those settings to take part in the pilots and agree on a training programme.
Free Puberty Education Programme from National Schools’ Partnership
Make SEND puberty education easier for you, and more effective for your students, with tailor-made resources from About You — the FREE puberty education programme.
The curriculum-linked SEND package for 11-14 year-olds handles the more challenging subjects of puberty and wellbeing in a sensitive, accessible and needs-led way. Suitable for delivery in SEN schools or classrooms with SEN students. The resources come with a comprehensive teacher’s guide and each lesson is carefully crafted with more vulnerable students in mind.
To access the free curriculum-linked resources and free period kits, sign up today. Simply let us know how many of each you need:
- Pads for young people with periods aged 11-12
- Tampons for people with periods aged 13-14
Hob Green Primary achieves the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence Status
Hob Green Primary School, Stourbridge, have achieved the Inclusive School Award with Centre of Excellence status. This recognition underscores the school's commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that caters to the diverse needs of its 250 students.
Known for its diverse community, Hob Green embraces a student body representing various ethnic backgrounds. The school has witnessed a rise in pupils with English as an Additional Language and an above-average proportion of pupils with Special Educational Needs. Despite these challenges, Hob Green stands as a beacon of inclusivity, prioritising values such as hope, honesty, achievement, kindness, and respect. It is part of the drb Ignite Multi-Academy Trust, which currently has ten schools that serve the areas of Dudley and Birmingham.
At the core of achievements is a strong commitment to inclusion, led by the school's leadership. The headteacher and her team showcase unwavering dedication to the well-being and education of every student. Their approach to behaviour management emphasises positive relationships and views behaviour as a form of communication.
Furthermore, Hob Green thrives on collaboration and continuous improvement. Staff members receive comprehensive training in emotion coaching and attachment awareness, contributing to the school's nurturing environment. The commitment to continuing professional development (CPD) is evident across the entire trust, emphasising a shared vision and support network among staff.
The school's strength lies in its Speech and Language Base for pupils, a testament to years of hard work. This resource serves as an integral part of the school, influencing language development and vocabulary teaching in all classrooms.
The Inclusive School Award not only recognises Hob Green's accomplishments but also highlights its dedication to supporting and challenging every child. As the school joins the IQM family, it is poised to inspire others in their journey towards inclusive education.
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Dudley’s speech and language digital pathway now online
Communication is an essential foundation life skill for children in the early years, it supports many other areas of development including behaviour, emotional wellbeing and lifelong learning.
Children don’t learn to communicate all by themselves, so they need the adults in their environment to help and support this crucial development process - making communication everybody’s business.
Dedicated web pages for Dudley’s digital pathway, for 0-4 early language and home learning, have now been launched as part of Start for Life.
By visiting the dedicated web pages, families and professionals can find resources and services to support a child's communication and language development in the home, in the community and in educational settings such as a play group or nursery.
There are also additional resources from organisations such as Speech and Language UK and lots of helpful links and information, including links to child development trackers and advice line numbers so you can speak to a speech and language therapist directly.
Click here to view Dudley’s speech and language pathway
Recipe book launch
Dudley Council collaborated with youths aged 12-25 in the Dudley Young Commissioners Group to create a cookbook. The cookbook, the group’s brainchild, aims to help young people cook healthy meals independently. With input from young people, it offers simple, low-cost recipes with minimal ingredients and equipment.
The simple, low budget and healthy choices range from basic explanations on how to cook pasta, or a boiled egg, to more complicated takeaways, including curry, or chow mein. Each recipe has been given a difficulty rating so that every young person feels capable of cooking their own meals at their own pace.
The book also contains shopping, food hygiene and cooking tips, healthy eating and cooking on a budget.
The recipes are also useful to anyone wanting to eat well on a budget and the book can be downloaded from the public health website
A child’s experience of school
'Wrong Size Fits All' is a powerful short film that chronicles the personal journeys, based on the experiences shared Warwickshire's youth forum for individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). It sheds light on the diverse experiences children and young people face within educational settings and aims to foster an understanding of their needs. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwhZyrX2bM
Spread the word about the SEND bulletin!
If someone you know is interested in receiving this communication, please share the following link so as they can sign up to receive the latest SEND-related news and events:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKDUDLEYMBC/signup/31736
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