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Coronavirus Updates

Rapid Testing In The City

If you live or work in Manchester and are not able to work from home, you can now have rapid testing (lateral flow testing) twice a week. Book a slot at test sites across the city by ringing 0161 947 0770 / 0800 0924020. Slots are available Monday to Saturday and can be arranged to fit work and shift patterns. Remember, even if your test is negative, you must still follow all social distance and other safety measures, and you still need to be tested even if you have had your vaccination. More information on Manchester City Council website.  

Vaccinations

If you have to travel to a vaccination centre but cannot get there – for example, if the person you care for who is too vulnerable or housebound – we suggest you contact your GP to explain your circumstances and see what alternative arrangements can be made. Manchester's Ring & Ride service is an accessible, low-cost mini bus service for disabled people and older people with walking difficulties. Ring & Ride minibuses are suitable for taking wheelchairs, and all drivers have had special accessibility and disability-awareness training.

The vaccination site at Chancellors Hotel in Fallowfield has recently had several inclusive clinics aimed at autistic people and those with learning disabilities. Partnering with Better Things and involving the Neighbourhood GP Lead and a local learning disability nurse, the clinic offered a calm, flexible approach with a social story of the site, easy read material and picture signs showing the routes. Many of the signs have been left up as they are helpful to everyone.

The Challenging Behaviour Foundation has a new information sheet on the COVID-19 vaccine for families of individuals with severe learning disabilities. It can help you decide whether vaccination is appropriate and how to ensure reasonable adjustments are made.

This film features Manchester City Councillors across the city encouraging people to take up their offer of the vaccine.

Easy Read Resources Keep Safe have added to their series of free easy read posters. There is now information about the vaccine, including lateral flow tests.   Here are some easy read resources from Public Health England, including information on the vaccination, what happens after it, and a guide for women who might get pregnant, are pregnant, or breastfeeding.

A film - Information about the covid vaccine: For people with a learning disability and autistic people – has been made in collaboration with Skills for People and Learning Disability England.

Breakthrough UK has a COVID Accessible Information Hub, including information in easy read, BSL and braille. There is also a range of accessible information in our Coronavirus Advice & Information webpage, especially under ‘Coronavirus Updates & Info’.

Stuff To Do

Although the schools are back, the Sensory Rooms at Redbank House are still free to SEND families in the Manchester City Council area until Friday 9th April. If you have been before, you can go again! Sessions start on the hour and are for 50 minutes, Monday to Friday at time slots during the day. Booking is essential – call 0161 214 5959 or email info@redbankhouse.com.

The free Love Exploring App encourages walking around the local area of Manchester while making it fun for children and families. You just need data and a smart phone. Take a look – there’s a space walk coming up for Easter!

Support Group For Dads

Are you a dad of children or young people with special educational needs and disabilities? Manchester Parent Carer Forum and Buzz Manchester are hosting fortnightly online support groups on Tuesday mornings and Friday evenings. Contact Ben Talbot to find out more – ben.talbot@gmmh.nhs.uk

News In Brief

Did you know that Manchester Local Offer has a listing of all the child care available in the city? If you can’t find what you are looking for, drop us an email and our SEND Child Care Brokerage Service will do their best to help - localoffer@manchester.gov.uk.

Thrive is part of Talbot House Support Centre and provides support to older parent carers (50 plus) of people with learning disabilities. They offer a range of information, advice and support, including financial planning, keeping healthy, building a circle of support, signposting, emotional support, form filling, befriending and more. Email fran.crake@talbot-house.org.uk or call 0161 203 4095 (Monday to Friday, 10am–3pm).

Do you live in Greater Manchester? Are you worried about your employment rights, redundancy, pay cuts, terms or disputes? The Growth Company have joined forces with a network of legal experts to ensure that Greater Manchester’s workers who have been hit hardest by the pandemic can access free employment legal advice. The service is completely free, with legal experts from twelve law firms giving something back and donating their time. For more information and to apply, see the website, email info@employmentlegaladvice.org, or call 0161 233 2686.  

The WAITE team at Manchester Deaf Centre invite service users and support staff to a new walking group, funded by a Greater Manchester Walking grant. The group will start to meet fortnightly when it is safe to do so after lockdown restrictions have been lifted. Support workers from other organisations are welcome to bring people along. Email waite@manchesterdeafcentre.com or text Mark Woodall on 07557 095854 (text only). Here is the February Lip Pattern news from Manchester Deaf Centre with more information about the walking group.

Light Aware (LA) is a charity for people with light sensitivity. Their latest report highlights the issues autistic people are having with the new LED streetlights. They also have an awareness card that people can carry.

Don’t worry if you missed Venue to Virtual at the beginning of March, all the presentations will remain on the site until 31st March and you can contact all the exhibitors directly through the Click & Connect. Register for free to access the site.

Young People

An Ordinary But Artistic Young Man Last year, we commissioned artist and illustrator Justin P Lees – who has been an artist at Venture Arts since he was 13 - to produce a piece of work about his experience of lockdown. He called it 'An Ordinary But Artistic Young Man vs The Lockdown'. Take a look - it’s amazing!

Since then, Justin has produced the action-packed blockbuster book, ‘The Justin Movie’ (£7.50) and colourful ‘Don’t Bee Too Bizzy’ enamel badges (£5), showing the Manchester bee taking a well-earned rest. You can get these and other artists’ work in the Venture Arts online shop!

Call For Neurodivergent Creatives Starling's Creative Minds sessions provide a no-pressure, friendly and accepting space for 13-25 year olds to explore self-expression and new art forms. And they’re face to face! Sessions follow National Youth Agency COVID-19 guidelines and are:   Tuesdays - Moravian College, Droylsden, 4-5.30pm (ages 13-17), 5.45-7.15pm (ages 18-25) Wednesdays - Sharon Youth Centre, Old Trafford, 4-5.30pm (ages 13-17), 5.45-7.15pm (ages 18-25) There’s no cut off date for applying or commitment to join all the sessions - young people can drop in whenever they want. There’s information on the website and you can register your interest at https://starlingcio.org.uk/contact/ or email fionna@starlingcio.org.uk.

Spectrum Gaming

Spectrum Gaming is a free and safe space for autistic young people across the UK to make friends and have more positive experiences. Set up by a group of autistic advocates, there has been a surge in demand and they would appreciate volunteer support. Potential roles include: Minecraft moderators, autistic mentors, Discord community moderators, face to face meet up volunteers, and fundraisers. If interested, fill in the form and you’ll be invited to an information session.  

Spectrum Gaming is holding a conference on Monday 15th March - Supporting Autistic Young People in the Right Way. Everyone is speaking on a voluntary basis, meaning that every penny raised will directly go towards funding events and activities in the Spectrum Gaming community. You can sign up for the event here.

Have Your Say

Share Your Views With Ofsted Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission are visiting Manchester later this month regarding the city’s SEND arrangements during the pandemic. It’s important they hear from parents and young people with different experiences. What impact has the crisis had on you? What has worked well or could be improved? How might we address the challenges? The survey for parents is here and for young people (15-25 yrs) here.

Contribute to National Strategy

The Disability Unit at the Cabinet Office is developing a National Strategy for Disabled People. To help understand the barriers that disabled people face and what to focus on to improve lives, the Government wants to hear people’s views and experiences. The survey will be open until 23th April with responses informing how the National Strategy is delivered. Find out more here and what to do if you need the form in other formats.

Sibs Survey

Sibs is interested in finding out about the impact of this latest lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic on siblings up to the age of 18 with a brother or sister who is disabled, has SEND or a long term health condition. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete and the results will be shared in a report, peer review papers and conferences.

Your Say On City’s Public Art

You’re invited to have your say on how Manchester's history and the people who made it should be reflected in its public spaces across the city. The consultation runs until 22nd March and the Council would like to hear from as many residents as possible.

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