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It is always appropriate to highlight the thanks and appreciation for the support and continued resilience of young people, parent-carers, schools and settings and across the SEND services team. The efforts and investment in maintaining the best outcomes, especially for our most vulnerable has been inspirational. Of course there have been challenges and barriers to overcome, but I am constantly provided with examples of how we have found ways to come together and work in partnership to find the best possible solutions, and for that I would like to share my thanks.
Thank you to all the people who have contributed to this newsletter, which provides us with an important opportunity to focus on moving forwards with aspects covering the return to schools, how recovery will be supported and how communities need to continue to work together to help us return to a sense of routine. We should take the time to reflect on the positives and hold on to the union of joint working across our communities, which I think we can and will benefit from in the future.
Stay safe – look after yourself and keep talking – you are all valuable.
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Peterborough Parenting Offer
The Early Help Team at Peterborough City Council have produced a leaflet about parenting programmes.
These programmes include Webster Stratton (The Incredible Years) and a range of Triple P parenting programmes.
The programmes are available to help families better understand and manage their children's behaviours and are free to parents. They are also endorsed by paediatricians and the neurodevelopmental service.
You can read the leaflet on this link.
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Government announces SEND Education Recovery Support
On Wednesday 24 February 2021, the government announced a £700m funding package to give education settings – including specialist settings the tools they need to target support for all students in their recovery from the pandemic.
This funding builds on the £1 billion catch-up package announced in June 2020, for a wider response to help pupils make up their lost learning.
Dame Christine Lenehan, Director of the Council for Disabled Children, said: “We welcome the recovery plan, it is a starting point in ensuring children and young people can go forward positively and leave this difficult time behind them. It has to be for all children and reflect the whole child, their attainment and their wellbeing. We would also like to see a clear recognition of support for families and a programme from the NHS which also acknowledges the catch up needed on therapy and health interventions”
Laptops campaign reaches half a million pounds
A campaign to help disadvantaged children across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to get internet and laptop access is gathering pace, with the first batch of equipment being delivered to schools.
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Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council launched the ‘Laptops for Children’ campaign earlier this month in partnership with the Youth Panel, Cambridge Digital Direct, Cambridge 2030 and the Cambridge Culture Foundation, aimed at purchasing laptops and 4G routers for vulnerable young people.
Around 8,000 children in the region do not have use of a computer or broadband, meaning they cannot access lessons and online resources, putting them at risk of falling behind with their studies.
Just over two weeks after launching the campaign, an impressive £567,845 has already been raised thanks to support from businesses and individuals, as well as funding from both authorities. A first batch of over 1,000 laptops and 460 routers have been purchased and will be distributed to schools from this week.
Read more about the campaign here.
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The return to school in March 2021
On Monday 22 February 2021, the Government announced that all pupils will return to school on Monday 8 March 2021. The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) have pulled together some resources and questions and answers about returning to school. Find out more on the CDC website.
Test-to-return COVID-19 Testing Programme
The government introduced coronavirus (COVID-19) testing programmes into schools and colleges from the start of 2021 to help deliver the national priority of keeping as many pupils, students and teachers as possible in their education settings while fighting the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). Find out more on the Council for Disabled Children website.
Seeking Young People aged 11-19 to join the Peterborough Youth Council
Applications are now open to join the Peterborough Youth Council for any young people aged 11-19 who live, work or study in Peterborough. I have attached a poster which we would appreciate being shared with c/yp. Young people can apply by CLICKING HERE. You can learn more about the Youth Council by watching this video - CLICK HERE. For more information, please contact youthcouncil@peterborough.gov.uk
Training on Statutory EHCP Processes
Would you like to build your own confidence, knowledge and understanding of the statutory processes around Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP’s)?
The Local Area SENI Support (LASS) Team, as part of the SEN and Inclusion (SENI) team, have co-produced a multi-agency rolling programme of training and support for parent carers, young people aged 16-25 and professionals.
The training is free of charge and will be run virtually via Microsoft Teams.
You will only be required to attend one of the three sessions.
Please book on to one of the two dates:
Tuesday 23 March 202110 am -12 noon
Monday 24 May 2021 11am -1pm
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'Left in Lockdown' back to school poll
The Disabled Children's Partnership published “Left In Lockdown”in 2020 – reporting on what parents told them about the impact of lockdown on disabled children and their families. In September and October 2020, they carried out a further poll of parents to see how things have changed, and in particular how the return to school had gone. You can read the report here.
The Disabled Children’s Partnership publish a report ‘The longest lockdown’
The Disabled Children's Partnership (DCP) found that a year out of school without essential therapy and delays to hospital checks has led to disabled children's health getting worse. The report from the DCP, which is chaired by Contact’s CEO Amanda Batten, finds that:
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3 in 4 disabled children are facing delays to routine health checks
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70% of disabled children are unable to get therapies for their development.
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two thirds of disabled children are still not getting support set out by law in their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan
Whatever it takes: Government spending on children and young people
The National Childrens Bureau brought people and organisations together to ask the Chancellor to listen to children and young people and take action to protect their future. This report sets out their analysis of the spending programme outlined on 25 November, showing that the approach is still too piecemeal to deliver a better childhood for the UK’s children. Find out more on the National Childrens Bureau website.
Psychological First Aid training
Public Health England have launched a new psychological first aid (PFA) online training course to help support children and young people that have been affected by emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. The training is available to all frontline workers and anyone who cares for or is regularly in contact with children and young people aged up to 25, including parents and carers.
Find out more here.
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Disability Living Allowance
DLA is the main benefit for children under 16 with a condition or disability and it helps families to meet the extra costs that they might have as a result of their child's disability. Families describe getting this benefit as 'life-changing'. Contact have put together a helpful guide to help families navigate Disability Living Allowance
COVID-19 Support and Guidance
Contact produces template letter to help carers struggling to get the COVID vaccine
Contact has produced a useful template letter to help parents complain if their GP tells them they are not a priority for the COVID-19 vaccine.
The charity is urging families to complete and send the letter to their GP and local clinical commissioning group if their surgery refuses to add them to the practice carers register. Many carers have received an invitation for a vaccine appointment after following Contact's advice to ask their GP to flag their medical register with their carer status.
The GP carers register is one of the main ways the NHS is identifying unpaid carers to invite them to have the vaccine. Other ways of identification include Carers Allowance data and council carers registers.
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Family Voice news and events
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Community Leader and Seldom Heard Sessions
Family Voice are hosting 3 virtual Zoom sessions for community leaders and seldom heard parent carers, each focusing on COVID-19 and the impact it has had on 3 different topics. Included in each session will be deliveries of light refreshments to all attendees. Sessions will where possible be sign supported. We have bookings available on the below:
Multi Agency EHCP Parents training session
This training session is co-facilitated by PCC SENI team and Family Voice Peterborough. The overall aim of the session will be to understand responsibilities concerning EHCPs (particularly annual reviews) and annual review processes and timelines to conform to statutory expectations.
If you are interested in this sessions then please book through the link as soon as possible where you will then be sent a calendar invite to the training session.
#BePartOfTheSolution - Children and Young People Video
A new video campaign directed primarily at children and young people (CYP) aged 13 - 18 has been identified as an effective way to engage with and motivate CYP to follow the COVID-19 rules more strictly than they may have been previously. The video follows a local young person and highlight their fears, challenges, and hope for the future, and aims to encourage others to do their bit in the fight against COVID-19 and to be part of the solution, not the problem.
Schools and colleges are encouraged to play the full-length video to pupils in assemblies and lessons and make use of the teacher-led discussion resources. Please help us promote the campaign on your school social media channels. The videos can be downloaded here or you can simply share the CCC posts.
A separate Peterborough young people video is currently in production and will feature a diverse range of local CYP.
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Ofsted video on remote education for children and young people with SEND |
Ofsted have published a video about how remote education is working for children and young people with SEND based on research they published in January.
This video shares findings from interviews with area leaders and providers as part of Ofsted's autumn programme of interim visits.
Ofsted hope that this video will provide an opportunity to reflect on the provision of remote education for children and young people with SEND, and consideration for how learning from the pandemic may inform future planning.
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For more information visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/localoffer |
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