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PACC are please to launch the PACC Preparation for Adulthood Navigator Project. Their two new PFA Navigators, Abi Taylor and Denise Glover, introduced the project and the support offer. You can read more about this project here. Please do get in touch with Abi or Denise if you think they can help you. |
Shropshire Beam are pleased to provide Virtual workshops for Parents & Professionals for November 2022. All virtual workshops will take around an hour.
Details are below, all you need to do is click on Link at the appropriate time of chosen Workshop. All workshop will be done via MS Teams Video call, Beam are unable to record sessions. The Workshops are derived to be informative and engaging sessions, so please be willing to participate during the sessions.
There are three Workshops which will be rolled out at midday to enable more people to attend, please see the following details of content:-
Managing Anxiety – aims & Objectives are to pass over psycho - education within the topic followed by practical suggestions of methods & techniques to help support the youth experience issues with anxiety.
Wellbeing Planning – a workshop which explains & provides a tool for Children & Young people to support their general Emotional Health & Wellbeing, it recognises triggers and promotes self-awareness, his can also be used as a relapse tool to support resilience.
Sleep Support - aims to pass over psycho - education within the topic followed by practical suggestions & advise of methods & techniques to help support the children & young people having difficulties with getting to sleep and staying a sleep. This workshop will be rolled out twice over the four weeks, due to popular demand.
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Talk PANTS has been developed by the NSPCC and helps children understand that their body belongs to them, and they should tell someone they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried. With the help of their friendly dinosaur Pantosaurus, Talk Pants is a simple conversation to help keep children safe from sexual abuse.
The NSPCC have created PANTS guides for children who communicate using Makaton, to help them understand the PANTS rules and to keep them safe. The guides include prompt cards, guides for children and parents, as well as videos using the Makaton vocabularies. They also have a guide for deaf children. You can check out the resources on the NSPCC website.
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Currently there are two contracts issued by Shropshire Council for the delivery of specialist Short Breaks for children and young people with disabilities and their families, both of which are due to be re-commissioned in April 2024.
Short Breaks are services which provide “breaks from caring for carers of disabled children to support them to continue to care for their children at home and to allow them to do so more effectively” (Short Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children – 2011). They have previously been known as ‘Respite Services’. There is additional recognition that Short Breaks have an important role to play in supporting young people’s preparation for adulthood and provide valuable experience of spending time away from their home or main carers. Specialist Short Breaks are only accessible after a needs assessment carried out by a Social Worker, evidencing the need for this service. They include overnight residential care, specialist groups and 1:1 specialist support. You can find out more about the Shropshire Short Breaks offer in the Shropshire Short Breaks Statement
PACC are currently engaged in ongoing discussions with Shropshire Council about the re-commissioning of the existing specialist Short Breaks Services available in Shropshire. Shropshire Council are committed to co-producing the re-commissioning process and ensuring that it reflects the voices of children and young people with SEND and their families who use these services.
It would be great if we could create a parent carer reference group for this work, so if you would like to be more involved and can spare a few hours to support this work please email Sarah at enquiries@paccshropshire.org.uk
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It’s so important that we protect our children as best we can from nasty infectious diseases. These include common illnesses that can cause a child to become quite unwell.
One in ten children in England are not up to date with their vaccinations and the NHS are keen to ensure all children are protected from common infectious illnesses. If your child has just started school, it’s particularly important to check they are up to date with all vaccinations.
If unsure, parents and carers are advised to check the record of immunisations within a child’s red book or call their GP practice to see if vaccinations have been missed.
Children are offered a range of vaccinations before they start school to protect them from common but preventable infectious diseases, such as measles and polio. Routine immunisations are given at ages eight weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks, one year, and three years and four months old (40 months).
Practice Nurses at your GP practices are trained to deliver these routine vaccinations quickly and as painlessly as possible. Just contact your GP to find out more.
Many people are worried about rising prices. The economic situation is impacting on us all.
Shropshire Council is working with partners to bring together key resources so that everyone is signposted to the best place to get support. It is important to know that:
- If you or someone you know is worried about money or is struggling right now, you are not alone.
- There may be simple steps you can take to cut costs or maximise your income.
- If you are getting into debt or your mental health is suffering, do not wait to get help.
The energy price guarantee
From the 1st October the average household will pay £2500 for energy. However, please be aware that this isn’t a cap on how much you will pay, but a limit on the amount which can be charged per unit of gas or electricity. The more energy you use, the more you will pay.
From October the guarantee limits
- Daily charges (28p gas, 46p electricity)
- Unit rates (10p/kWh gas, 34p/kWh electricity)
£400 Energy Bills Support Scheme
From October 1st all households will receive credit to their electricity bill paid in 6 monthly instalments. You do not need to register to receive this help.
Key Shropshire Resources
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During the summer PACC delivered a new Healthy Lives Programme for children and young people with SEND in Shropshire with great success.
The programme is based on the 5 steps to wellbeing and aims to support the physical and mental health of young people. It included young people learning about how to look after their health and getting active, they also got dancing with Identity Dance School, went for a walk and joined a crafting session with Avalon Day Services in Oswestry, they played Boccia and re-potted pepper plants at Abbots Wood Day Services, they learnt about using the gym at Shrewsbury Sports Village and explored music and poetry with Arty Party.
An important part of wellbeing is to give to others, and a group of young people joined Aspirations Day Services to prepare an afternoon tea for two family members as a way of saying thank you for all the support they provide on a day-to-day basis.
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There are lots of activities to enjoy all year round as a member of All In. To find out more about the All In term time activities, please see the Actio web pages
Cavalier Centre Provision Update
Many families were concerned about the communication from the Cavalier Centre over the summer informing families that All In members were now being offered reduced availability due to some challenges they were experiencing. Actio are pleased to advise that a more acceptable resolution has been sought. The Cavalier Centre will now offer All In members one subsidised session per fortnight at the new cost of £7.50 per rider. This new offer will be active from October 1st 2022. Please contact the Cavalier Centre for more information, their details can be found on the Actio website.
Half term is coming up too, and Actio have lots of fun activities All In members can enjoy. Actio are keen to see what you have been enjoying over the October half term, whether it’s chilly autumn walks, Halloween parties, or attending any of the All In activities. Please email them any photographs, drawings, or short stories about your adventures during half term. Please email info@actio.org.uk. Please note any items shared with them will be collated and used across their social media, emails, and website. If you do not want to include names or faces, please let them know in your email.
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There has been substantial progress in many areas across the SEND agenda since 2020’s Local Area SEND Inspection outcome, which required a Written Statement of Action. While progress has been made, there is still a clear gap between the internal strategic and operational developments and genuine impact for families on the ground in their everyday lives.
To help us understand the landscape today, we sought feedback from families. While our ongoing conversations and relationships in the community provide invaluable insight, a survey provides richer information about more specific topics and themes. Our SEND Survey was tailored to provide us the intelligence needed to reflect the impact of the WSOA development and any progress to date.
This survey has provided us with a snapshot of what families across Shropshire, who navigate the SEND system daily, feel about the care and support they, and their child / young person with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities, receive. You can read the full report and survey response data and transcripts here. You can also see a Summary Report here.
You can also find out more about PACCs involvement with this area of work on their website.
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Each local area should have a designated clinical officer (DCO) who plays a key role in implementing the SEND reforms and in supporting joined up working between health services, local authorities and other SEND partners. Jennifer Griffin is the DCO for special educational needs and disability (SEND) for Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin, and has recently returned from maternity leave. Jen’s role is to support health colleagues to ensure children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND have the right health support to achieve the best outcomes they possibly can. You can read more about the role of the DCO on the Local Offer.
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Over the summer program Actio had 14 providers offer activities, with 5 new providers joining their offer. Drummond Outdoor returned to the Summer Program to offer canoeing, kayaking, and stand-up paddle boarding on the River Severn. South Shropshire Gymnastics joined the offer for the first time, providing activities exploring movement and coordination alongside some gymnastic skill development. Shropshire Cricket Board hosted disability cricket camps, Tennis camps were also available through Cathie Sabin Community Tennis Centre, both introducing their sports as well as offering fun activities to promote healthy lifestyles and social opportunities. Actio were also pleased to introduce Fordhall Farm to their program with sessions focusing on creative activities in the wilderness, and the Shrewsbury Museums and Art Gallery who provided some interactive art opportunities.
There was some wonderful feedback from families and the activity providers too.
“My son really enjoyed being on the water, Drummond always offer a great day out”
“Shadow play was so much fun, he smiled the whole time we were there”
“As always, (she) has been looking forward to Highflyers and had a great time”
The latest PACC newsletter is now available. This month it contains information on the recommissioning of specialist Short Breaks services and how you can get involved, details of the Healthy Parent Carer programme being offered by PACC, opportunities to have your say on SEND transport and parent carers wellbeing and information about upcoming activities for children and young people with SEND. You can read the newsletter here
PACC held its AGM on the 5th October and published its Annual Report for 2021/22. We would like to thank everyone who attended the AGM and especially our speaker Kat Slade who spoke to us about her research around understanding the transition experience for young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD). We welcomed Ruth Minshall and Andy Edwards as new Trustees and parent carer reps and look forward to them joining the PACC team.
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Reminder - no diagnosis is needed to access the AWM Shropshire service and there is no formal referral route – parents/carers can self-refer by booking an advice appointment or contacting them directly.
Half Term Holiday Fun
No sooner than the new school year starts it seems like the half term is just around the corner! We are running a family event at Attingham Park followed by a get together for our Teens during the holiday – to find out more/book click on the link…
https://autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
Learn more about autism…
There are lots of FREE autism related webinars coming up, click on the links below for more information and details about how to book. You can watch live or catch up by viewing a recording of the broadcast up to 14 days later – you must register in advance though.
For families with younger children…
In November we will be starting our very popular Rising To The Challenge for the Early Years – a series of webinars and optional Microsoft Teams groups tailored to the needs of families with younger autistic children. For more information and how to register click here.
WEEKLY Zoom Advice slots – every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
For those would like some face-to-face advice Autism West Midlands are offering this virtually via video appointments. Zoom works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please click this link to book.
IMPORTANT – Autism West Midlands will email your zoom link to you the week before your slot, so make sure you are checking your inbox, including spam/junk folders
Virtual Support Group for Parents - Wednesday Mornings 10am-11am & Wednesday Evenings 8pm-9pm – 1st and 3rd Weds of each month (term time)
Their online support groups meet twice a month via Zoom. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. It is recommended that you have attended an online advice appointment with a member of the team before joining group sessions (link above). If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email the team here shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Dad’s Group – Monthly on a Thursday 7pm-8pm
This is an opportunity for dads to meet online, share ideas, celebrate their children’s achievement’s and offer support to each other with a member of Autism West Midlands present. For more information and booking details please click here.
Advice and support
Autism West Midlands also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact the small team directly to arrange an appointment please call:
Shropshire office 01952 454156
Mon, Wed, Fri Wendy Cowton 07900784186
Weds, Thu, Fri Emma Hegenbarth 07881109480
Tue, Wed, Thu Dawn Lewis 07706309382
Email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Helpline 0121 450 7575
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You can keep up to date with information about SEND related issued through the Local Offer website or by following the Local Offer on Facebook or Twitter.
Visit the SEND Local Offer.
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