Parent carers tell us that they value hearing from other SEND families. The Parent and Carer Council (PACC) were recently contacted by Susie, a parent carer, who wanted to share a poem written by her son, Tom, about how he felt and to explain how his mind works. PACC were so impressed by it that they asked Susie to provide information for a Being Me article.
Tom has suspected Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and is currently on the BeeU waiting list for an assessment.
This ‘Being Me’ article is about Tom Maddison, aged 7 and written with the support of his Mom, Susie.
Thank you to Tom and Susie for sharing this with other families. If you want to share your SEND journey with the SEND community, you can email Enquiries@PACCShropshire.org.uk or Local.Offer@shropshire.gov.uk
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There’s another school holiday just round the corner, and we know how some families can find the holidays a challenge with the juggle of work and keeping the children entertained.
If parent carers are looking for thinks to do and places to go, then the Shropshire Family Information Service Directory is the place to visit. Click here for Christmas fun.
There’s also the Actio activity offer for those children and young people who are registered for All In Short Breaks and Autism West Midlands are also hosting a family walk around Attingham Park, for booking information, please visit the Autism West Midlands website.
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This Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) has been developed by the SEND Partnership and approved by the Department for Education, following the judgement by Ofsted/CQC that sufficient progress had not been made against the weaknesses outlined by the recent re-inspection. The three areas of work in the APP are
- Neurodiversity (ND) Workstream
- Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Workstream
- Education Health Care Plan Quality
In addition to the Accelerated Progress Plan there are further workstreams supporting the improvement of the SEND experience in Shropshire
- SEND and Alternative Provision
- Preparation for Adulthood
- Local Offer and Communications
- Emotional Health and Wellbeing Groups
- Joint Commissioning
Update from the Neurodiversity Workstream
- After two days of interviews, Three Neurodiversity (ND) Practitioners have been appointed and will start in January 2024. This new practitioners will be working in a selection of schools across Shropshire to support our neurodivergent children and young people as well as their schools and families. More information will follow once the practitioners have started.
- A new Assistant Psychologist was recruited to BeeU in October 2023. The focus of this role who will be to primarily work to support children and families who are on the waiting list for ND assessments. The assistant psychologist has already made contact with many families who have being waiting the longest for diagnostic assessments.
- Autism West Midlands are working towards having a workplace location in Shrewsbury. This will enable greater access for the community, strengthen links with Early Help workers and provide more facilities for activities.
- Autism West Midlands have started the latest webinar series Rising To The Challenge The Early Years. This series comprises of six topic-based sessions tailored to the needs of families with younger autistic children, optional Teams chat after to explore in more details with Autism Specialist Advisors and other parents carers. The sessions can be viewed live or on catch up and free to access. https://autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/rising-to-the-challenge-summer-2023-west-midlands-region/
- Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust have recently launched a new advice phone line to provide support to families who have children waiting to be seen at the Child Development Centreor for those who have very recently been seen for assessment. If your child is on the waiting list you can call the service and speak to a specialist practitioner about your child's needs. The specialist practitioner will give you advice and sign post you to services and resources which may help your child and you as a family. If you are eligible to access the advice line you should have received a letter from the Child Development Centre, please contact the CDC if you think you should be eligible but haven't received a letter.
- Please remember to check out the new Neurodiversity section on the SEND Local Offer. This includes the support available locally and nationally.
Update on the Preparing for Adulthood Workstream
- A preparation for Adulthood (PFA) Workstream has been established by the SEND Partnership board to review and further develop the PFA pathways and processes from early years. The multi-agency group have met twice and will be gathering views from young people their families and professionals to identify areas of good practice and areas for development.
- Coming under the remit of this group is an Employment Forum and a project exploring ways to double the number of supported Internship for young people with an Education, Health, and Care plan by 2025. The numbers of Shropshire young people in an internship have increased from the last academic year by over 80%. You can read more about internships in this newsletter.
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We like to spotlight specific roles of colleagues that you or your children and young people might meet, in this edition we focus on the Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse Specialists.
Louise and Kirsty are Paediatric Epilepsy Nurse specialists covering Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Mid Wales. They are both experienced children's nurses with a variety of experience having worked together on the acute children's ward at Shrewsbury hospital for over 10 years. Louise then moved into her Epilepsy specialist nurse role 10 years ago. Kirsty started her Epilepsy specialist nurse role 5 years ago.
They are hospital based and have a caseload of approximately 700 children who have Epilepsy; many of whom also have other varying medical needs including Autism, ADHD and learning difficulties or learning disabilities. Louise and Kirsty not only support these children and their families in dealing with their Epilepsy diagnosis, but they also provide training for educational settings on Epilepsy management and Epilepsy awareness.
Louise and Kirsty work to support the identification and reduction of health inequalities in the care of children and young people living with epilepsy. They also contribute to the improvement of health information required for Education, Health and Care Plan’s, specifically for children and young people living with Epilepsy and SEND. Supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities is a large part of their role and something they are both keen to develop and improve over the coming months.
Louise and Kirsty work in partnership with schools, children, young people and families to develop Individual Healthcare plans. The aim is to ensure that schools know how to support children and young people effectively and provide clarity about what needs to be done, when and by whom.
They also regularly meet with children and young people within the outpatient’s clinic setting, as well as acute setting, such as during admission to the children's ward at Princes Royal Hospital. They provide a telephonic help line for families to discuss any concerns related to epilepsy. This may also involve referral to other services to help support children form a holistic approach.
Louise Edmunds 01952 565937
Kirsty Wagg 01952 282889
If you would like to see a Spotlight on a particular role, then please let us know via the Local Offer inbox, Local.Offer@Shropshire.gov.uk, and we will include that in the next edition of this newsletter.
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The Dynamic Support Register (DSR) is a register of people with a learning disability and/or autistic people who are at risk of going into hospital (children or adults) or into a 52-week residential placement (children) as result of deteriorating mental health conditions or distressed behaviours. It enables all agencies and services involved in commissioning and delivering their care and support to provide the type of support the person needs to stay well at home. For children and young people aged 0-25 years, inclusion on the DSR can lead to the allocation of a Keyworker.
A diagnosis of learning disability and/or autism is needed to be included on the DSR and to receive the support of a Keyworker. The individual’s lead professional can refer, or individuals/parent carers can self-refer.
Further information regarding Shropshire’s DSR process can be found here. In 2024 a digital DSR is being introduced which will allow professionals to better collect and share data. For self-referral this will mean that individuals or parent carers can self-refer online. However self-referral will still be available by phone or email which is the current system.
The Christmas period, with lots of change, social interaction, expectations and demands to negotiate, can be a very exciting but often stressful time of the year for many autistic people. With the help of parent carers, the National Autistic Society have put together a list of autism friendly tips for the festive period. There is also a brief list of useful resources that they hope may prove helpful in making this festive period as special and as stress free as possible.
There is also a great video from Purple Ella, an autistic mum with autistic children, who discusses the challenges of Christmas and some strategies to overcome these challenges. You can watch Purple Ella’s Autism and Christmas on her YouTube channel
The PDA Society also has some helpful approaches to special occasions and their information can be found here.
And finally, on the Shropshire SEND Local Offer there are some tips with regards to managing sensory sensitives and overload at Christmas.
Being a parent can be tough sometimes. We are here for you with a friendly listening ear and practical advice on everything from behaviours that challenge to sleep issues. No judgment, just support, through this anonymous and confidential service.
Call 01743 250950
Monday - Thursday, 9.30am - 4.30pm or Friday - 9.30am - 3.30pm or email: parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk
(Please note the helpline will be closed from Monday 25th December to including Monday 1st January).
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The 2023 school-aged programme is for children in reception up to and including year 11. For children who attend one of the special schools, the immunisation team visit these schools early in the programme due to their vulnerability. The team work closely with the staff so that they can support the pupils as they know the pupils and their individual needs the best. In special schools, the team tend to move around the school to vaccinate the pupils in areas that they are familiar with such as classrooms, sensory rooms. For identification of the child, we use their school “passport” which contains a photograph. Again we offer community clinic with extra appointment time if needed.
We have delivered a school briefing about the flu programme so we can work together to deliver a successful programme.
To find out more information about the School-Aged Immunisation Service follow there Twitter page, where they provide updates on clinic dates and the immunisation programme @shropshireimms or contact the team on 01743 730028 and shropcom.immunisationteam@nhs.net
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The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for the Christmas holidays is now open for bookings!
Your school age child (4-16 years old) can get a FREE place:
- If you get benefits-related free school meals
- Are a Ukrainian guest staying in Shropshire
- Have been referred by a practitioner
The majority of providers are able to offer places to children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
A lot of the providers also offer additional paid places that are available to everyone, so it's worth taking a look if you need childcare or activities to keep your children busy during the holidays. Find out more about the HAF programme here.
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Shropshire Beam hold regular emotional wellbeing support sessions for children and young people up to the age of 25.
Their aim is to help boost resilience as well as develop coping skills for when life presents challenges.
BEAM can...
- recommend strategies and techniques that aim to make life easier – for example, how to manage a panic attack, or how to improve sleep.
- give practical suggestions and advice – this might be suggesting other websites or contacting another service.
- provide a listening ear for those who have something you want to get off your chest.
No appointment is needed simply turn up on the day.
- Mondays: 12-4pm (last session 3pm) Sundorne Youth Centre, 218 Sundorne Road, SY1 4RG
- Tuesdays and Thursdays: 10–6pm (last session 5pm) Beam, 9 Market Square, Wellington, TF1 1BP
- Saturdays: 10am- 2pm (last session 1pm) Beam, 9 Market Square, Wellington, TF1 1BP
You will need to be registered with Beam to use the service. You can do this via their website or in person on the day you attend.
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Shropshire’s early help service are hosting an opportunity for parent carers to meet teams from education, health and social care.
The theme for Autumn is
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) support
- Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs)
- Annual reviews
Come along and hear from those who can help, support and guide parent carers on these topics, and then chat to them about any queries you have on the process. The session will also be attended by the Parent and Carer Council (PACC) and the Early Help team.
Sessions are free to attend. Apologies, but due to unforeseen circumstances the session at Market Drayton will now take place on 7 December.
- Thursday 7 Dec, 9.30am-12.30pm, Raven House, Market Drayton, TF9 3AH
- Thu 14 Dec, 9.30am-12.30pm, Helena Lane Community Centre, Ludlow, SY8 2NP
To find out more about these specific SEND events or the weekly Early Help drop ins offering support to families, please visit the Family Information Directory.
Families and professionals in Shropshire are being asked to give their views on the Shropshire Information Advice and Support Service (IASS) offered to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Citizens Advice Shropshire currently provide the Shropshire SEND Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) on behalf of Shropshire Council and NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
Feedback from the survey will be used to help shape the service, which is due to be re-tendered (where bids will be invited from interested providers to deliver the service), from September 2024, when the current contract ends.
This survey is for:
- Parents/carers whose children have or may have an additional need or disability
- Children and young people aged up to 25 years who have or may have an additional need or disability
- Practitioners that work with or on behalf of children and young people with SEND and their families
- People that have used the service and also for those that have not
All survey answers will be confidential and anonymised and will not affect any entitlement to other services.
The survey will take about 12 minutes to complete. Have your say and let us know what you think
SEND Information, Advice and Support Services Survey | Shropshire Council
Deadline for responses is Wednesday 6 December.
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Is your child neurodivergent? If so, Empathy for Special Children could be an amazing source of support and friendship for you and your family.
Empathy For Special Children is a registered UK charity, working across Shropshire to improve the lives and reduce social isolation of those growing up with a hidden disability. As champions of neurodiversity they believe that seeing the world differently should not be a barrier to fun, friendship or living a full and active life.
You can find out more about the support offer on the Empathy for special children website or follow them on Empathy for Special Children Facebook page.
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At the end of 2022 we shared information about the upcoming recommissioning of Shropshire assessed Short Breaks services, including overnight Short Breaks at Bradbury House and the community-based offer provided by ‘Action for Children’. Re-commissioning happens when the contract period comes to an end and a new contract needs to be agreed. It is important that the community who uses a service has opportunities to inform and shape what the service looks like at this point. A new service specification will be developed, and possible providers will be invited to make an application to deliver the service.
Since the work on the recommissioning of assessed Shropshire Short Break services was started Shropshire Council has developed a new approach to the commissioning process. As a result of this there has been some changes to the original timescale and scope for the Short Break recommissioning. It has now been agreed that the process will look at the full Short Break offer, including the targeted (non-assessed) Short Break offer known as ‘All In’.
Update on the recommissioning of Shropshire Short Breaks services | Shropshire Council
Shropshire Council is set to embark on a county wide engagement exercise to seek the views and ideas from special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) communities, as well as the wider public.
The exercise will focus around how the council can change how it meets the needs of children and young people with SEND and has been prompted by the need to reduce the amount the local authority spends on discretionary transport to get eligible children and young people with SEND to their nursery, school or college.
Update on SEND discretionary school transport | Shropshire Council
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Supported internships are for young people aged 16-24 years with an Education, Health, and Care plan, they offer a unique opportunity for young people (interns) to prepare for their future careers, by building workplace confidence and acquiring the employability skills to move into paid employment post the internship.
The Local Authority has received grant funding to help increase the number of young people taking up supported internships and to form an Employment Forum which is made up of stakeholders including employers. The employment Forum is currently being developed and if you have any comments or ideas to share or wish to get involved then please contact Sarah Sweeney, Post 16 PFA SEND Commissioning Manager, on email via SENTeam@Shropshire.gov.uk
We could not pass by the opportunity to share a few good news stories from three previous interns.
Kieran is currently completing an apprenticeship in the Right Home, Right Place team at Shropshire Council. Listen to his full story here: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWGd8xD9j-s
Annabel attended a work placement with the Wrekin Housing Group three days a week, working in various areas, learning the role of Customer Services Assistant.
“My supported internship has helped me understand what working life is like. It has helped improve my self-confidence, and ability to work as part of a team.”
“I loved my work placement at The Coppice. I enjoy helping the residents, having a laugh and joke with them as well as the staff.”
“I particularly enjoyed working in the café area and I feel more able to work as part of a team to carry out the café duties.”
Canny Cuts Manager, Mel Overend, said Marie’s confidence has grown with the role and she gets on really well with the team. She interacts well with members of the public who bring in and collect their dogs and she is consistently improving in all areas.
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In the March 2023 SEND Newsletter we announced news about a new exciting, supported Internship work-based study programme being run by Shrewsbury College in partnership with the Royal Shrewsbury hospital, Enable, DFN Project Search and the LA. The programme is for one academic year over 5 days.
We are pleased to let you know that 12 interns started in September - what an exciting year ahead of them. We will be following their story and will keep you updated.
Shrewsbury College are recruiting to next year's programme and further information can be found at - Project Search Supported Internship (scg.ac.uk)
Ring Admissions on 01743 342346
Email admissions@scg.ac.uk
Some people think that autistic people want to be alone and have no interest in having friends, however this is not true! Some people can have lots of friends, but others might prefer to only have one or two really close friends instead and that is okay. Making friends can be a bit tricky, since it can take a long time to get to know someone and for you both to learn how you like to communicate and how you can support each other. You might find that you get on a lot better with others who are autistic too, as you may find it easier to connect and understand each others’ struggles.
This excellent website from Autism Understood, which is co-produced by young people has some really useful information on making friends.
They also cover Social stuff and Bullying and Tips for school.
Autism Central also has some top tips around friendships.
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Please remember - No formal 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 us directly on our Shropshire email address. You can also use our helpline.
We have enjoyed meeting several new faces recently at our face-to-face training events and coffee mornings and are pleased that so many familiar faces are returning too. We have several more events in the planning stages, as well as those mentioned below.
We continue to provide online advice appointments and have listed more dates for December and will soon be thinking about January. No diagnosis is needed to access this service to Shropshire residents.
Please note that there will not be any advice appointments between 21st December and 4th January.
Next year we are planning to have face-to-face bookable appointments available, currently these can be arranged by contacting the team directly.
Early Help Drop Ins - Sunflower House, Shrewsbury –We will be attending the drop-in sessions once a month. The next three dates are: 19th December 16th January and 20th February. The drop-in sessions run from 9.30am -12.30pm.
Autism Alert Cards – available again from the 1st December 2023
https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/home/alert-cards/
Here is an overview of our upcoming events:
Teen Events – Actio All In (ages 11-17 years)
- Starting 27th Nov (6 sessions) Yoga online – ‘Helping Our Mind Through our Body’
- 7th Dec – Teens Online 6 - 7pm
- 12th Feb – Teen get-together – further details to follow.
Family Event
21st December – Attingham Festive Walk/Mansion visit
Face to Face Parent Meetings
22nd January - Coffee and Chat, St Andrew’s Church Shifnal
22nd February – Autism and Behavior – Cleobury Mortimer Primary School
Book any of the above sessions at the below link:
https://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/
Book an online advice appointment with an Autism Specialist Advisor here…
WEEKLY Teams Advice slots
For those who would like some online advice we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Teams also works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop. If the dates/timings of our online advice appointments are not convenient for you, please contact us to make alternative arrangements – scroll down for details.
https://shop.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/collections/events/products/copy-of-online-autism-advice-and-consultation-sessions-shropshire-county
Virtual Support Group for Parents - Wednesday Mornings 10am - 11am & Wednesday Evenings 8pm - 9pm – 1st and 3rd Weds of each month (term time)
Our online support groups meet twice a month via Teams. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. We recommend 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
Advice and support
We also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact the team directly to arrange an appointment including face-to-face if preferable.
Shropshire office 01952 454156
Weds, Thu, Fri Emma Hegenbarth 07881109480
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu Dawn Lewis 07706309382
Mon, Tue, Thu Nicola King 07706337511
Mon, Thu, Fri Kerry McLafferty 07900784186
Email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Helpline 0121 450 7575
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Bookings are now open for this event: https://forms.office.com/e/FTTK3xb14G
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The Healthy Lives Programme is about supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of young people from the Shropshire SEND community, especially those from the Learning Disability and /or Autism communities. It is about making community-based activities accessible to this group, bringing together activity providers into one co-ordinated programme that offers meaningful opportunities to learn new skills, build confidence, make friends and get active. Importantly it provides these opportunities during the school and college holidays, a time families tell us can be difficult, when young people miss their friends and routines, and Parent Carers sometimes struggle to balance the demands placed on them.
It has been a privilege for the PACC team to get to know the young people who have participated in the Healthy Lives programme in 2023 and a joy to see friendships develop and confidence grow. We know how difficult it can be for SEND families to try something new and to keep going, so we also want to acknowledge and thank you the Parent Carers who have filled in forms, provided lifts and shared their thoughts with us about what we got right and what we can improve.
Find out more about the programme here.
You can read more about the programme in our Healthy Lives Programme 2023 Report here.
You can see the presentation delivered at the celebration event here.
You can watch our photo showcase and listen to the song created by some of our amazing young people here.
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A series of focus groups to inform the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin Hospital Transformation Programme (HTP) are currently ongoing. PACC recently attended a meeting of the Learning Disability and Autism HTP Focus Group where information was shared about the transformation programme which will change how hospital-based services are delivered locally. You can view the presentation shared at this focus group here.
The learning Disability and Autism focus group was particularly looking at how the hospital environment can be designed to support neurodiversity. There were discussions about sounds, lighting, colour and visual information. There was a particular focus on how ‘retreats’ and ‘safe spaces’ could be provided for those with learning disabilities, autism and other additional support needs.
There are a number of Focus Groups considering different aspects of the programme, some of which are listed below.
5th December - Medicine & Emergency Care, Surgery, Anaesthetics Critical Care & Cancer focus group
7th December – Women’s and Children’s Focus group
30th January – About Health Event - Hospitals Transformation Programme
Please contact sath.engagement@nhs.net if you have any queries or feedback you would like to give or if you would like to attend a focus group.
You can find out more about the Hospital Transformation Programme on the Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Integrated Care System website.
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The SEN Team are following an 18-month accelerated progress plan. After 6 months of hard work, the SEN Team has made some fundamental changes to how we do things.
To help cope with increasing numbers of requests for assessment and improve the consistent quality of Education, health and care (EHC) plans, we’ve reorganized the SEN team by adding more case officers and creating three regional teams with new senior case officers to provide support and challenge. The average caseload of case officers is now 200+ EHC plans, down from around 300.
These changes will soon start to feed into more timely delivery of plans. We’ve already started freeing up staff to attend school SENDCO planning visits and have hosted a series of Multiagency Inclusion conferences, strengthening our engagement with education. Sue Dix from St Martins 3-16 Learning Community commented that “The impact of all the changes is going to be huge”.
Staff are present at Early Help drop-in sessions around the county to provide face to face support with EHCP and Annual review related needs. We will keep you informed of further changes and improvements over the coming year. Members of the SEN Team | Shropshire Council
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Sibs exists to support people who grow up with or have grown up with a disabled brother or sister. It is the only UK charity representing the needs of over half a million young siblings and over one and a half million adult siblings.
Have you thought about running group support for young siblings? Our sibling group leader training session will give you all the information you need to plan, run and evaluate your own local siblings group. It is taking place online via Zoom on Friday, 2nd February 2024, 9.15am - 1.15pm. For more information and on how to book, please see the attached link: https://www.sibs.org.uk/sibs-workshops-and-training/training-for-sibling-group-leaders/
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Shropshire council have been made aware of a scam phone call. A member of the public received a call from Northern Ireland (Area code 028) pretending to be a member of the Special Educational Needs Team to try and obtain personal data. The Special Educational Needs Team will never call you from a 028 area code phone number.
If you receive a call that you are not expecting, you are welcome to phone the Special Educational Needs Team back on 01743 254267 to check they have attempted to call you.
Please be vigilant of scams and never give out your personal information if you don't trust the caller. Visit the scams and nuisance calls page to find out more.
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