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This newsletter is from the Southend SEND Partnership, made up of organisations and services who provide support in Southend-on-Sea for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their families. This newsletter is to give you the latest updates and information on local services.
For information on local services and support, please visit the Southend SEND Local Offer.
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For Southend Mencap, this year is all about busting myths about living life with a learning disability. They want to show the world the incredible things that people with a learning disability achieve, smashing misconceptions about what people can do and shining a light on the stigma many still face every day.
This year's theme is "Do you see me?" which is all about being seen, heard and valued.
Find out more on the Mencap website and visit your local Southend Mencap website to learn about the services they provide.
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The topic for the next SSIF Seminar is Education Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA). The session aims to provide comprehensive information around how to request an EHCNA, who can request one, how they are undertaken, and much more. The event is taking place on Wednesday 26 June 2024 (9.30am to 12.30pm).
Professionals from the Southend EHCP Team, Southend SENDiass, and an Advisory SENCo will talk about the process. Find details about the event.
We hope you will be able to join us. Please book your place.
As always, we appreciate feedback on your lived experience of SEND services in Southend-on-Sea - the positives, the negatives and everything in between! Complete our family feedback survey.
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HAF is a free and exciting holiday programme for children and young people aged 5 to 16 who get benefits related free school meals. We will be delivering our next HAF programme for 16 days in the summer holidays from 29 July to 22 August 2024, Monday to Thursday. Watch the latest HAF video for an insight into the programme across Southend City.
HAF codes will be issued to eligible pupils from 19 June 2024. We ask families to only book the sessions that they can attend. If plans change, please contact your HAF Club to cancel your place. That will allow a child on the waiting list to attend.
We want to reach as many eligible children as possible. Contact your school if you are unsure if you are eligible to access the HAF programme. You can contact the HAF team by emailing HAF@southend.gov.uk
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Explore a list of free and low-cost events designed to connect you with valuable and easy-to-access information about neurodiversity, resources and support networks:
A number of local groups provide support and training for parent carers. Further information can be found on the Local Offer: Parent/carer support groups – Livewell Southend
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Our next SEND Surgery will take place on Tuesday 16 July (9am to 11am) at Fairways Primary School, The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4QW.
If you are a parent carer of a child or young person with SEND and have any questions or need some advice or guidance, please come along.
Officers in attendance will include members of the Lighthouse ASD/Jigsaws team, an EHCP Co-Ordinator and representatives from The Supporting Families Team, Preparing for Adulthood Team, The Elective Home Education and the Local Offer Team.
There is no need to book a place, just drop-in! Further information about SEND surgeries.
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The Early Years SEND Support Service host stay and play sessions, designed to support you and your child with a variety of play and sensory experiences. The sessions are available to children with SEND aged 0 to 5 and their families in Southend and run on Wednesdays 1pm to 2:30pm. A variety of different services join the sessions to provide support and information.
Future dates:
- 3 July, Southend SEND Local Offer Team
- 17 July, NHS Continence (Toileting) Team
Venue: Summercourt Family Centre, Summercourt Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7AT. Please note parking is available in North Road Car Park.
Learn more about these sessions.
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Join the Local Offer team to tell us what information you need on the SEND Local Offer.
Parent carers, children and young people, and professionals are all welcome.
At the next 2 sessions we will continue the development of a visual routemap for the process of early identification of SEND and support for SEND in schools.
Face to face session: Thursday 27 June at Blenheim Family Centre (come along any time between 9.30am and 12.30pm).
Online Teams session: Wednesday 3 July 7.15 to 8.15pm.
For booking links please visit: your Local Offer, your way sessions.
You can also give your feedback on the SEND Local Offer and tell us about any gaps through a short survey.
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ZLH Studios offers dance workshops for children and young people with physical and learning disabilities.
Zoe's workshops promote positivity and inclusion whilst helping attendees to develop confidence.
Read more on the Local Offer.
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The Southend SEND Network is for organisations who support local children and young people with SEND and their families. Parent carers can also join.
Read news from network members:
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My Care Bridge, a new online portal for referrals for children and young people’s autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) services in mid and south Essex, is coming soon.
It is undergoing further testing with families and healthcare professionals to make final improvements before it launches.
GPs, health visitors, and educational settings will be able to use My Care Bridge to make and track new referrals, and provide additional information about the child or young person. Referrals will also continue to be accepted through SystmOne.
Read more about it.
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The Local Offer team was proud to attend the inspiring Invincible Games 2024, hosted by Active Essex and The Multi-Schools Council.
Over 350 students from 18 special schools across Essex, including Southend-on-Sea, came together for this inclusive event. Witnessing their determination and joy as they participated in a wide range of activities was truly heartwarming.
The event organisers and guests we spoke to emphasised the power of sport and physical activity in celebrating differences, fostering inclusion, and breaking down barriers for students with special needs.
Read the full article on the Active Essex website.
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Traverse is an opportunity for children and young people who are interested in health services to learn more and share their views.
So far, the group have been able to interview system leaders, attend a youth conference and do some team building tasks. For every full meeting young people attend they receive a £30 amazon voucher for their time! The group meets around every 6 weeks. Virtual meetings are a maximum of 1.5 hours and in person meetings are a maximum of 3 hours.
The group is overseen by the Essex Multi-Schools Council and is open to applications from children and young people aged 5 to 25 who want to make a difference!
If you are interested, please email mschoolscouncil@gmail.com
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Voices of the East is an East of England regional network designed to bring children and young people with SEND aged 5 to 25 together.
Meetings are held every couple of months and agendas are determined by what is important to young people. If you are, or know a child or young person who would like to get involved please email kierran.pearce@essex.gov.uk
Here’s what some young people from Southend said after they attended a meeting:
“Good to get together”; “I felt heard and understood with what I was trying to communicate”; “It was a good idea to get everyone together to chat in real time”.
Further information.
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The Lighthouse and JIGSAW team are hosting a series of Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) pre and post-diagnosis support group sessions.
The sessions take place in Southend-on-Sea and surrounding areas with a range of partners and community groups.
You are welcome to attend whether your child has received a diagnosis of ASC or ADHD, or has not yet received a diagnosis.
You can view all upcoming dates and locations on The Lighthouse Child Development Centre website. New dates for Canvey have been added, and further sessions in Rayleigh will be added to the website soon.
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The Learning Disability User Voice Group is open to adults, aged over 18 that identify as having a learning disability, and use services within Southend-on-Sea.
The aim of the group is to provide an opportunity for those with lived experience to have a voice, to be part of co-production, and to have representation at the Living Well Strategy group meetings.
The next group meeting will take place at Project 49 (49 Alexandra Street, Southend) on Thursday 27 June from 10.00am to 11.30am.
To find out more or if you’d like to take part, please contact Neil Songer at neilsonger@southend.gov.uk or on 01702 212558.
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Join us to shout about sight and hearing loss this Deafblind Awareness Week!
Deafblindness is a combined sight and hearing impairment which affects over 450,000 people in the UK. It doesn’t always mean no sight or hearing, although for some people this is the case.
Deafblindness affects everyone differently, learn more about it on Deafblind UK.
For information, resources and useful websites, visit the Local Offer:
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The campaign aims to empower parents and carers of young children to adopt good oral health habits in their children to ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles.
The main focus of the campaign is to set children up for a lifetime of healthy habits to give children the best start by:
- Brushing teeth for 2 minutes twice a day, last thing at night and one other time during the day with a fluoride toothpaste, remembering to spit out toothpaste and not rinse, as rinsing washes away the fluoride protection.
- Cutting down on sugary foods and drinks.
- Making sure children have visited the dentist by the age of one or when their first tooth comes through and then visit the dentist regularly.
Read more about it.
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The Southend Council SEND team have three live surveys and are encouraging families to provide feedback about their experiences.
We want to hear from:
- Children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) about their experience of the annual review process and if they feel the support they are getting from their EHCP is helpful and makes a difference to their overall progress and development. Find out more: http://www.southend.gov.uk/MyArSurvey
- Parent carers of children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plan about their experience of annual review process. Find out more: http://www.southend.gov.uk/ARSurvey
- Parent carers that have been through the Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment process. Find out more: www.southend.gov.uk/EHCNASurvey
The surveys are anonymous and take around 10 minutes to complete. Alternative formats of the surveys are available upon request. Email localoffer@southend.gov.uk or call 01702 212328.
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