to the first edition of the Stoke-on-Trent Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Families' Newsletter. We hope our regular publication will help to keep you updated on what is going on in the city for children and young people with SEND.
We will have two termly SEND newsletters: one for young people and parents and carers, and a separate one for those working with children and young people with SEND. We are respectful of your time and want to send you the information that will be most relevant to you, but both will be available on the Local Offer website for everyone to read.
A message from Delyth Mathieson our Assistant Director - Education and Family Support
Welcome to our new SEND newsletter at the start of another busy term. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. Thank you for all your support in the last term as we work together to support all of our children across the city. I have been fortunate to meet a number of you through the events at Hazel Trees with PEGIS, and in the Civic Centre to hear first-hand about the successes and challenges you face as families and giving us ideas about how we can make our systems even better for our children and for you too. I can also see through many of the Ofsted reports that have come to me over the last few months the difference our schools are making, particularly with those children who need that extra support, whether or not they have an EHCP. By working together we can make the difference we want to make for all of our children. So here’s to a great term ahead.
We want our SEND information to represent all children and young people with SEND. That's why we chose the Disability Pride flag as the banner at the top of the page.
Did you know that each colour stripe has a different meaning?
Red - physical disabilities
Gold - neurodiversity
White - invisible disabilities and disabilities that haven't yet been diagnosed
Blue - emotional and psychiatric disabilities, including mental illness, anxiety, and depression
Green - sensory disabilities
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The Local Offer? What’s that?!
In our newsletter you will see lots of mention of the Local Offer, but some people are not quite sure what this actually means.
The Stoke-on-Trent SEND Local Offer means all the services available to children and young people in the city with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, from birth to the age of 25. It includes education, health and social care, as well as support for families.
The easiest way to find out about Stoke-on-Trent's Local Offer is through the website by clicking the link below:
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It can give you information about the support available to you as a young person with SEND, or as someone who cares for a child or young person with SEND. There is information for every stage from babyhood to the age of 25. It has information about the early years, about schools and how they will support you, about health services and about supporting young people as they become adults, as well as much more.
Our Local Offer is coproduced – that means we work with the people of Stoke-on-Trent to find out about what they need and want and that they help us in working out how best to communicate it to the community.
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We are constantly developing the Local Offer website and welcome your ideas for how it can be improved.
How can you help us shape Stoke-on-Trent’s Local Offer?
We are currently meeting with groups in the community to hear their ideas and ask for their input on ours.
If you are a member of a group of SEND young people or their parents and carers, and you would like to help, please email us at localoffer@stoke.gov.uk to arrange.
Can you help?
An area of the website that we are working hard to develop is a place especially for young people with SEND. Is this you? Are you part of a class or group who would be happy to meet with the Local Offer team to talk about living in Stoke-on-Trent? We want to hear all about what’s great about life in the city and what could be improved for you. Please email us at localoffer@stoke.gov.uk.
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Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are visiting our area to inspect the local arrangements for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND).
The inspectors want to know about the help and support that children and young people with SEND get. You can tell us by filling in a survey below. Your answers are confidential.
Please fill in the relevant survey using the links below. The surveys will close at 9am on 23 January 2024.
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Stoke Parent Carers Champions for Change is a Parent Carer Forum for Stoke-on-Trent.
Parent Carer Forums are part of the SEND code of practice 2015 which states “Parent Carer Forums are representative local groups of parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities who work alongside local authorities, education, health and other service providers to ensure the services they plan, commission, deliver and monitor meet the needs of children and families”
Stoke Parent Carers Champions for Change is made up of dedicated, skilled and knowledgeable organisations across Stoke-on-Trent, facilitated by VAST. Through our consortium model our Member Organisations work directly with and represent parent carers of young people with disabilities to ensure local services meet the needs of children and families.
Our forum amplifies the voices of parent carers and local support organisations in the work they do every day, championing change for their own families and all families in Stoke-on-Trent.
Our Steering Group includes PEGiS, an engagement group for parents and carers of children and young people who have (SEND) in Stoke on Trent, Lifeworks Staffordshire who support marginalised people 14+ with an average IQ with Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Tourette’s Syndrome and their carers, and Sendiass who provide free, accurate, impartial information advice and support to children, parents and young people with SEND to enable them to be empowered to play an active and informed role in their education and care.
For more information please click the link below:
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If you need support help is available:
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Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Talking Therapies can help. The service is free and confidential. You need to be registered with a doctor in Stoke-on-Trent or Staffordshire but you do not need to speak to your doctor to get an appointment. You can call to make an appointment on 0300 303 0923 or visit the website to find out more information.
Stoke-on-Trent Educational Psychology Service
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As part of the SEND Inclusion Strategy Refresh, we asked for contributions and feedback from parents, children and young people, SENCos, SEND professionals and stakeholders regarding their views and priorities on the subject of inclusion. The contributions and feedback have been invaluable and we would like to thank everyone who took part in the focus groups and surveys. We have been able to hear your voices and this has helped us to identify the key themes to include within the refresh strategy.
It was wonderful to see the creative ways children and young people found to answer the question ‘What does inclusion mean to me?’. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all the pupils and staff who contributed throughout the week.
Please follow our social media page on X/Twitter: @SoTEduPsy in order to be notified of any upcoming events or information.
If you haven’t already seen our calendar of events and activities, you can find it by clicking the link below. We are adding new things to it all the time and there are playgroups on every day of the week around the city. We always recommend you confirm with the organisers that event is going ahead before travelling there.
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Important school admissions information.
If your child is due to start in Reception in September please note that the deadline was 15 January 2024. If you haven’t applied for a place for your child yet you can still do so and we urge you to do so as soon as possible. You can apply for a place by visiting your chosen school and asking for a paper copy of the admissions form.
You can apply for a Nursery place here until 31 January
If your child has an EHCP (Education, health and care plan), please contact your child’s SENMAS caseworker or email senmas@stoke.gov.uk.
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Annual reviews
The SENMAS (Special Educational Needs Monitoring and Assessment Service) team explain what they are and what you should expect:
The Annual Review is a process involving a number of steps, not just a single meeting. When a child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) it must be reviewed every 12 months to monitor their progress and see if any changes need to be made to the plan. Where the child is under five, this needs to be done every six months.
In line with the Code of Practice the Local Authority requires schools and settings to convene and hold annual reviews. The school must arrange the Annual Review and make sure that any Health and Social Care colleagues who should be there are invited.
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Plan, arrange and hold the Annual Review meeting at least four weeks before the review due date, so that they keep in line with statutory timescales.
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Make sure that everyone involved is invited to the meeting, with at least two weeks’ notice and make sure that they are allowed appropriate representation.
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Record the views, wishes and feelings of children/young people and their parents/carers.
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Think carefully about the child or young person’s progress and collect evidence and advice about any changes needed to their EHCP.
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Recommend whether to maintain (leave the plan as it is), amend (make changes to the plan) or cease (end) the plan.
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Provide a written report of the meeting to the LA, with relevant data/ information that feeds into the review process (e.g. progress data).
The LA SENMAS Team regularly remind schools and other settings of annual review dates.
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News from Newfriars College
Hear all about life as one of Vocational Pathway learners at Newfriars College; the Pathway preparing young people for employment, self-employment, further study, volunteering and the skills to live as independent a life as possible:
“At Newfriars College, we do so much to prepare for adulthood”, says David, age 17, from Sneyd Green. “We do qualifications like our GCSEs in English, Maths and Food Preparation and Nutrition, as well as Employability skills - looking for a job, researching different jobs and seeing how much you can earn.”
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Austyn, age 16, from Sandyford, agrees. “We are really learning about being an adult. We do travel training, budgeting, learning how to cook things, such as basic meals, and how to keep healthy. We also get the chance to do work experience. I go to the Indi Club on a Thursday to help with the eBay shop, which I love.”
Megan, age 17, from Heron Cross, said: “We are always doing things in the community. We also have Enterprise projects which are really useful to teach us about budgeting and teamwork. I study Health and Social Care, which is all about caring for babies. I think this is great because I hope to be a mum one day.”
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“There are so many things I love about Stoke,” says Will, from Blurton. “Port Vale football club are great because they bring everyone together as a community, especially the foundation, which supports people with disabilities. I also love the rainbow building in the city centre, and the museums because they’ve got the spitfire and lots of information about the Potteries industry.” |
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“I am proud to be from Stoke,” says Jofre, from Longton. “There is lots of history and culture and signs of industry. We also have Bet 365, which employs a lot of people and is good for the city. I think people are really friendly too.” |
Newfriars College runs its own training café and shop in Newcastle-Under-Lyme: Community Junction. Run by staff and students from the College, our café and shop are open to the public and our students are learning invaluable employability and preparation for adulthood skills.
Claire - I love working at Community Junction, I've made new friends and am more independent now.
Emily - I am more confident talking to others and I love working in the shop. The staff are great!
Sophie - I've learned lots of new skills and working here will help me to get a job.
The SHINE award
The SHINE award has been launched this year. SHINE stands for “Stoke-on-Trent’s Hallmark for Inclusive Learning Environments”.
The SHINE award has been launched this year. SHINE stands for “Stoke-on-Trent’s Hallmark for Inclusive Learning Environments”
The four pilot nurseries are Rosy Cheeks nurseries in Bentilee and Tunstall, The Crescent Preschool (Meir) and Tiny Toez Nursery in East Valley (Sneyd Green)
The award has now been launched across the city and several other nurseries have applied to work towards achieving the award.
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The EasyPeasy app has launched in Stoke-on-Trent and families can enjoy two years of free access to the app. It's aimed at families with children from 0-5 years and provides hints, tips, videos and activities that families can do with their children. The app has been really well received by both parents and children in the area.
Families are able to select the date of birth of their child so that the app can show them content for the right age. They can then choose three areas that they would like to focus on.
Families can download EasyPeasy on the App Store or the Google Play Store or at http://www.easypeasyapp.com.
The app will ask for a postal code and will then grant free access for all ST postal codes.
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Autism
The Autism Service has delays in being able to see and diagnose children because the number being referred is getting higher every month. Please know that we are investing in the service and planning changes to how we do things to help cut waiting times. Our changes will include a pre-diagnostic tool for professionals as well as support for parents and the children and young people following a diagnosis.
Referrals to the Autism Service should come from schools who know the children well and who will be able to complete a good quality profile of the child to help in decision making. GPs are not able to fast-track the process and do not have the information needed about the child, so it is always best that schools make the referral.
Please be aware that not all independent assessors are providing high quality assessments. They may not lead to a valid diagnosis and this may cause problems in the future.
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Emotional Wellbeing
All referrals should be made via the central referral process Combined Wellbeing. School’s mental health lead can be consulted first or strategies from the MHSP (mental health service professional) if the school has one working with them should be embedded first. Parents and children and young people can self-refer.
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Short Breaks
Our children with disabilities (CWD) social work team consists of Social Workers, Social Work Assistants and Short Break Workers who support children with disabilities and their families who need social work support.
We recognise the difficulties that families are under at this time due to the rising cost of living and the impact that this is having on families. One of the ways that we have tried to support with this is updating the CWD resource list each month and sharing these with families. These include several food banks in the area, charity organisations, financial support and advice as well as up to date information around Action for Children and the activities available in the coming months.
The team also work closely with PEGiS so we continually understand the experience of our parents.
For more information on the Short Breaks service click the link below:
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