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Welcome to our
January 2022 E- Bulletin
Welcome to our first E- Bulletin for 2022.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
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IASS Online Legal Training Sessions
We are here to help! If you are a parent or carer for a young person with SEND and would like to attend any of the following sessions, please click on the following links to find out more information on each session and to book your place:
Thursday 20 January 2022 10am- 11am:
EHCP Annual Reviews
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ehcp-annual-reviews-tickets-169121546097
Wednesday 16 February 2022 6.00pm- 7.00pm:
SEN Support
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sen-support-tickets-169126125795
Tuesday 8 March 2022 1.30pm- 2.30pm:
EHCP Taster Session
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ehcp-taster-online-session-tickets-169127850955
Thursday 31 March 2022 10.30am- 11.30am:
Coffee & Chat
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coffee-chat-tickets-169128250149
If you are a professional working with SEND students, you are welcome to attend any of the above sessions. However, if you would like to learn more about our service and the support the Wolves IASS team offer, please visit the following link to book your place:
Wednesday 26 January 2022 12.30pm- 1pm:
Introduction to IASS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-iass-tickets-169125110759
New IASS Website
We are always looking for ways to improve and provide the best support for local children, young people and families. With this, we have exciting news of our new website due to launch in April 2022!
But we need your help! Have your say on our current website https://wolvesiass.org/ detail what you visit our site for and what you would like to see featured on our new website.
Please take a few minutes to complete our website feedback form:
https://forms.office.com/r/FrPeHJ5wMA
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GOV.UK:
Ofsted Education Recovery Series
The impact of the pandemic on children and schools is well documented. Since January 2021 schools faced another period of physical closure to most children and have continued to deal with the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on pupils and staff since reopening. It is clear from government findings that the effects of the pandemic are still being felt by pupils, staff and leaders.
The UK Government has released a publication of Ofsted: Education Recovery Series highlighting the Covid- 19 impact to early years provisions, schools and higher education providers over the autumn term.
Click here to access and download: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/ofsted-education-recovery-series
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Schools Admissions Deadline:
15 January 2022
The race is on to submit your application for your choice of school for your child. This includes pupils due to start reception next September, as well as Year 2 to 3 transfers for Infant to Junior Schools.
The deadline for applications is 15 January 2022. The process is quick and easy, and ensuring applications are made before the deadline will increase the chances of securing a place at a preferred school.
Visit the following link to complete your application School Admissions Applications | City Of Wolverhampton Council
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Wolves Tech Aid:
Donate your old laptop or tablet
Do you have an old tablet or laptop hiding in a cupboard?
The Wolves Tech Aid is on a mission to end digital poverty for local Wolverhampton families.
Donate your un-used tech items, no matter their age, to support families in accessing vital online services and learning. To find out more and donate visit https://wolvestechaid.com/
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Include Me Too has launched a free emotional and wellbeing support service for disabled children, young people and their families. The programme supports better understand and management of emotions and feelings through a series of sensory and holistic interventions.
The charity provides access to a range of sensory holistic resources, including Include Me TOO’s FAB Sensory Therapy POD, sensory therapy workshops covering mindfulness, yoga, meditation, sensory safe spaces and grounding techniques, with a range of inclusive resources to improve mental and emotional wellbeing.
Families will need to register for this free service and places are limited due to the commitment required from each family to complete the eight week programme.
For more information, please call Include Me TOO on 07940 367753 or email Mina Patel via im2@includemetoo.org.uk.
No Cap is a safe space for girls aged 13-16 to meet together and develop trusting and positive friendships. It will provide a weekly opportunity for the group to socialise with one another, develop life skills, understand self-worth, body positivity, safe relationships and encourage improved confidence & self-esteem.
Delivered by experienced female practitioners, each weekly session will be held at the Switch Centre in Wolverhampton and involve a range of activities that are fun, inclusive and supportive for everyone.
If you, or someone you know, would like to attend these FREE sessions contact hello@switchmidlands.com
Are you the parent or carer of a deaf child interested in learning BSL?
Zebra Access is offering a 30 week course to learn Level 1 British Sign Language.
The course will run for one hour per week on virtual zoom call.
Booking is on a first come, first served basis. Contact dawn@zebra-access.com / 07729134155 (text only).
Charity Feature:
Give Us a Break
Give Us a Break is a Wolverhampton special needs charitable organisation providing activities for families to attend together with siblings welcome. Regular activities include swimming, music therapy, animal therapy, accessible coach trips, sensory centre and hydropool. This summer they also tried accessible climbing and sailing. Their sessions became that popular in 2021 that they often had to extend them to accommodate and ensure no family misses out.
The charity is run by parents and carers and all funding goes towards the events they host. Funding comes from fundraising efforts, local businesses, families and friends of the charity and funding bids.
In the new year Give Us a Break will continue to support its members and the commitee will continue to look at providing any activities and services that are not in the area that Wolverhampton families need. They now have a public Facebook page for all supporters and followers as well as a separate one for members only which provides information as well as news and support. They have just implemented a new booking system which has made it easier for families and has really helped the commitee with the workload.
If any families would like to join, please email guabactivities@gmail.com and request a joining form. Also you can email the GUAB team with any requests that you or your family need to be able to access their events. To find out more visit Give Us a Break (guab.uk)
Hippodrome Theatre Birmingham:
Relaxed Performances
Over the coming months, the Hippodrome Theatre Birmingham is hosting a number of relaxed performances to allow people of all ages to enjoy the magic of theatre. Performances range from children's shows, musicals, dance and pantomime.
There is a reduced capacity and visitors are welcome to walk in and out of the auditorium as they please and make noise throughout. Certain aspects of staging are also adapted to suit the audience. A calm space is also provided, with beanbags, sensory toys and bubble lights, for when people need it.
All Bookings must be made through the Access phone line on 0121 689 1060. To find out more and view upcoming performances visit Relaxed Performances - Birmingham Hippodrome
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Caudwell Children:
Charity funded
Autism Assessment
Caudwell Children is offering Autism Assessments for children aged 4- 11 years. The assessment is entirely charity funded and provides a two-day child-centred assessment delivered by our multi-disciplinary team.
To find out more visit Autism Assessment - Caudwell Children
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Language development
virtual webinars
Are you the parents of a child aged 18 months to 2 ½ years who is concerned about their child’s language development?
Join the 'I Can' team for their free fortnightly virtual webinars led by a speech and language therapist. Each webinar will talk through a range of targeted activities and approaches that you can put into practice with your child at home. You will have an opportunity to ask questions so that you feel confident in using the strategies and approaches with your child.
Topics include:
- Symbolic noises and first words
- Sharing books to develop language
- Using songs and rhymes to develop language
- Supporting language through development during everyday routines
To find out more and reserve your free place visit:
TALK Parent Webinars (ican.org.uk)
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Family Fund virtual workshops:
Getting the most out of your tablet
From January 2022 The Family Fund is hosting a number of virtual workshops to help parents to navigate technology and getting the most out of your child's Ipad Tablet.
Topics include Getting Started, Staying Safe, Make It Work For You as well as creative activities including Making Music, Making Movies and creating a social story.
To find out more and register for the free events visit
Tablet Workshops | Family Fund
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Cerebra sensory toys
and books library service
Cerebra provides health, legal, financial and social care advice for children with brain conditions and their families.
They offer a library postal service where families can access sensory toys, equipment, communication aids and children's books. The service is free for anyone in the UK caring for a child with a brain condition and is easy to use.
There are also books for adults on a range of topics
relating to brain conditions and additional needs.
To find out more visit https://cerebra.org.uk/get-advice-support/library/
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Place 2 Be:
Parenting Smart Hub
Are you concerned about your child's behaviour or how to approach a difficult conversation? Place 2 Be has developed a Parenting Smart hub to help you navigate many tricky situations.
The site offers lots of short videos and quick read articles on how to support your child and structure your discussion regarding topics such as:
- Our mealtimes are turning into a battleground
- Positive gender identity development
- Managing separations and goodbyes
- Talking about race and discrimination
- Understanding sibling rivalry
- Building secure relations
- When someone dies
- School transitions
To find out more visit Place2Be: Parenting Smart: Articles
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Borrow Box:
Free E- Books and E- Audio
Wolverhampton Libraries have joined the Borrow Box scheme! Download FREE E- books and E- audio's directly to your mobile device. Download 'Borrow Box' from your app store and log in using your library card and pin.
For additional support email libraries@wolverhampton.gov.uk or call 01902 552025.
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Access to Work
Adjustment Passport
The University of Wolverhampton has launched a pilot scheme as part of the National Disability Strategy to ease the transition from university into employment.
Through Access to Work, disabled people can benefit from grants to cover the cost of specialist equipment needed to support them to do their job.
A passport will be offered to students who already receive extra support while studying at university, capturing information about their condition and the adjustments they already benefit from, avoiding repetitive disclosures when it comes to applying for the grant once they start work.
To read the full article visit December 2021 - New Government ‘passport’ to help disabled graduates get in to employment - University of Wolverhampton (wlv.ac.uk)
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Wolves IASS Survey
The views of our parents, carers and young people is of paramount importance to us. It lets us know what is working as well as highlighting areas for improvement.
The survey takes approximately five minutes and we would be so grateful if you could complete it.
You can access the survey at the following link:
Wolverhampton IASS Survey - City of Wolverhampton Council - Citizen Space
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Share Your News
We aim to share uplifting stories and good news events from around our wonderful Wolverhampton area!
If you run services or activities for children with a Special Educational Need or Disability or support their families, we would love to hear from you!
Also, if you have a happy news story or wish to celebrate the great work of an organisation, please email lauren.kirkpatrick@wolverhampton.gov.uk. Please attach a photo or videos and a short blurb to feature.
We send out the e-bulletin monthly around the first Monday of the month, so we would appreciate this being sent to us by the middle of the previous week.
Our next e-bulletin will be shared on 3rd February so please send any inserts by 26th January.
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Follow us on social media
We post lots of information and advice on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Pages to keep you aware and informed of upcoming events, activities, useful resources and other information.
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