Wokingham Borough Connect
 Welcome to the second issue of our SEND Local Offer newsletter!
Alongside our SEND Local Offer webpages and our Local Offer Directory, this newsletter will continue to bring news and updates about what's on offer locally for children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, directly to your inbox.
This issue includes:
- An opportunity for children and young people to become local Young Mental Health Champions
- Information on how the council's Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme will support children with additional needs to attend after school clubs
- Details of free courses to support children and young people with their confidence and skills
- Ideas and activities for the upcoming weeks, including the Easter holidays
Local charity Me2 Club have an exciting opportunity to support a group of children and young people to become Young Mental Health Champions.
This opportunity is open to children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, aged between 10 and 20 years old, who live in Wokingham Borough or Reading Borough. Children and young people do not need a diagnosis to be involved.
The Young Mental Health Champions will take part in important work with Wokingham and Reading Borough Councils, and use their voice to influence local decision making. Me2 Club will provide training and support to those involved, and it will be opportunity for children and young people to make friends, learn new skills and make a difference to mental health services.
Email ramona@me2club.org.uk to find out more.
We have received funding from the Tackling Poverty Fund to expand our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The HAF programme has run in Wokingham Borough since 2021 and supports families with children who receive means-tested free school meals. It offers free activities and healthy meals to children and young people during the school holidays.
The new funding means the HAF programme will now include term time after school club sessions for children aged five to 11 with additional needs, who receive means-tested free school meals or are from low-income households.
These after school sessions will run through the school term in different locations across the borough. Children with additional needs will have the opportunity to build relationships and trust with the staff, allowing them to feel more confident to also attend the HAF programme during school holidays in 2024.
There are a number of places available at our Shinfield, Finchampstead and Woodley sites. If you would like to find out more or to complete a referral form, please contact HAF@wokingham.gov.uk.
Berkshire West Autism & ADHD Support Service are offering two small group courses during the summer school term, which focus on social interaction.
The free courses are open to children aged eight to 13 years old, who attend a mainstream school and are diagnosed with autism or ADHD, or who are on the Berkshire CAMHS waiting list for an assessment. Children must also be registered with a Berkshire GP.
The courses will run for six sessions, and aim to develop confidence and emotional wellbeing, by exploring the social world in a friendly and supportive setting.
Sessions will take place after school on Mondays from 4.30 to 6.30pm, at Tilehurst Community Centre.
There is a choice of dates, with the first course starting on Monday 15 April 2024 and the second course starting on Monday 3 June 2024.
New Directions College, Reading's adult learning service, is offering free places to young people aged 19 and above with additional needs on a Supported Learning for Employment in Hospitality Programme, starting in April.
This ten week course is designed for learners who are looking for a way into employment or supported employment in the hospitality sector.
Learners will develop their self-confidence and communication skills, as well as cover a range of essential skills in the hospitality industry, including cooking, customer service and barista training. The course includes a work placement in the learner cafe at the college.
The course starts on Monday 15 April 2024, and sessions will run on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, from 1 to 4pm.
For more details about the course or to request a place, email Laura Jordan at laura.jordan@reading.gov.uk
Berkshire charity Parenting Special Children are running a workshop which focuses on how parents and carers can support children and young people with additional needs who struggle with their sleep due to anxiety.
The online workshop will be led by specialist sleep practitioners and takes place on Thursday 21 March via Zoom, from 7 to 9pm.
More details and booking information can be found on the Parenting Special Children website.
SEND Voices Wokingham is the independent parent carer forum for Wokingham Borough. It gives families and carers of children and young people with SEND a voice and opportunities to participate fully in the development of services.
Membership is free to parent carers living in Wokingham Borough who have a child or young person aged up to 25 years old with SEND. Members are also eligible for a free Max Card, great for days out over the Easter holidays.
SEND Voices Wokingham would like to thank everyone who joined the Zoom update with Wokingham Borough Council and Health on Thursday 1 February 2024 to hear about SEND improvements locally.
You can read about this and about other areas that SEND Voices Wokingham have been involved with on their website in their Spring Half-Term 1 Update.
The date for the next Zoom update with Wokingham Borough Council and Health will be on Wednesday 15 May from 7 to 8.30pm. If you would like to join this session, or for more information about membership, please email info@sendvoiceswokingham.org.uk .
Easter holiday multi-sports sessions run by Sport in Mind
Local mental health charity Sport in Mind, are running two multi-sport sessions for young people aged 10 to 14. These sessions aim to be as inclusive as possible and are aimed at young people experiencing mental health illness or difficulties. The Easter holiday sessions will take place in Reading on Wednesday 10 April and Thursday 11 April, from 9:30am to 1:30pm. More details and booking information can be found on the Sport in Mind website.
During term time, Sport in Mind also run after school sessions in Wokingham Borough for young people aged 10 to 16. Find out about these after school sessions here.
Easter Hop trail event at Sandhurst Memorial Park
Organised by Wokingham charity First Days, families can visit Sandhurst Memorial Park from Friday 29 March to Sunday 14 April and pick up a trail map from Sandhurst Cafe. After following the clues and completing the trail, there will be a sweet treat waiting for families.
Relaxed performance of Beauty and the Beast at South Hill Park
South Hill Park's Wilde Theatre in Bracknell is showing a relaxed performance of Beauty and the Beast over the Easter holidays. The relaxed performance will include soft lighting with no strobes, quieter music and reduced sound effects. Audience members are also free to enter and leave the auditorium as needed. The performance will take place on Thursday 11 April at 3pm. To book, visit South Hill Park's website.
Accessible for Everyone sessions at Coral Reef Waterworld
Coral Reef Waterworld in Bracknell offer sessions exclusively for customers with disabilities, their families, carers and friends to enjoy the swimming pools and waterslides. These sessions run monthly, with additional sessions running over the Easter holidays on Wednesday 3 April and Wednesday 10 April, from 8 to 9.30am. More details and booking information can be found on the Coral Reef Waterworld website.
Autism friendly screenings at Showcase Cinema
Showcase Cinema in Winnersh, offers autism friendly screenings every Sunday morning at 10:30am. These screenings include soft lighting, lowered film volume and no trailers. Customers can bring their own food and drink and move around the auditorium as needed. More information and a list of upcoming films can be found on the Showcase Cinema website.
 Help with the cost of childcare for working parents
Tax-Free Childcare
Tax-Free Childcare could save you up to £2,000 a year per child, or £4,000 if your child is disabled.
The scheme, offered to working families by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), can help pay for approved childcare, such as a nursery, childminder, breakfast or after school club or holiday club. It can also help pay for any specialist equipment needed for a disabled child when they're attending childcare.
You could be eligible if you:
- Have a child or children aged 11 or under, or 16 or under if they have a disability
- Earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week
- Each earn no more than £100,000 per annum
- Do not receive tax credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers
Visit the GOV.UK website for more information, including setting up your online account.
Apply now for free childcare for your two-year-old
Eligible families with two-year-olds can now apply for 15 hours free childcare per week from April, part of the expanding offer of childcare support for working parents.
For more information, including eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit the GOV.UK website.
From September 2024 - Up to 15 hours free childcare for eligible working families with a child between nine and 23 months old.
From September 2025 - Up to 30 hours free childcare for eligible working families with a child from 9 months old up to school age.
To learn more about childcare offers available to you visit Childcare Choices.
Work is underway to improve the webpages on our SEND Local Offer, which gives children and young people with additional needs and disabilities, and their families, information about available support.
We are currently working on:
- Improving the way information is written, to make it as clear as possible to understand
- Improving the way our webpages are organised, to help you find information more quickly
We really value the views of our community and want to thank those who have supported us so far with online tasks and feedback.
If you have feedback about our SEND Local Offer, or about our SEND Local Offer newsletter, get in touch by emailing: localoffer@wokingham.gov.uk
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