Keeping our
Stakeholders and Partners informed
Guidance for professionals on getting early help for young people and their families
Did you know there is a range of information on the WSCC website around our service?
These pages are designed for professionals to support the families they are working with.
The IPEH page highlights the different elements to our service and details key contacts you may find useful. These pages also highlight our key partners we work in partnership with.
We need your help!
Staff who work with children and families are invited to take part in an opportunity to work together and share ideas for the WSCC Children and Families Engagement Strategy (CAFES) action plan 2019-2020. The aim of this strategy is to use participation and engagement to identify areas for improvement in WSCC services for children, young people and families in West Sussex and to outline how improvements can be achieved.
We have two venues, each with two time slots:
Please contact toby.wilson@westsussex.gov.uk / 0330 222 3314 with any queries.
|
Photograph from the West Sussex Parent Carer Forum Coffee, Cake, Information and Networking Event
Parent Carer Forum climbs to new heights at K2
Over 63 people took part in the Coffee, Cake, Information & Networking event held at Crawley’s K2 by West Sussex Parent Carer Forum this week. The events enable parents to have contact and build relationships face to face with services who can help them.
Chief Executive Officer, Val Evans was delighted and said, “I met lots of great people who were previously names on a distribution list. First diagnosis can be a shock for parents, so this event is an opportunity to be in the same room and be introduced to the right people who can help. There’s so many acronyms out there, it can be confusing and feel like an obstacle course. Being together is useful for both parent and also the services, who need to get known too!”
For further information, contact: office@wspcf.org.uk
Opportunities for young people with SEND to take part and have your say
Our young people’s online survey about Short Breaks for 18 to 25 year olds is open until 22 February. Have your say today!
Youth Voice Group and Young Voices 4 You project: Calling for new members!
Young people aged 14 to 25 with additional needs and their friends and siblings can join. Meetings are currently in Bognor and Horsham. We also do ‘pop ups’ at other venues around the county. Young people will need to complete a membership form to come to events and meetings and places are limited, so please do get in touch. For any questions about our groups, events or projects please contact Rachel.sadler@westsussex.gov.uk / 07734000401.
An online project you can take part in from the comfort of home!
Any hints, tips or comments you have about your experiences of staying safe online as a young person. Please email Rachel or post your thoughts on our Facebook page by Monday 4 February. Your comments will be used to make a slideshow or short video for the Safe Digital Life workshop on 7 February. It would be really good to have your views on. You can find out more about young people’s Participation on our Your Space website.
The Market Development Team
The Market Development Team is an exciting, newly created service whose purpose is to ensure that the education and social care markets across West Sussex are vibrant, responsive and sustainable. It also delivers quality services that represent value for money. One of the areas the team support in, involves developing the Dynamic Placement System (DPS) for placements within independent and non-maintained special schools, which will be used to ensure the placement process is managed effectively by the local authority in terms of ensuring pupil outcomes, service quality and value for money.
WSCC would like to invite independent and non-maintained schools and colleges who aren’t on the DPS to sign up here. In order to log your application for the DPS, please ‘express interest’ within the DPS application portal page.
Any questions? Please feel free to email MarketDevelopmentTeam@westsussex.gov.uk.
Are you promoting ChatHealth?
ChatHealth is a confidential text messaging service that enables those aged between 11-19 in West Sussex to send questions via SMS to their School Nursing Team (PH Nurses). ChatHealth text service is an easy way for young people to confidentially ask for help about a range of issues or make an appointment with a School Nurse. They can find out how to access other local services including emotional support or sexual health services.
Messages sent to the dedicated number (07480 635424) are delivered to a secure website, and responded to by a West Sussex School Nurse. Texts are usually replied to within one working day. Read opening times on the YourSpace website.
A secure “app” will be introduced later this year, enabling students to speak with a nurse by instant messages on smartphones. The aim is to further improve access to healthcare for young people and to continue improving the quality and safety of the service.
(click on the icons below to view previous newsletters)
This bulletin is sent to you as our stakeholders and partners with a warm welcome, keeping you up-to-date with all our service news.
Feel free to send any short articles (with an optional image) by 11am Friday, for inclusion in the fortnightly Tuesday newsletter.
If you have any questions, or know that someone has not received this, please email sarah.dimmock@westsussex.gov.uk.
| 
