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Welcome to your latest SEND NewsletterWelcome to the latest edition of the SEND Newsletter bringing you the latest updates from across Northumberland about the support available for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and their families. |
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In this editionLaunch of the new SEND local offer website Shape the future of SEND services in Northumberland Message from the Northumberland Parent Carer Forum What is the local offer? Watch this video Have you heard about Family Hubs? Do you need help with childcare support? What is Ordinarily Available Provision? Praise for new independent travel training scheme Summer Holiday Family Fun Family Information Support Service
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Launch of the new local offer websiteAre you looking for advice on special educational needs and/or disability (SEND) services for children and young people in Northumberland?
We're excited to launch our new Northumberland SEND local offer website that aims to make it easier for families to find the information they need. The local offer brings together services across education, health and social care into one place.
It also includes information on leisure activities and support to help young people and their family or carers plan for the future and prepare for adulthood.
In this special edition newsletter, we'll be taking you on a tour of the new website.
Please have a look around and tell us what you think!
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Shape the future of SEND servicesWe want to hear your views to shape the future of services for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Northumberland. Families are invited to complete an online survey sharing their experiences about what is working well and what needs to change. Areas covered included health, education, social care, and access to leisure activities in their local communities.
The council has worked closely with the Northumberland Parent Carer Forum (PCF) to develop the survey and the feedback will help to set the county SEND partnership’s vision and priorities over the next three years.
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Message from the Northumberland Parent Carer Forum
The local offer website has been planned and produced with parents, carers, services across the council and health, schools, colleges and early years settings and voluntary sector colleagues. We've worked closely with the Northumberland Parent Carer Forum (PCF) to ensure the content is useful and accessible to families.
Claire North, Chair, Northumberland PCF, said: “We know from our own experiences and from what our parent and carers tell us, that finding the right information to support your child can be challenging.
“We’re pleased to have worked with Northumberland County Council on this new local offer website that we hope will be a really useful tool for families.
“It has been designed with families at its heart and aims to be as user friendly as possible.
“We want it to grow and develop and we will continue to work with the council to make sure it meets the needs of children, young people and families.”
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What is the local offer?The SEND local offer aims to explain and signpost all the services that are available across Northumberland so that you can access the information, guidance and support that you and your family need.
Listen to this introduction from Claire North from the Northumberland PCF.
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Have you heard about Family Hubs?Family Hubs provide support to families with children of all ages.
They offer welcoming spaces to meet, learn, take part in activities and access help and information.
You can call into a hub, check out the website and we even have an app now too!
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Do you need help with childcare support?
Young children with additional needs and/or SEND in Northumberland, will be able to have their needs met in inclusive and child-centred Early Years Settings. This includes Early Years provision in schools, Childminders, Pre-Schools and Nurseries.
The financial support that is available to parents to help with the cost of childcare and early years is is increasing.
Have you checked what support you can receive?
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What is Ordinarily Available Provision?As a council, we are committed to building a safe, happy, healthy and successful future for all our children. Every school and college is required to identify and address the additional needs of all learners.
This guidance explains to schools, parents, carers and other practitioners, what should be in place in mainstream schools and settings for children and young people with special educational needs and /or disabilities.
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Praise for new independent travel training schemeMore young people with additional needs in Northumberland are enjoying the freedom of independent travel thanks to a new training programme.
Northumberland’s two trainers, Donna Jackson and Dawn Atkinson, work with young people alongside their school or learning facility, supporting them to explore different modes of transport so that they can travel independently with their friends and peers.
Donna said: “It has been such a pleasure to spend time with the students and to see them grow in confidence. We celebrated their graduation with some special day trips around the region by train. The students navigated the trains like pros and made us all so proud.”
Among those celebrating were learners from the Northumberland Skills Morpeth Campus who enjoyed a rail journey from Morpeth to Wylam.
One learner said: “Donna and Dawn are awesome. I really enjoyed spending time with them. They have lovely, calm vibes, are lovely to be around and open up to. They definitely helped me.”
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Summer Holiday Family Fun
The Northumberland Parent Carer Forum has pulled together a helpful guide to activities, sessions and holiday clubs available over the 2024 Summer holidays.
You can also find out more about the activities available locally for children and young people with SEND, and the organisations running them on our new local offer website. |
