Local Offer WebsiteY www.croydon.gov.uk/sendoffer

• AspartofCroydonCouncilswebrevamptheLocalOfferisnowmorevisualandeasiertonavigate.

• ItwassuggestedinfeedbackfromourLocalOfferquestionnairestohaveapagewith‘upandcomingevents’,‘changes’or‘notifications’.Wehavesincecreatedanewpageonourwebsitecalledthe‘What’s New and Useful Information’page.Herepeoplecanfinddetailsoflocalupcomingeventsandactivities;andusefulinformation.Werecentlyhadvotinginformationavailablebutthishasnowbeenreplacedwithareallyinspirationalanti-bullyingvideofromtheCouncilforDisabledChildren,AntiBullyingAllianceandBenshamManorSchool.Anotheramendmenttothe‘What’s New and Useful Information’pageisthecurrentlistofRAPsummerleisureactivitiesavailableforchildrenandyoungpeople.FormoreinformationpleasevisittheLocalOfferwebsitelistedabove.

• ParentsinPartnershipstatedthatfeedbackfromparents,carersandyoungpeoplesuggestedaneedformoreinformationaboutPersonalBudgets.Wehavesinceresearchedself-helpguidesandalsoloadedtheseontotheLocalOfferWebsiteunderthe‘Money’section.

• AgainfeedbacksuggestedaneedforanabbreviationslistsodiscussionswereheldwithPIP,EducationWelfareandtheSENteamtonamejustafewandthelistisnowavailableonour‘What’s New and Useful Information’pageandour‘SEN Overview’page.

• TheEducationHealthandCarePlanReviewGroupwhichismadeupofvariousprofessionals,specialschoolsandparentsmetandreviewedtheEHCP’s.TheseweremodifiedandarenowavailableontheLocalOfferunder‘Special Educational Needs’andthen‘Education, Health and Care Plan’.

Special Educational Needs Reform NEWSLETTER

Summer 2015

• Updates from the SEN

Reform Team

• What’s happening

locally

• Feedback from Local

Events

• Croydon’s Got Talent

IN THIS ISSUE

Welcome to the second edition of the Special Educational Needs Reform newsletter.It provides a mix of national and local updates forparents, carers and professionals.

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Local Offer Leaflets12ofthe17LocalOfferLeafletsarebeingamendedtoensureinformationavailableisaccurateandup-to-date.ThemajorityoftheadjustmentscamefromfeedbackandcommentsfromCroydonparentswhichwegreatlyappreciate.Acommonconcernforsomeparentswasthelackofopportunitiesavailabletoyoungpeopleinleisureactivities.Wehavesinceresearchedandlistedsomeofyoursuggestionsaddingdetailsofcadetgroups,specialistcinemascreenings,museumeventsandadditionalfootballclubstonamejustafew.Weofcoursewelcomemorefeedback,suggestionsandcomments.

Alongwithupdatingtheseleafletswehavealsocreated2additionalleafletswhichareintheprocessofbeingdesigned.ThenewHealthandAutismleafletswillbothbeavailableonourwebsiteinthenextfewweeks.TheAutismleafletisthefirstspecialistleafletwehavecreatedandweaimtocontinuedevelopingmoreoftheseovertime.WewelcomecommentsontheAutismleafletandalsosuggestionsforotherspecialistleaflets.

AlltheLocalOfferleafletsareavailableontheLocalOfferWebsiteY www.croydon.gov.uk/sendofferfordownload,alternativelyifyouwouldlikePDF’semailedpleasecontact/ louise.airey@croydon.gov.uk

TrainingOver140individualsfromtheCouncil,Healthprofessions,charitiesandchildrencentreswithinCroydonattendedandgainedtheirLevel1AETtrainingon‘Making Sense of Autism’.Thetraininggaveanintroductiontoautismandconcentratedonraisingtheawarenessandpromotingunderstandingofthebarriersfacedbypeoplewithautism.Weasked68individualstoratetheirknowledgeofautismbeforeandafterthetraining(seegraphbelow)andfeedbackwasextremelypositivewithparticipantsstatingtheyfeltmoreconfidentintheworkplacetoassistindividualswithautism.

DuetothesuccessoftheAutismtrainingandalsoanincreasingdemandfromcouncilemployeestoattendfurthertrainingsessions,additionalautismtrainingisbeingplannedforthenearfuture.Exactdatesarestilltobeconfirmed.

DeniseDyerheldnumeroustrainingsessionsforparentsontheSENReformandEHCP’s.Around45parentsattendedandfeedbackwasextremelypositive.Someparentsdidhoweverstatethattheyfeeltheyarenotgettingenoughinformationfromtheschoolsandthatconnectionswiththecouncilcouldbestronger.AsaresultwehaveaskedallschoolstoprovideadirectlinktotheLocalOfferWebpagesothatparentscaneasilyfindinformationorfinddetailsofsomeonetocontactforadvice.Withtheaidofour‘What’s New and Useful Information’pageasalreadymentionedparentscanalsonowfindinformationonupandcominglocalevents.

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Before

After

Knowledge of Autism before and After AET 1 Course

WHAT IS HAPPENING LOCALLY? Forthcoming activitiesWeareplanningaseriesofconsultationsandengagementonarangeofissues–includingtheLocalOfferandanewAccessibilityStrategywhichisbeingdeveloped.

Councillor Andrew Rendle’s Autism WebpageCouncillorAndrewRendle,Croydon’s‘AutismChampion’,hascreateda‘one-stopshop’ofinformationandadviceforautismonCroydonCouncilswebsite.Hisvisionwastocreateaone-stopshoptobringtogethereveryonethatistouchedbyautismandatthesametimeraiseawarenessinthegeneralpopulation.AsalreadymentionedournewautismleafletwillbeavailableonthispageveryshortlylinkingtheautismpagetotheLocalOffer.Y www.croydon.gov.uk/healthsocial/adult-care/

aschealth/autism-0

Helping young people live the life they wantCroydonCouncilisdevelopingaprogrammeofstudyforyoungpeoplewithspecialeducationalneeds.Theproject,forpeopleaged16yearsto25aimstosupportyoungpeopleintoamoreindependentlife,givingthemtheskillsandexperiencetolivethelifetheywant.Apersonalisedlearningprogrammewillfocusontheskillsandinterestsoftheindividual;helpingthemtoreachtheirgoalsthrougheducationandtraining.Therearethreemainelementstothepathwaysofstudy.Personalprogresswillfocusoncommunicationskills,communityparticipation,keepingsafeandstayinghealthy.Independencedevelopsskillsinindependentliving,stayingsafeandhealthy,communityparticipation.Employmentconsiderslikesanddislikes,employabilityskillsandidentifyingworkbasedgoals.Withthesupportofapersonaltutorandajobcoachprogressanddevelopmentwillbesupportedandmonitoredthroughouttheprogramme.Formoreinformationpleasecontact/ sarah.block@croydon.gov.uk

Feedback from Local EventsSummer 2015, Primary to Secondary Y6 information sharing forum for vulnerable children.OnThursday11thJunetheCommunitySpaceatBernardWeatherillHousehostedthisannualeventwhichprovidesaforumforCroydonprimaryandsecondaryschoolstosharekeyinformationtopromoteasuccessfultransitionfromyear6toyear7.ThiseventwasorganisedbyCroydonCouncilInclusionandSENteamwithsupportfromkeymembersoftheOctavoPartnership.

AllbutoneofourCroydonsecondaryschoolsattendedwithoneofourlocaloutofboroughsecondaryschoolsalsoparticipating.Theeventwasattendedbyover40primaryschools.TheeventalsoprovidedtheopportunitytomeetwitharangeofotherkeyagenciesandotherservicesthatprovidearangeofadditionalsupportandsocialactivitiesforpupilswithSENDandotherneeds.Therewaspositivefeedbackfromallourattendees.Plansarealreadyinplacefornextyearsevent.

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Carers Information DayOnWednesday3rdJunetheCarersInformationDaywasheldatFairfield.ThiswasanopportunityforparentsandcarerstofindarangeofinformationonservicesinCroydonbutalsoaskquestions.TherewerenumeroustablesrepresentingthecouncilsuchastheAdultSocialServices,thesensoryimpairmentteam,theChildren’slearninganddisabilitiesteamandmore.Around30individualsvisitedtheSENReformtableexpressingarangeofconcernsindividualtothem.Someofthemostcommonissuesraisedwerearoundfearsovertransitions,autism,childrennotbeingstatemented,notknowingwheretofindinformationandleisureactivitiesforindividualswithaSEN.ThedaywasextremelypositiveinnotonlyprovidingadvicetoCroydonresidentsbutalsoinpromotingtheLocalOfferandtheserviceweprovide.FeedbackgatheredfromtheCarersInformationServicefromindividualsthatattendedtheCarersInformationdaystatedthatstaffwerefriendlyandpolite,thattheyhadagoodexperience,learntalot,thattheydidn’tknowsomuchwasavailableandthatitwasgoodtomeetpeoplefacetoface.

Parent forum OntheWednesday3rdJuneParentsinPartnershipwereontheCroydonRadiotalkingabouttheparentforum.TheCroydonParentForumisagroupofparent/carersofchildrenwithadditionalneedswhoworktowardsmakingapositiveimpactandimprovementsonlocalservices.ThishelpsALLparentsinthesamesituation.AllParents/Carersarewelcometojoin.Joiningourforumwillnottakeupalotofyourtimebutwillmakearealdifference.Tofindoutmorepleasecalluson[ 0208 663 5626/ office@pipcroydon.comTolistentothepodcastpleasegoto:Y www.croydonradio.com/schedule/show.

php?HistoryID=0dab9155-11ac-23ff-7b50-aa04ed66cd70

Autism Friendly DinnerAnAutismfriendlydinnerwasheldatCroydonCollegeonTuesday19thMaywherethecollege’shospitalityandcateringstudentshostedthemealintheChefsrestaurantsolelyforautisticchildrenandadults,familiesandfriends.Studentsweregiveninformationbythecouncil’sautismservicemanagerPaulWallingfordonhowarestaurantenvironmentcanimpactonsensoryandcommunicationdifficultiesandweretaughthowtomakeflexiblyarrangementstosuitcustomers’requirements.ToreadmoreonthisstorypleaseseetheCroydonAdvertiserat:Y www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/news

Croydon’s Got Talent Thornton Heath boy, 8, wows judges at Autism’s Got Talent

• Eight-year-oldCallumKirrage,ayoungfreestyledancerfromThorntonHeath,wowedtheaudienceatashowcaseforthetalentsofchildrenwithautism.Heperformedtoapacked-outMermaidTheatreinLondon,aspartoftheAutism’sGotTalentcontest,organisedeachyearbyautismchampionAnnaKennedy.ToreadmoreonthisstorypleasefeelfreetovisittheCroydonAdvertiserat:Y www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/Thornton-Heath-

boy-8-wows-judges-Autism-s-Got/story-26548052-detail/story.html

Future editionsHowcanthisnewsletterhelpyou-whatsortofinformationwouldyouliketoseehere?PleasesendsuggestionstoTrishaHolmes,/ trisha.holmes@croydon.gov.uk

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