February 2013 – Issue 21
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newsletternewsletter Integrated services for children and young people with disabilities or additional needs in Swindon February 2013 – Issue 21 Making it ART 2013 ……………….. 2 Swindon Shock needs you!............ 5 Activities and breaks from caring… 2 Guide to money at 16……………… 5 Swindon Parents & Carers Group.. 3 Feature on Paula Pagett.…………. 6 Commusication music sessions….. 4 Visual Supports & Beyond………... 7 Family Nature Club………………… 4 Renaming of Aiming High Groups.. 7 Disability Swim Links……………… 4 February School Holiday Activities 8 + Contact the Aiming High Short Breaks Team: Tel: 01793 464080 Email: [email protected] Making it ART 2013 Show and Opportunities Fair about moving on from school Friday 1 March 2013 Opportunities Fair opens at 10.30am and runs until the start of the Show at 1pm Wyvern Theatre, Theatre Square, Swindon, SN1 1QN ‘Making it ART’ is an annual event run by REACH Inclusive Arts. For 2013 REACH have teamed up with Swindon Advocacy Movement (SAM) to make the event bigger than ever before. The Show will present students from local schools performing drama pieces that portray their thoughts and feelings about moving on, change and transition. There will be an Opportunities Fair before the Show, designed to raise awareness about the services and opportunities that are available for young people with disabilities in Swindon as they prepare to leave school. This year the Fair will be bigger and more interactive than ever, taking over both the upper and lower foyer. Members of Swindon Advocacy Movement’s Buddies Project will act as stewards, supporting young people to explore the exhibits. The event is open to anyone who is interested in opportunities for people with learning disabilities. For more information contact Reach Inclusive Arts on tel: 01793 520318, email: [email protected] or visit the website: www.reachinclusivearts.org.uk Do you know about… Activities for children & young people with disabilities? Breaks from caring for parents and carers? There are a range of activities in Swindon for children and young people with disabilities and their families. The Aiming High Short Breaks Team can work with families to identify the activities that would be most suitable for them. This could range from information and advice about activities, specific activities for disabled children (including more specialist services) or extra support to access activities e.g. a support worker. The extra support is to overcome the additional barriers of the disability to enable the child to access the activity; it doesn’t cover the cost of the activity itself. Support could be available for a wide range of activities, not just those run by Swindon Borough Council. Get in touch if you would like to talk to someone in more detail: Tel: 01793 464080 Email: [email protected] This information is for families of children and young people with disabilities aged from 0 to 18th birthday, who are residents of the Borough of Swindon. 2 3 Family Nature Club Fun, creative and inspirational music sessions for children and young people with severe and complex learning For children and young people with difficulties and their families or carers. special needs and their families Chalet School Garden Saturday 2 February 2013 9.30am–12.30pm Saturdays monthly: Saturday 9 March 2013 23 February 2013 11am to 1pm (age 5–11) 30 March 2013 2pm to 4pm (age 12–18) 27 April 2013 You will need to fill out a registration £5 per family per session. Advance form to book. Cost: £10 per child / booking essential. Open to children young person with severe, complex and young people of all ages, with any learning difficulties. Bursaries type of special need and their families. available on request. Parents / carers to stay. Contact Sue Childs: 01844 338898 Friendly and relaxed club, where Email: [email protected] families can enjoy the natural Or visit: www.soundabout.org.uk environment. Fun activities, finishing with a fire and hot chocolate. Sessions are at Uplands School, Tadpole Lane, Swindon SN25 2NB For more details or to book contact Ruth Parsons: 01285 750679 [email protected] Disability Swim Links New dates for 2013: Sunday 10 February 2013 (3pm–4pm) Sunday 10 March 2013 (4pm–5pm) Dorcan Pool, St Paul’s Drive, Swindon, SN3 5DA Swindon Dolphin Swimming Club host monthly swimming lessons specifically for disabled people. The sessions are designed to bridge the gap between lesson programmes and swimming clubs, and aim to increase the number of disabled people involved in club environments. The sessions are free and open to swimmers of all ages who have a physical, sensory or intellectual impairment, and are confident in the water without a helper. Contact Andy Harris for more information: [email protected] 4 Swindon Shock Wheelchair Basketball needs you! Swindon Shock Wheelchair Basketball Club are looking for new players and new volunteers in 2013. They train on Friday evenings 5pm–7pm at Youth First, Marlowe Avenue in Swindon. They are always looking for new players and you don’t have to be a wheelchair user to get involved. Swindon Shock are also looking for volunteers to help run the Club. You do not need to be sporty to be a volunteer. The more volunteers they can attract, the more the work can be shared. Volunteers do not have to be available to work every session – if you are able to help out even just a few times a season this would be a great help in the continuing success of the Club. They are looking for help with: • Accounting / budgets • Websites • Wheelchair maintenance • General administration • Mini-bus driving • Coaching • Refreshments Please let them know about any skills or experience you have, or anything that you can help with and they can find you a suitable volunteer role: Email: [email protected] tel: 07815 776593 or find Swindon Shock on Facebook. Is your child turning 16? Contact A Family guide to money at 16 Contact A Family have updated their guide ‘Money when your child reaches 16 years of age’. Written by Contact A Family advisers, the guide takes you through what to think about when your teenager is able to claim benefits in their own right. The guide covers the types of benefit they can claim and how this may be affected by education, training and working. It also covers what to do if your teenager is not able to manage their own benefits claims. You can call the freephone helpline 0808 888 3555, Monday to Friday 9.30am to 5pm for a full benefits check. View the guide online: www.cafamily.org.uk/news-and-media/is-your-child-turning-16-read -our-guide-to-money-at-16/ . Parents can also call the helpline for a free hard copy. 5 School nurse and short break foster carer Paula Pagett featured in a recent ‘Inspirational Women’ series for SwindonWeb… (Reproduced with permission from Liz Brackenbury / SwindonWeb) Paula Pagett is a remarkable person. A single "and doing this has helped fulfil that dream." mum to two children, she works 25 hours a Mindful that this had to be a family decision, week as a school nurse for children with she discussed the idea thoroughly with her complex health needs and learning difficulties, children and family who all said "Go For It!" and has two energetic and bouncy dogs. So you'd think she'd take some time out at She then went through the process of the weekends to relax. Not Paula! With a selection, training and interviews before finally bubbly personality and infectious positivity being paired with a child. Careful matching is she is also a short break foster carer for the essential, as is building trust and a relationship Swindon Home and Away scheme. with the child's family, too. Visits are progressive to build up that confidence and full "I like to be busy", says Paula, "and I love my support is on hand through the social service job, so to be a short break carer is a perfect team who Paula describes as "outstanding". combination of the two." Paula is a natural ambassador for the scheme: "People don't "It's been incredible," says Paula, "the Home always realise that short break fostering is an and Away team are brilliant, there is so much option and can be unsure of taking in a child support and training, plus I've made so many with learning or physical difficulties, but the friends along the way, it really has opened up benefits are simply amazing." a whole new world for us all." Previously known as respite care, short break Paula has a great family network and her fostering means you provide regular and much children are actively involved in all aspects needed breaks to the parents of a child with too. They help plan activities and trips which complex health or learning issues. It can be can be simple things like face and nail painting done to fit in around your family commitments and reading stories to going for walks or a trip either during the week or over the weekend, on the bus, although Paula has also been to for a minimum of one short break a month. the seaside and farms. "It's awesome," smiles Paula's daughter, "We absolutely love it." Your home doesn't have to be specially Photo: swindonweb.com adapted as the care provided is for short breaks, although specialist equipment is available through the Great Western Hospital equipment lending service if needed. "I adapt my front room into a bedroom and the equipment lending service is fantastic." explains Paula. "We also secured funding for a multi-terrain buggy which has made a huge difference in getting out and about." Paula glows when she talks of her foster child.