CWAC NAS Branch is a volunteer-led organisation. The branch relies on the support of individuals to continue our work, as we receive no funding from local or central government. The Chester Raft Race takes place annually and is now in its 42nd year. Graham Proctor, President, Rotary Club of Chester rang me to tell us that the NAS CWaC Branch had been selected as one of the beneficiaries of this year's event. Our contribution was to find volunteers to shake tins and sell programmes..... a big thank you to our members and their friends who did this.

I have often watched this event, it is a fun family event, lots of water, the odd boat that sinks and general may- hem. A lot of hard work goes into building the rafts and there are a number of prizes on offer. The Rotary Club members never stop amazing me, their enthusiasm for the project in hand requires much hard work, great organisational skills and lots of good humour.

I was lucky to be part of the judging panel, based at the bandstand. Many thanks for hospitality, drinks, tea and coffee, lovely pastries as well as great company. Sue Proctor was determined that she wasn't going to carry any of the goodies home!

The presentation of medals and prizes took place on the Meadows and this was preceded by the 'Rock Choir' who kept us entertained, whilst decisions were made about which raft should get which prize. Unfortunately, the team that Anne (SSAFA) and I should have presented to had disappeared before the presentation, so no photos of that moment to share!

Once again, many thanks to the Rotary Club, for choosing us as one of your charities, we all agreed it was a great opportunity to raise the profile of in our area. Esther ( NAS volunteer) There have been adventurous goings on to raise money for the CWAC NAS branch. She had the amazing experience of climbing did the 3 peaks on the 3rd June. One of our members, Jane Harding, and a group of 9 took part and she says, ‘it was of those things I will remember forever. Ben Nevis and Skafell Pike were stunning, whereas Snowdon was done in the dark and was very damp and windy’. £250 was raised for the Chester branch. A great effort! Thank you to all involved. Donations Donations have been gratefully received from the following: Chester Ramblers - £50.00 TMI events - £215.20 Rachel Neistroj in Memoriam of her husband Olaf - £275.00 Parents att.seminars and Rosebank library - £150.00 Events at Barclays bank by Jane Graneek and Lisa Vagianos plus matched funding - £1590.52 Annual General Meeting 11th July 2017 Dee Banks School The NAS Cheshire West and Chester Branch Annual General meeting was well attended despite it being a very wet evening. The branch report was shared and is summarised here:

The Hub ihas hosted courses, coffee mornings and drop in sessions and the library has been updated. It is hoped that a second hub will open in the Chester area within the next 12 months. TMI training has also been delivered in a number of sessions with another planned at Storyhouse in the autumn. We continue to be involved in a range of strategy groups which gives us opportunities to highlight the needs of our families. These networks are invaluable. The 16-25 social skills group is an excellent example of our volunteers working in partnership with the Local Authority and Autism Together to make this a reality. We have worked with Storyhouse, the Ice Cream farm and Freedome to help make these venues more accessible to our families.

We have been fortunate to receive a number of generous donations which enable us to continue our support through family seminars led by Rosebank Autism Information and Support, the Together Trust and NAS. We aim to provide two courses aterm for up to 30 participants per session over the next year.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed in any way to the branch over the past year. As ever, we always welcome new volunteers and have roles that can be done at home iat a time that suits the individual. Many hands lighten the load. Please contact the branch if yuou could help in any way.

Following the business part of the meeting, we enjoyed a talk from Sylvia Lowery, mother, student, autism supporter, home educator, carer and business manager for her son Alex’s public speaking operation. She spoke on ‘Autism Parent Burnout and how to avoid it.’ She shared some of her own experiences as the parent of children with ASD and her top tips:

1. Admit when you are struggling 2. Accept that you can’t do everything 3. Don’t take on your child’s emotions 4. Admit you can’t change your child’s autism 5. Timetable breaks 6. Seek help if you start to feel fearful about the fu- ture 7. Take in the details of the moment 8. Learn to say no Sylvia and Alex are in the process of 9. Accept good enough developing an online training course. 10. Use technology Alex’s book is available at the Hub. Thank you Sylvia for coming along to share with us and for answering people’s questions.

Many thanks to Dee Banks School for their generosity in hosting the event. News from the Autism Hub As usual, our book worm volunteer, Karen McGuiness, has been busy buying and reading new books for us! Amongst out 700+ titles we already cover a wide range of subjects, and this month’s purchases continue that trend.

is an essential read for any families with an Aspergers individual amongst them. It’s a book which brings together helpful tips from Aspie mentors like Temple Grandin and Stephen M. Shore which aim to tackle everyday stressors. Topics include anxiety, friendships, love and self esteem and each chapter includes input from Dr Tony Attwood.

Described by Good Housekeeping magazine as 'One of those wonderful books that makes you laugh and cry at the same time'. This semi autobiographical novel tells the story of Alex, an estranged husband and his autistic son, Sam, as they explore the world of Minecraft and find the stability and certainty that their real lives lack.

The Approach is a much talked about and highly recommend- ed approach for supporting children with ASD which is proven to assist with emotional and behavioural development at any age. This book gives information and guidance for parents.

As general awareness of autism grows, more and more adults are The Incredible 5 point scale has been seeking a diagnosis of ASD and this used successfully with children for book looks at the pros and cons, the many years. This book explores how process and the emotional after similar scales can be used with effects. adolescents and adults to increase communication, self management and self advocacy.

The Autism Hub is open every This novel explores the same theme Wednesday in term time 10am- of adult diagnosis but from a female 6pm perspective. Laura James had For further information please already been married twice, had four email [email protected] children and a successful career h.uk or call us on 01606 783 295. before seeking a diagnosis. |With the diagnosis came a lot of answers and Find us on Facebook Autism Library @ a fresh outlook on the future. The Rosebank Bungalow. book also looks at wider themes of women on the spectrum in general. Follow us on Twitter @AutismLibrary Many of you will have seen the ‘Too much information’ films showing Alex’s experience of a shopping centre and Holly’s verbal processing overload. Now the NAS have produced another film which focuses on the interview process. The NAS website explains why:

‘After looking at how autistic people can get too much information in public places, we then moved our focus to getting too much information in the workplace. Only 16% of autistic people are in full-time employment. We talked to autistic people and found out they felt that employers don’t see their ability, but rather their autism. We wanted to work with them, their colleagues, employers and the Government to get autistic people the jobs they deserve. Over 29,000 people signed our petition to close the autism employment gap, which we presented to Penny Mordaunt MP, the Minister for Disabilities, at Westminster in March 2017. We continue to lobby behind the scenes to help autistic people to get the jobs they deserve.

For the second year of our campaign, we want people to understand that autistic people need extra time to process information. Sometimes, it can feel like everything’s building up. Like your brain is too crowded and about to explode. And that makes the world a terrifying, isolating place.’

Watch the new film at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8iF0TAmyr4

All Party Parliamentary Group on autism launch education inquiry

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA) – a cross party group of MPs and members of the - has launched an inquiry into education for children on the in England. This is following a consultation that The National Autistic Society, working on behalf of the group, ran last year with autistic people and family members about their priorities for change. As part of that consultation, parents of children and young people on the autism spectrum and those on the spectrum themselves, told us about the challenges they continue to face in getting the right educational provision and support in schools. During the course of the inquiry we’ll be seeking views from people on the autism spectrum, parents and other professionals. This will begin after the general election, once the APPGA has been re-formed in the new Parliament. If you’re interested in hearing more please email [email protected] and ask to be added to the APPGA distribution list. This will ensure you are kept informed about the progress of the inquiry and will have a chance to have your voice heard. From Contact a Family

NEW COUNCIL TAX BILL?

MAKE SURE YOU DON’T MISS OUT ON HELP

The past month has seen millions of families across the UK receive their new council tax bill for the coming year.

But did you know that many families with a disabled are eligible for money off their bill? For instance:

· If your property has a sensory room or a second bathroom because your child's needs, you might be able to get a disability reduction in your bill. · If you care for a severely disabled child who is aged 18 or over, you might be able to get a discount of up to 50 per cent. · If you are out of work or on low earnings, you might be able to qualify for a council tax reduction.

To find out more, download our free parent guide to help with council tax bills [PDF]. or ring Contact a Family for advice 0808 808 3555

CARER’S CREDIT

To get Carer’s Credit you must be: aged 16 or over, under State Pension age (visit https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age) , and looking after one or more people for at least 20 hours a week. The person you’re looking after must get one of the following: disability Living Allowance care component at the middle or highest rate; Attendance Allowance; Constant Attendance Allowance; Personal Independence Payment - daily living component, at the standard or enhanced rate; Armed Forces Independence Payment. If the person you’re caring for doesn’t get one of these benefits, you may still be able to get Carer’s Credit.

For more information call the Carer’s Allowance Unit on 0345 608 4321. Textphone: 0345 604 5312. Visit: https://www.gov.uk/carers-credit/eligibility

CARERS ESSENTIALS FUND

This fund is now open for carers living in West Cheshire and is to provide one-off grants to support their caring responsibilities. The maximum award is £300, but they are unable to contribute to items or services costing more than £400. The fund is open to Carers over 18 years of age.

For more details, examples of items and services that may be available, please call the Freephone Helpline on 0800 085 0307. The Integrated Life and Social Skills Programme (Chester) We received funding to run for a second year: the skills programme for 12 students aged between 16-25 years who are on the autism spectrum. The main aim of the group is for young people on the autism spectrum to develop new skills for life. It is facilitated by Autism Together (formerly Wirral Autistic Society): two staff from the Autism in Practice department and an external Speech and Language Therapist. We approach various topics such as: • Feelings and emotions • Anger and frustrations – one`s own and those of others • Language and conversation, the importance of listening, creating clarity and gaining an understanding of others • Body language and facial expressions • Attitude towards autism • Stigma, bullying and abuse …..and much more besides, using practical resources. The students have loved the course so far and many have gained confidence as well as making new friends and developing life skills. There are still people on the waiting list with a steady flow of referrals which (due to funding issues) makes it difficult to reach everyone who needs it. A spin-off group would have been a great opportunity for people to sustain the relationships that they have made with each other and a chance to socialise; but still need and have the support of a facilitator at hand. Generally speaking there is a massive dearth of services for adults with autism. Whether it is people who have been diagnosed when they are younger and reach adulthood; or whether it is for people who are getting diagnosed when they are already adults. People are usually left feeling isolated with little to no support to turn to for help and advice that they so desperately need; and are indeed entitled to under the Autism Act 2009. Please contact me if you wish to discuss further: Yvonne L.N. Smith [email protected] 0151 482 3128 ext. 838 Autism Together Senior Training and Development Officer (Autism) APD Autism in Practice June 2017 Winsford Turtles Swimming Club is a club run by volunteers for those people who have a disability and would like to be able to swim in a safe, friendly and supportive environment. The club is a member of NASCH which is a national charity formed specifically to encourage the development throughout the country of swimming clubs for people with disabilities.

There are currently about 35 club members (as at February 2017), ranging in age from about 10 to about 55. Not all members attend every week but there is always a good mix of the more able and less able swimmers. Some members attend by themselves whilst others come with family members or support workers, all of whom are very welcome to stay for the duration of the swimming session. Membership is not restricted just to the Winsford area – we have members from Northwich, Middlewich and Chester and other parts of the county.

The Swimming Club meets at the Winsford Lifestyle Centre every Monday evening (except bank holidays) from 7.00 pm until 8.30 pm. The Centre is run by Brio Leisure on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester Council. The Club has the use of both the main pool and the small pool and members are able to use either of these according to their ability.

The Club relies mainly on a weekly subscription from members, currently £1, to finance its activities, which include public liability insurance, NASCH membership, galas and the Christmas party.

What we offer you

The Club does not have volunteers who can teach you to swim but we do have a volunteer who can help improve your swimming.

We are provided with lifeguards by Brio Leisure and if you need support getting into and out of the water there are hoists available to help.

Want to Join?

Anybody who would like to join the club can contact the Chairman or the Committee Members shown in the Join Us page. Alternatively, you are welcome to come along to the Winsford Lifestyle Centre on a Monday evening between 7.00 pm and 8.30 pm.

For further details contact winsfordturtles.org.uk. Chester Terrapins

Chester Terrapins is a specialist swimming club for people with disabilities who enjoy swimming in supported surroundings

What we offer you We can teach you to swim, help you improve your swimming if you already know how, and if you are really keen we can train you to be good enough to win medals at galas. If you need support getting in and out of the water, we have a hoist available. If you require help once you are in the water, one of volunteers will lend a hand. All volunteers who work directly with swimmers have had a Disclosure and Barring Scheme (DBS) check .

Website http://www.chesterterrapins.org.uk

With continued funding support from Skills for Care Cheshire Centre for Independent Living in partnership with Age UK Cheshire host an award winning Learning Service, which enables adult employers from Cheshire who manage their own care; to access free, independent, tailor-made learning and development opportunities for themselves and their Personal Assistants (PAs).

Learning and development opportunities can be accessed in the following ways: Learning/training delivered in the employer’s home (workplace). Venue based learning/training. E-Learning/distance learning. Learning Service for Personal Assistants (PAs) The Learning Service gives employers choice and control over how they access learning and development opportunities for their PAs. For PAs the learning topics that can be accessed are: · Moving and Assisting · First Aid · Food Safety · Medication Awareness Training to support specific conditions (e.g. autism, dementia etc.)

Learning Service for Employers The Learning Service gives employers choice and control over how they access leadership & management training for themselves as an individual employer of PAs. For Employers the learning areas are: · The role of an employer and employment law · Managing Staff · Boundaries and Expectations

Disability Equality Training CCIL offer comprehensive and competitive Disability Equality training and Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) Training.

If you would like to discuss or arrange any learning/training please email [email protected] or telephone 01606 331853.

Axia ASD Ltd are able to assess individuals for specialist neurodevelopmental assessments. We are able to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Difficulties. We have no exclusion criteria nor any lower or upper age limits.

We are an independent provider of services to the NHS with various agreements in place with Clinical Commissioning Groups throughout the UK. In addition, we accept private healthcare referrals and also self-referrals. Our service is NICE Guideline compliant and our diagnostic assessments take place in a multidisciplinary environment. For full details of our services and to meet our team please visit our website www.axia-asd.co.uk.

In addition to our diagnostic service we are pleased to announce we are now able to offer Speech and Language Therapy assessments for children and adults.

We also provide post-diagnostic support for children and adults. We have come to realise that the adjustment process is a long process and we work systemically with individuals and their families. Our therapy is highly specialist and tailored to the individual needs of the person.

In terms of creative and innovative ways of interacting with our clients we have our very own Film Society and Anime vlog headed up by our Anime Amigos team. We would welcome contributions from anybody as to the topics discussed at our vlogs and indeed if you would like to attend and be a part of one of our vlogs please contact Carly Bailey on 01244 56 76 56 or email [email protected] for further information on how to take part.

DON’T FORGET YOUR TRAVEL EXPENSES FORM

If you have a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) consultation at one of the Independent Assessment Services Consultation Centres, remember to collect a form for your expenses while you are there.

You should always be offered one by one of the Reception team, together with an envelope to return it in, so you don’t need to pay the postage. MindEd for Families was built by parents and the MindEd Consortium of professionals, funded by the Department of Education, in partnership with Health Education England.

It is accredited by the NHS Information Standard.

Find this resource at https://www.minded.org.uk/

ASC Inclusion - Lego® based therapy specialists This organisation offers social skills intervention programmes in School and in the community. It is supported by the Liverpool NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to deliver our projects. They have a range of community outreach programmes working with Adoption Service, Early Help and Family Outreach Support. They provide training for SLT’s, Teachers, Social workers and other professional to understand and meet the needs of autists and their families. http://www.asc-inclusion.org/ home/4590132945 This support group for parents and carers of children and adults with a Spectrum Disorder. (Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, ODD, OCD, ADD, SPD, GDD, CD etc.) meets in the Ellesmere Port area. A place for parents and carers to chat, offer advice and support or just to let off steam, as we all understand how challenging it can be to raise children with extra needs.

Meeting every third Tuesday of the month. The café is open from 8am with the meeting starting at 10am

Tea/Coffee is 50p a cup or they have an Expresso machine which it £1 a cup

Children eat free with a paying adult meal. For further details contact Tessa Ede on

[email protected]

Cook Street Cafe Facebook page. https://http://www.facebook.com/http://

Planning a trip to London?

London's newest tube map is designed to help people with anxiety

A new subway map for London promises to help travelers with conditions like claustrophobia and other anxiety conditions. Transport for London, the body that manages the city’s public transport, released a map on Wednesday that shows which sections of the network are below ground. The map, which indicates sections of the network that are underground with a grey outline, has been welcomed by charities. “For those with anxiety conditions such as panic attacks and claustrophobia, we know that travel by the under- ground can be problematic and challenging,” Nicky Lidbetter, chief executive of Anxiety UK, said in a statement. “This new map is an excellent resource for those wishing to avoid journeys where there are tunnels; serving as a great pre-journey planning aid and increasing access to public transport.” Short Breaks Commissioning in Cheshire West and Chester

As most of you will be aware there has recently been a review of how services are delivered by the Council in relation to Disabled children, young people and their families in Cheshire West and Chester. As part of this review there has been a focus throughout on Co-Production with families, the commissioning process began linked to this around 15 months ago. All the themes from the Co-Production work as well as from the feedback of the formal consultation exercises were built into service specifications for the Short Breaks services that were going to be Commissioned

Primarily the themes linked to supporting young people to be as independent as possible , offering safe , trusted Short Breaks providers and deliver an outcome led menu of services. In order to assure transparency of the Commissioning process the Commissioning Manager presented information and took feedback at the Parent / Carer forum periodically as well as at the Young Peoples School Champions group. A request was circulated to the Parent Carer forum asking for people to be involved in the evaluating of the submissions received from the providers - in total 9 Parents took part in a full day evaluation in May 2017 at which the service outline was read and scored by the Parents. A similar task was completed at the School Champions group in May 2017 involving a total of 8 young people. The outcome of these 2 processes were then added into the outcome of the Professionals evaluation process.

The contract were awarded as follows (please see the SEND Local Offer and/or contact the indi- vidual providers for further information):

Cheshire Centre for Independent Living Mel Hinde 01606 331853 or 0845 340 2777

Short Breaks Individual Payments - a budget of upto £1000 per year for families who are in re- ceipt of high or mid rate Disability Living Allowance

Live Roisin Dunbar 01244 320479

Play - after school and play schemes covering all areas except Chester

Groups - covering all areas except for Chester

Disability awareness / mystery shopper young people’s group

As well as the main contracts we have also awarded a number of small contracts . These are:

Neuromuscular Centre - Lyndsey Cannon-Potts 01606 861733 - breaks for young people with a Neuromuscular condition

Rosebank School - Rachel Green - 01606 74975 after school provision for ASD children

Carers Trust 4 All - Andrew Craven 0333 323 1990 - 8-11yr old children with Aspergers - Social Communication groups

Live - Roisin Dunbar - 01244 320479 Patchwork Nativity - performing arts , dance , drama , music leading to performances

Sam Murtagh Commissioning Manager Branch Matters John Williams event We were treated to a hilarious evening on 23rd June, when John Williams performed his stand-up comedy show ‘My Son’s not Rainman’, at Rosebank School.. John is a single dad of a fifteen year old boy on the autistic spectrum, as well as being an award- winning stand-up comedian. The show is both heart-warming and hilarious in equal measure. John tells their story with frank honesty, both the highs of magic trains, school discos and crazy golf, along with the lows of single parenting, frequent school moves and co-existing conditions. Everybody in the room could relate to some part of their journey and I think we all found solace in the fact that none of us were alone in our daily struggles.

Thank you to John for taking time out to come and perform for us. Thanks to Rosebank school for hosting, and providing a delicious curry and well stocked bar. All proceeds will be shared between NAS CWaC and Rosebank.

CWAC NAS We are part of the National Autistic Society, a national charity founded by parents in 1962 which runs a wide range of services such as schools, adult centres and supported employment. It has over 20,000 members, 100 branches and works in partnership with more than 50 local autism societies. The NAS exists to champion the rights and interests of all people with autistic spectrum disorders and to ensure that they and their families receive quality services appropriate to their needs. Change of address etc. Please let us know if you have moved, changed your e-mail, telephone number etc. If you would like to receive updates as and when we receive them via e-mail please let us have your e-mail address if we don’t already have it. [email protected]

CHESHIRE WEST AND CHESTER BRANCH INFORMATION LINE 01606 783295 www.nas-cheshire.org.uk Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily express the views of NAS or NAS Cheshire West and Chester.