E-bulletin 88: Week ending - Friday 15.11.13

A round up of the week’s news and information from the Parent Partnership Ser- vice. Don't forget to visit our website www.wolvesparentpartnership.org The Parent Partnership Service is a statutory, confidential service for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and other disabilities or addi- tional needs.

PARENT PARTNERSHIP NEWS

Information, information, information - What? Where? How?

Parents and carers have been telling us for years that access to information is a challenge. We know that all too often, parents hear about services and opportunities through other parents. We have been looking for a way to address this for some time. Well, now there is going to be a way to ensure parents and carers can access the information they need in a manner they would like to receive it. Furthermore, this will be embedded in law.

As part of the reforms to Special Educational Needs and Disability services, each Local Authority will have to produce a ‘Local Offer’ which will set out in one place information about provision they expect to be available for children and young people in their area.

The Local offer will have two key purposes:

To provide clear, comprehensive and accessible information about the provision available and To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving children and young people with SEN, parents and carers in its development and review. The Local Offer will include information about services and provision in relation to all aspects of special educational needs and disability. This is all good news for parents and carers!

I am delighted to tell you that I shall be leading on the Local Offer for and officially start my work as Local Offer Project Manager this week. I shall still manage the Parent Partnership Service but will be spending most of my time concentrat- ing on the Local Offer which is a huge project. Elaine Westwood (Parent Partnership Officer) will be overseeing the day to day work of the Parent Partnership Service in my absence, until March 2014. There will be some other temporary cover arrangements which we will share in the near future. I will need your help! It is essential that the Local Offer is created with parents, carers and young people right from the start. I shall be working closely with Voice4Parents to develop some of the early principles of Wolverhampton’s Local Offer but we will need to seek the views of parents, carers and young people across the City to ensure it meets local needs. Please watch this space for information about how to get involved.

The Parent Partnership Service is delighted to have such a prominent role with Wolverhampton’s implementation of the reforms and that we will have the chance to influence such an important piece of work for children, young people and their families. The Parent Partnership Service will ‘host’ the Local Offer once it is established.

If you would like to see what the Draft SEN Code of Practice says about the Local Offer please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/251839/Draft_SEN_Code_of_Practice_-_statutory_guidance.pdf I will keep you informed of developments. Lucy Harris (Parent Partnership Co-ordinator and Local Offer Project Manager)

Your Parent Partnership Needs You!

Have you received our special e-bulletin this week? You can visit http:// wolvesparentpartnership.org/uploads/files/SPECIAL%2014_11_13.pdf to read this again. The Draft SEN Code of Practice is currently under consultation and we urge you to have your say. We are holding a Parental Consultation event on Wednesday 27th November 10-12 at Bantock House, Finchfield Road, WV3 9LQ. The draft SEN Code of Practice covers all aspects of special educational needs policy and practice and the duties on schools, the Local Authority and health services to support children and young people. If your child has special educational needs; perhaps is supported at School Action, School Action Plus or has a Statement, then this is relevant to you. Spaces are limited so please contact us on 01902 556945 to book your place.

Parental Support Sessions

Thank you to all parents who came along to our ‘We Can Help’ drop in last week at Brickkiln Community Centre. Our next drop in is Friday 6th December from 9.15-11am. If you have a child with additional needs, and find visiting the dentist challenging come along and find out how the Special Dental Care Service can help you and your family. Some of our parents have told us how helpful, they find the service, especially having children with communication difficulties and autism.

The next Autism Parent Carer Support Group is on Tuesday 3rd December from 9.30-11.30 at Tettenhall Wood School.

Autism is also holding individual sessions for parents and carers of children with autism. For the latest news and winter activities and to find out about the work of Autism West Midlands visit http://www.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/? utm_source=Autism+West+Midlands+newsletter&utm_campaign=aed380d8e1- Family_activities_20137_11_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7996286332- aed380d8e1-291304297&mc_cid=aed380d8e1&mc_eid=01c9243e50 Omega update: Special events

Saturday 23rd November 2013 - Special Interest Autism Carers Meeting Point Support Group 11:00am-1:00pm. This group meets on Saturday mornings every 6 weeks at the Skills For Life Centre, Glyn Bank, Lloyd Street, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, WV6 0RL.

SWAN UK

SWAN UK is an initiative of Genetic Alliance UK offering support and information to families of children with undiagnosed genetic conditions. To read their monthly e- newsletter visit http://us7.campaign-archive2.com/? u=e49a98269335602b65d724a22&id=6447bc45f5&e=0eeeab15f1

Carer Support Team – Carers Update

National Co-production Advisory Group: new members wanted - The National Co-Production Advisory Group (NCAG) is a group of people who use services, carers, families and parents of people who use services. The group's main purpose is to ensure that people who use services co-produce TLAP's work. NCAG is recruiting new members to its core group. They are particularly keen to receive applications from people with an under- standing of personalisation. This rewarding and exciting opportunity requires national travel and an expectation that you will attend at least 12 national meetings per year. Suc- cessful candidates will be fully supported to attend all meetings. The closing date is 22 November 2013, find out more on the TLAP website. Visit http:// www.thinklocalactpersonal.org.uk/News/PersonalisationNewsItem/?cid=9811

Stakeholder event: Warstones Resource Centre - Wolverhampton City Council and Wolverhampton CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group have launched a joint engagement pro- cess on the proposal to transform the Warstones Resource Centre into a Community Ser- vice HUB. The consultation will run until Friday 6th December and you are invited to attend the Public/stakeholder event on Monday 25th November from 10.00am to 12.30 pm at Warstones Resource Centre, Warstones Drive, Penn, WV4 4PQ. For more details see http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/consultations To book a place or to request a hard copy of the vision document please contact Rose Powell on 01902 555494 or email [email protected]. For the Feedback sheet visit http:// wolvesparentpartnership.org/uploads/files/Feedback%20Sheet.pdf and the proposals document http://wolvesparentpartnership.org/uploads/files/Proposals%20for% 20transformation%20of%20Warstones%20Community%20Service%20Hub%20doc.pdf.

In the news!

Collingwood Library at Broadway Gardens opens in new home. The new Collingwood Library has officially opened after moving to its new home. It has relocated to Broadway Gardens, Bushbury, from former shop premises on The Broadway. To read more visit http:// www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/article/3674/Collingwood-Library-at-Broadway-Gardens-opens- in-new-home City’s youth MPs set for appearance in the House Two teenagers are reprsening Wolverhampton’s young people at the House of Commons today. http://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/article/3680/Citys-Youth-MPs-set-for-appearance-in- the-house

People with diabetes, liver or kidney problems urged to get flu safe - Health chiefs are urging people in Wolverhampton with diabetes, liver or kidney conditions to protect themselves and get their flu vaccination as soon as possible. http:// www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/article/3688/People-with-diabetes-liver-or-kidney-problems- urged-to-get-flu-safe

VOICE4PARENTS NEWS National Parent Carer Participation Event

On 5th November I attended this National event held in Birmingham with Lucy Harris, Manager of Wolverhampton Parent Partnership Service and Jane Smith who is a member of Voice4Parents Wolverhampton. Representatives from local Parent and Carer forums from across attended the event that was addressed by Edward Timpson the Minister for Children and Families. The Minister highlighted the essential role Parent and Carer forums have to play in the local design and delivery of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) reforms. He extended his admiration and gratitude for the positive contributions they have made that will inform the law and culture change, making a positive and lasting impact on children and families lives. It was great to hear Mr Timpson make specific reference to Wolverhampton’s excellent work and progress on the reforms as a non-pathfinder which I hope you find reassuring as parents and careers of children with additional needs. The conference also considered the Draft Code of Practice and feedback from these discussions will inform the national response from Parent and Carer forums consultation on this document. We would really value your thoughts and opinions on this important piece of legislation that will impact on how your child is supported in school. So if your child is supported at School Action, School Action Plus or has a Statement of Special Educational Need, I would urge you to come along to the informal event we are holding on Wednesday 27th November 10am – 12pm at the Performance Space, Bantock House, Finchfield Road, WV3 9LQ. You will be able to find out more about the proposed changes and share your views. We only have until the 9th December before the consultation period ends so don’t miss out on this opportunity! Your views will be collated and feedback to the Government with the responses from the other regional events we are holding later this month in Stoke and Coventry. Alison Baggs,, Parent Participation Assistant

You have received this e-mail bulletin because your e-mail address is held by the Parent Partnership Service. If you are a parent/carer, we hope you will find the information helpful. Please be assured that parental contact de- tails will not be shared elsewhere. Any views or opinions expressed in this email are solely those of the au- thor and do not necessarily represent those of the Parent Partnership Service or Wolverhampton City