Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum

Yesterday Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum attended the ‘Senior Officials’ meeting chaired by Naomi Sharp from the West Midlands Vulnerable Children’s Unit, Department for Education. Also present were senior representatives from NHS England, Worcestershire County Council, Worcestershire Children First, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and H&W Integrated Care System.

We felt that the Department for Education accurately articulated the gravity of SEND services in Worcestershire and the serious impact that the “widespread and systemic failings” are having on meeting the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

We were also encouraged to hear that the new Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Janet Daby, is taking “far greater interest in SEND” than her predecessor and wants “progress at pace” in Worcestershire.

WPCF will continue to work co-operatively and coproduce with the Worcestershire Local Area Partnership board and facilitate constructive but challenging dialogues; amplifying the collective voice, opinion and experiences of all Worcestershire parent carers supporting children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities.

We will continue to keep you up to date on WPCF’s involvement.

Tonight 9 parent carer reps from Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum met with senior representatives from Worcestershire Children First and Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, including Adam Johnston (Director of Children's Services), Daniela Carson (Director of All-Age Disability) and Mari Gay (MD for NHS H&W). It is the start of a long journey to develop coproduction in Worcestershire - there is much work to be done! This evening's discussions focussed on the 2 priority actions identified by the recent Ofsted and CQC report that found Worcestershire has 'widespread and systemic failings' in SEND. We explored how parent carers thought the long waiting times in community paediatrics, ND assessment pathway, OT and physio should be tackled. We also discussed what support and resources parent carers and their young people require whilst they're waiting for these appointments. Genuine coproduction with children at a strategic level was also explored. Across all topics, the Parent Carer reps were passionate, informed, advocating on behalf of all SEND families in Worcestershire and speaking from a position of lived experience. Put simply we said it as it is. Thank you to our awesome new rep team - you are much valued! 💗 More updates coming soon.

📢Over on the Worcestershire Parent Carers' Discussion Group, we’re discussing what information, support and advice parent carers would like whilst waiting for their child's autism/ADHD assessment, community paediatrics appointment, OT or physio appointment.

↪️If you’re a parent carer of a child or young person aged 0 to 25 and they have SEND (special educational needs or disabilities) then you’d be very welcome to join us! We'd love to hear your ideas.

Free neurodiversity training for sports professionals including lifeguards, sports coaches etc. Tag a club or coach that might be interested!!

We're pleased to be offering some free neurodiversity training with Access Sport as part of our Eddy project at escapetothelake

Worcestershire's Autism Umbrella ☂️pathway is being scrapped and replaced with a new children's joint Autism and ADHD diagnosis pathway. 🎉
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust are looking to gather parent carers' feedback on the proposed new pathway and process.
Join us at 1 of 3 online events where Anna Swift, Lead for Neurodivergent Children & Young People from NHS H&W will be online to explain the current challenges, the consultation undertaken and to walk parent carers through the proposed joint diagnosis pathway.

👉Worcestershire parent carers are invited to sign up and find out more:
🔵 Monday 19th August at 7pm
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIldO-hqDkiE9ySfS3IaSlt47nMX8NqmfBj

🔵 Wednesday 21st August at 7pm
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAocOGpqTsqGNy4hKc_0IhnXsYFNWVqwGuA

🔵 Friday 6th September at 10am
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpce6ppzkoE9anseMWXn5viwUW8pTIrSVw

Parent carer members of Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum are invited to review and feedback on the new 'Children's Autism and ADHD Diagnosis Pathway' currently being developed for .

Anna Swift, Lead for Neurodivergent Children & Young People from NHS Herefordshire and Worcestershire will be online to explain the current challenges, the consultation undertaken to date and to walk parent carers through the proposed joint diagnosis pathway.

WPCF Members are invited to sign up to one of the 3 Zoom events being held online:
🔵 Monday 19th August at 7pm
🔵 Wednesday 21st August at 7pm
🔵 Friday 6th September at 10am

Choose your preferred date and register at:
👉 https://www.facebook.com/WorcestershirePCF/events

Not a WPCF member? Or forgotten if you are? No problem - membership is free and you can sign up at:
👉 https://www.cognitoforms.com/worcestershireparentcarerforum/membershipformforworcestershireparentcarerforum

This week 3 reps from Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum met with Cllr Emma Marshall (Chair of the Worcestershire County Council Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Panel) and Cllr Steve Mackay (Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families) to discuss the outcome of the recent Ofsted/CQC inspection in Worcestershire. We had a positive and fruitful meeting and a number of points and actions were agreed.

Read the full story here: 👉https://fipworcs.org.uk/inspections/wpcf-meet-with-wcc-cllr-emma-marshall-cllr-steve-mackay/

Or skip to the highlights here:
⏳ Cllr Marshall is keen to increase public participation at Scrutiny meetings and will investigate if parent carers could become scrutiny panel members. She will also seek clarification about whether members of the public can submit their questions to the panel without actually attending.
⏳ Cllr Marshall agreed to attend the IPSEA training that WPCF are about to roll out to some of the parent carer reps.
⏳ Cllr Marshall offered to receive emails from parent carers prior to scrutiny meetings to highlight questioning areas, enabling her to formulate her questions.
⏳ Cllr Marshall and Cllr MacKay confirmed they are willing to work with WPCF to understand the reality of SEND in Worcestershire better.
⏳ Cllr MacKay offered to update other councillors, furnishing them with some of the context they might currently be missing.
⏳ It was agreed to explore the possibility of Cllr Marshall, Cllr MacKay and Cllr Chambers meeting with some parent carers to hear first-hand their SEND experiences.
⏳ It was agreed that the possibility of WCC councillors undertaking SEND training should be explored.
⏳ Cllr Marshall will contact WCF senior leaders to highlight and discuss the concerns raised by WPCF.
⏳ Hazel Shaw (Co-Chair) confirmed WPCF had been invited to contribute the Priority Action Plan that the Local Area Partnership had to now develop and off the back of the Ofsted report.

We thank both councillors for their willingness to meet and we will keep you updated on the conversations!

🤩 On Friday 2nd August we will be running our incredibly popular Evening SEN Jungle Explorers evening!

The whole park will be open after hours from 5:30pm until 7:45pm, with limited spaces available to ensure a calmer experience for families of children with SEN.

Tickets must be pre-booked, so visit https://allthingswild.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/55022?catID=53673& to book!

🐾

⚠️📢The report outcome: Widespread and Systematic Failings 📢⚠️

The result & findings of the OFSTED & CQC inspection align with the perspectives shared by our members and ourselves, which makes them unsurprising. As representatives of the Parent Carer community, we are deeply troubled by the findings of the Ofsted & CQC report highlighting widespread and systematic failings in SEND provision within our local area. We share the concerns expressed by families across the Worcestershire SEND community.
Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum are committed to advocating for the rights and interests of children and young people with SEND and their families. We stand in solidarity with all those affected by these failings and are committed to working collaboratively with the Local Authority, Education, Health, Social Care, and other stakeholders to address the issues identified and drive meaningful change. Our priority is to ensure that the voices and experiences of Worcestershire Parent Carers are heard and valued. We will continue to actively engage with the local authority and relevant health agencies to hold them accountable for addressing the failings highlighted in the report and to advocate for improved SEND provision across Worcestershire. We call for transparency, accountability, and swift action to rectify the failings identified in the report and to ensure that children and young people with SEND receive the support and resources they need to succeed. Together, we can work towards a future where every child, regardless of their abilities or disabilities, has the opportunity to reach their full potential. We look forward to the return of the inspectors in 18 months, where we hope the Local Area SEND Partnership leaders and stakeholders will demonstrate the effectiveness of the implemented measures with positive outcomes for children, young people with SEND, and their families.

The Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum team would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to everyone who contributed to our pre-inspection survey and submission.

Full details here of the inspection findings are here:
https://files.ofsted.gov.uk/v1/file/50252437

🩷Do any of these difficulties apply to your child or a child you know?

💙Get in contact if so for your FREE assessment and report (to attend sessions at MBH)

❤️ We have venues across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire & Gloucestershire!

✏️ Email: [email protected]
📞 Phone: 01531 633840

Tonight 5 Worcestershire Parent Carer reps from Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum met with Fay from Worcestershire Children First’s Education Psychology team to help design and optimize the new EBSNA (emotional based school non-attendance) pathway. Our feedback was robust but constructive and leant on our lived experience of supporting our SEND young people that are unable to attend school due to medical reasons. We discussed the need to have a tangible offer of practical help and support, the impact of significant delays to health assessments and the role of 2 new WCF employees to support families challenged with EBSNA. A huge thanks to our reps for being so generous with their time and for being willing to coproduce, despite our own challenging circumstances. 💙💜

📣There are now 15 Worcestershire Parent Carer Forum ‘reps’ trained and ready to coproduce on your behalf! Our mission is to amplify and represent the views and experiences of Worcestershire’s parent carers. Tonight 4 of our reps worked with professionals from Worcestershire Children First to improve parent carer information about their ‘Inclusion Support Service’. We asked for the same access to detailed information about pathways, eligibility criteria and the ‘offer’ as education professionals are able to access, just with the jargon and acronyms stripped out. 💪🏽 More updates about other conversations we’re having coming soon!

Worcester Deaf Children's Society UK are hosting a family picnic in the park for all deaf, HOH and CODA children and families. Join them in the Priory Park, Great Malvern on 10th August at 12:30pm.

Can any Worcestershire based SEN groups help Dizz kidz and teenz?

Parent to a young person aged 0-25 with SEND? Living in Worcestershire? Then we need you! 👊 Join us by becoming a member - it's free and we'll ask nothing of you. Strength comes in numbers and the more parent carers that join, the stronger and more compelling our voice will be. Especially when we're having constructive, but challenging conversations with our Worcestershire education, health and social care providers.💪
Sign up here 👉 https://www.cognitoforms.com/WorcestershireParentCarerForum/MembershipFormForWorcestershireParentCarerForum

PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE: Thank you everyone who has already contacted the forum about this focus group. There is still some time if you wish to join the session on Monday evening for EY, KS1 & 2. Please email so we can send you the draft and meeting link.

📢 Alternative Provision in Worcestershire 📢 We need your questions! What don't you know? If you were talking to a parent carer with AP experience, what would you ask?
❓ What AP is available in Worcestershire?
❓ How do I access AP?
❓ Who pays for AP?
❓ School won't recommend AP, how do I make it happen?
🫳 Drop your questions below and we'll get answers to your questions!

Over on the Worcestershire Parent Carers' Discussion Group we’re discussing the new Worcestershire Children First 🏖️‘short breaks’ 🏝️offer launched today via their new booking portal. We’d love your feedback and comments!

If you’re a parent carer of a child or young person ages 0 to 25 and they have SEND (special educational needs or disabilities) then you’d be very welcome to join us!

Just this!

This.

Live Facebook events about Tourettes delivered by Tourettes Action.

🎉 We're thrilled to announce our upcoming Facebook Live events focused on Tourettes! 🎉

Join us for a series of enlightening and supportive conversations:

🗓️ June 7th at 6 PM: Danielle Cull shares her inspiring story, "My Tics and Me: What's It All About?"

🗓️ June 10th at 12 PM: Lucy Toghill discusses "Education, Transition, and Tourettes," offering valuable insights for navigating educational transitions.

🗓️ June 12th at 6 PM: Katie Skinner delves into "Tourettes and ADHD," exploring the interplay between these conditions and sharing her experiences.

Don’t miss out on these informative and heartfelt sessions. See you there! 💬

If you are interested please email: [email protected] with the heading ‘Ordinary Available’ and the key stage of your child or young person. Worcestershire Children First

Have you signed up to our Children’s Disability and Additional Needs Register?

Every Local Authority has a Children’s Disability and Additional Needs Register (sometimes known as a Disabled Children’s Register). It is used to gather information about any child or young person in Worcestershire with a special educational need and/or disability (SEND).

We will use the information to help improve services for these children and young people because it will help us understand more about what support is needed and where. It is free to join and completely voluntary.

So, why sign up?

📜 We can give your child a certificate saying that they are on our register – this could be used as proof as your child’s disability (especially if their disability is not obvious) – this could help you to get discounts at local and national attractions

📰 If you give us your email address you can receive any news and updates about services for children with SEND

Find out more and sign up here https://bit.ly/3WmBBZt

Jigsaw - Worcestershire Mental Health Relative & Carer's Support Group are hosting a face to face open meeting in Malvern on Monday 3rd June. If you’re in Worcestershire and caring for someone with a mental health condition, you’re invited to attend. 💙🩷

A lot has been going on with Jigsaw and the organisations we liaise with, and we also have a lot of information and news to share with you. Plus, we’d like to discuss some important ideas from the Trust about improving communications.

Furthermore, we’d also like to get some feedback from carers like you and me about developments and changes. We want to hear from YOU. Your questions, experiences, and ideas are invaluable to us.

That’s why our next meeting on Monday 3rd June from 7.00pm to 9.00pm is going to be a face-to-face Open Meeting at our usual meeting venue at the Malvern Hills Science Park (https://www.jigsawgroup.info/directions). No online Zoom this time.

Open to All: Whether you're a new member or a familiar face, all carers of those with mental health challenges are warmly welcome. If you can make it, we encourage you to join us.

As well as the news and information we have to share with you, this Open Meeting is also a great opportunity to:

- Connect: Meet fellow carers, share stories, and build your support network.
- Learn: Get updates on Jigsaw's work, local resources, and mental health news.
- Share: Ask questions, raise concerns, or offer insights – your voice matters!
- Be Heard: We'll discuss ways to improve communication and gather your feedback.

There is No Pressure: Feel free to participate actively or simply listen and absorb the information.

We look forward to seeing you in Malvern on Monday evening. 😊

Accessible bike riding coming to Bromsgrove thanks to Midland Mencap.

Inclusive cycling sessions are being run specifically for individuals, groups and families with SEND, with a variety of specially adapted bikes and trikes to access at Sanders Park on a monthly basis.

Working in partnership with Midland Mencap there will be experienced staff supporting to get the right bike for riding independently or with a parent or carer.

For more information and how to book please see the poster below.

A new online support group for parents of babies and toddlers from 18 months to 3 years of age with Down’s Syndrome launches on 6th June. Sign up via the Down's Syndrome Association.

We are very pleased to be launching a new online support group on
🗓️ 6 June, for parents of babies and toddlers from 18 months to 3 years of age.
Over four sessions, we'll demonstrate activities and strategies to support your child’s early development, with input from specialist practitioners, and the chance to ask questions. Click here https://loom.ly/JUOkfL8 for all the details and to register.

⚠️On 19th August 2024, the Department for Education's ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ statutory guidance comes into force. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-together-to-improve-school-attendance

🏫This new guidance is for schools, academy trusts, governing bodies and local authorities on maintaining high levels of school attendance and details all the parties’ roles and responsibilities.

🦹🏽‍♂️The new guidance penalises parents for unauthorised attendance, irregular attendance and culminates in magistrate court appearances, a criminal record and fines of £2500 per child, per parent.

😟Worcestershire parent carers are reporting to WPCF that their anxiety is building as these new attendance regulations approach enforcement. WPCF share their concerns and worries that the ‘perfect storm’ is approaching and that families of children with special education needs and disabilities are going to be adversely and significantly impacted.

👉🏿Attendance regulations adversely affects neurodivergent learners and especially those without a diagnosis, whom are at greater risk of developing Emotional Based School Avoidance.
👉🏿The same undiagnosed ND students are also experiencing extensive delays in accessing community paediatrics and the umbrella diagnostic pathway – delays of up to 3 years!
👉🏿Students who were looking to access the ADHD diagnostic pathway have been refused access due to parents being unwilling or unable to undertake a parenting course that was written for neurotypical children. This decision was recently overturned, but it is unclear how many families were affected.
👉🏿Parent Carers of children without a formal neurodivergent diagnosis regularly report to us that they are unable to access the SEN support that their child needs to maintain good levels of attendance.
👉🏿Parent carers turning to their GP for support for their SEND child and their EBSA will be receiving advice that follows the guidance issued to GPs by the ICB earlier this year. This guidance instructs GPs to direct parents back to schools for support, instructs GPs not to issue sick notes and not to request that schools commission missing reports or initiate EHCP needs assessments. https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2023-12/Worcestershire%20GP%20SEND%20Handbook%20V4%20for%20publication%202024.pdf
👉🏿KPIs from WCF document that the overall attendance for SEND pupils in Worcestershire is at 90% – an attendance percentage that under the new regulations would be classed as “persistent and severe absence” and the starting point for more formal proceedings.

👨‍🏫WCF are preparing schools for the new guidance via a ‘Worcestershire Attendance Forum’ Event on the 1st July 2024. my.newzapp.co.uk/t/view/1682899209/125047848

💪At last week’s ‘SEND & Alternative Provision Partnership Board’ meeting, WPCF’s Co-Chair Hazel Shaw raised our concerns that Worcestershire parent carers (unlike Worcestershire education professionals) are not being issued with appropriate information and support relating to the new attendance guidance.

📚Sarah Wilkins, Director for Education, Early Years, Inclusion and Place Planning has promised to update WPCF on the impact of the new attendance regulations on Worcestershire’s SEND students and what support and advice is available for parent carers.

📢Meanwhile, we would welcome feedback from Worcestershire parent carers on how their SEND families are affected.