SEND Newsletter: Issue 4
Dear Parent and Carers,
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Herefordshire SEND newsletter. This newsletter is co-produced by Herefordshire Council, Parent Carer Voice Herefordshire and Herefordshire Integrated Care System (ICS). This newsletter aims to provide easy access to key information and updates for families of children and young people with SEND.
Please give us feedback on this newsletter so that we can make it work for you and find out what articles or information you would like to see in future editions. You can send your suggestions about the newsletter to the editor, Emma Kelly, by email: localoffer@herefordshire.gov.uk
- Local Offer Facebook page
- Local Offer Updates – You Said, We Did
- Parent Carer Coffee & Chat
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire SENDIASS
- My Health, My Say
- Dingley’s Promise – Early years inclusion project
- "Have a Go" activity weekend - RNC
- Autism West Midlands
- Vamos Theatre – new group for 14-18 year olds!
- Speak to your Learning Disability Partnerships Board – an invitation to have your say
Local Offer Facebook page
Herefordshire SEND Local Offer now has a Facebook page! We will keep you updated with local information about events, services and groups that support children and young people with SEND. Click ‘Like’ and follow us to stay up to date and remember to share posts you think would be useful to your friends and family. Find us on Facebook @HfdsSEND
Local Offer Updates – You Said, We Did
The Local Offer focus group have coproduced a new home page for the Local Offer in Herefordshire. You can now find information grouped together for Parents and Carers, Young People and Professionals and SENCOs. We hope that this will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for. Take a look and let us know what you think by emailing localoffer@herefordshire.gov.uk
www.herefordshire.gov.uk/localoffer
As well as the new home page, there are lots of updates to pages coming soon, including moving the SEND Local Offer information currently held on Talk Community onto the Herefordshire Council website. This will mean you will be able to find everything in one place, rather than going between the two websites. We acknowledge that this has caused confusion in the past and we are working hard behind the scenes to improve this. Services, groups and events for children and young people with SEND will continue to be listed in the Talk Community Directory.
Parent Carer Coffee & Chat
Join PCV Herefordshire at one of their January and February coffee and chat sessions. Meet other families of children and young people with SEND and hear how PCV can help you and your family.
Tuesday 10th January, 10am – JJ & Little Dots Café
Tuesday 24th January, 7pm – Fred Bulmer Centre
Tuesday 14th February, 10am – The Courtyard
Tuesday 28th February, 7pm – Fred Bulmer Centre
The voice of parents is key to PCV’s success – the more voices are heard the better understanding they have as a community. PCV work alongside the Local Authority and Health partners (Integrated Care System) and aim to ensure that services meet the needs of children and young people with SEND. By joining PCV at their coffee morning, you can share your views, concerns and worries in a safe space.
Follow PCV Herefordshire on Facebook or visit their website to read more about their work and how you can get involved. To get in touch, email admin@pcvherefordshire.com
Herefordshire & Worcestershire SENDIASS
SENDIASS Information - Christmas
The festive season is here, and we know that this can often be a challenging time for families of children with additional needs. SENDIASS have produced some information about coping with Christmas.
SENDIASS Service Update:
The SENDIASS adviceline is currently experiencing very high levels of calls from families in need of information, advice, and support. Unfortunately, this means that it may take up to 2 working days for them to return your call.
If you reach the voicemail service, this means that advisors are in calls supporting other families. Please leave a message and they will get back to you as soon as possible.
SENDIASS is very sorry for any inconvenience that this might cause. The team is aware that people contacting the phoneline need someone to talk to and they do their best to get back to people as soon as they can.
SENDIASS Christmas Office Hours
The SENDIASS adviceline will be closed from 19th December and will reopen at 8.30am on 3rd January 2023. The SENDIASS team wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Contact SENDIASS
For free, impartial information, advice and support on matters relating to children and young people with SEND contact SENDIASS on 01432 260955 Monday-Friday 8.30am-4pm or email sendiass@herefordshire.co.uk
For regular Special Educational Needs/Disabilities (SEND) updates, sign up to the SENDIASS mailing list by clicking the sign-up link on their homepage or follow them on social media:
My Health, My Say
There is still time to take part! Action for Children want to hear from children, young people and their families about their experience with health and wellbeing services.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care Board have commissioned Action for Children to find out how children, young people and their families engage in conversations regarding their wellbeing and health needs. We know there are some systems in place that already do this, but we’re looking at how they could be more accessible, harmonious and encourage joint working.
Complete the parent carer survey
As well as completing the survey, you can talk to Action for Children about your experiences as part of a focus group, please contact Sue Mustill at Action for Children on 07929 079069 or email: sue.mustill@actionforchildren.org.uk to register your interest. 
Dingley’s Promise – Early years inclusion project
Herefordshire Council has won a bid to be part of Dingley’s Promise, a national project funded by Comic Relief. The project aims to support local authorities to have more early years children with SEND accessing quality provision.
The project team would like to hear from parents and carers to get an understanding of your views on early years education in Herefordshire. You can complete the survey whether your child attends an early years setting or not. Please click on the relevant survey below.
Parent Carers with children IN early years education - https://orlo.uk/dingleyINeducation_BdyXS
Parent Carers with children NOT YET in early years education - https://orlo.uk/dingleyNOTineducation_cmwg1
‘Have a Go’ Activity Weekend – Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th February 2023
RNC are hosting a ‘Have a Go’ weekend for children and young people aged 13 – 17 years old with a visual impairment along with their families, including siblings. It runs from 11am on the Saturday until approximately 3pm on the Sunday with FREE accommodation for everyone for the Saturday evening. Young people must be accompanied by at least one responsible adult.
The event will enable young people to:
Try sports, including goalball, archery and cricket
Participate in activities such as bowling
Enjoy cooking and music amongst other things
Find out more about the event and apply for a place by clicking on the RNC events page.
Autism West Midlands have a number of FREE webinars for parents and carers in January and February. Click each link to find out more and book your place. If you can’t make it on the day, register anyway and they will send you a recording to watch later.
Virtual Dads Support Group - 22nd December at 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
This is an opportunity for dads to meet online, share ideas, celebrate their children’s achievement’s and offer support to each other with a member of Autism West Midlands present.
Autism and Sensory Differences Webinar - 9th January 2023 at 9:30 am - 11:00 am
An opportunity to learn more about the sensory world of autism and to find out where your child’s sensory needs may lie. This will be followed by strategies to support those with over or under sensitivities across the 8 senses.
Understanding Autism Webinar for Parents Carers and Professionals – 20th January 2023 at 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Including: An introduction to the autism spectrum, How autism may affect children and How to support children in daily life.
Autism and Communication Webinar for Parents Carers - 23rd January 2023 at 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Including: What communication is, How and why we communicate, Autism and communication differences, and Strategies that may help. This webinar is open to any parent or carer in Herefordshire and Worcestershire who have a child with an ASD diagnosis or who have been accepted on the assessment pathway.
Autism and Behaviour Webinar for Parents Carers - 6th February 2023 at 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Including: What anxiety is, Autism and anxiety, and Managing anxiety. This webinar is open to any parent or carer in Herefordshire and Worcestershire who have a child with an ASD diagnosis or who have been accepted on the assessment pathway.
How autistic people process information Webinar for Parents Carers and Professionals - 17th February 2023 at 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Including: What neurodiversity is, The autistic brain, How autistic people process information, What impact this may have and Top tips for supporting autistic people.
Vamos Theatre – new group for 14-18 year olds!
Vamos Theatre currently runs a theatre skills group in the centre of Worcester (walking distance from the train station) for young people aged 18+ with mild to moderate learning disabilities. In April 2023, they will be introducing a similar group for 14-18 year olds.
The current (older) group meets weekly in term time to learn theatre skills, including the full mask for which Vamos Theatre is internationally renowned, to have fun, be playful, and create and share inspiring theatre. It is a place to discover and develop performance skills in a safe and supportive environment, where everyone is valued and treated with respect.
With classes already oversubscribed, we are letting you know early so that you can register your interest to be first to hear when places can be booked! Please email learning@vamostheatre.co.uk to be added to the mailing list for the new class.
For more details on Vamos Central, please visit - https://www.vamostheatre.co.uk/learning/join-in/vamos-central
Speak to your Learning Disability Partnerships Board – an invitation to have your say.
This month's survey is ‘Looking after your Health’. Complete the survey.
An easier to read copy with pictures can be found in this dropbox.
Thank you for telling us your thoughts on moving in our last survey. We will present your comments at the next Learning Disability Partnership Board and see what we can do to help.