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CONTENTS
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Content
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PPV – Editorial
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What’s on?
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Home Education and SEN Workshop
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Parent Rep Updates
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Appreciation Awards
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Talking to children and young people about tragic events like terrorism
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Enable Ability
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Wheels for All
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Your views and consultations
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Connors Toy Library and Portsmouth Carers’ Day
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Autism Hampshire: Portsmouth Autism Service
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Independent Support Information Drop in
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News in Brief
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How to contact Portsmouth Parent Voice
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Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a good half-term and also sparing a thought for all the students out there sitting through their exams. We know how stressful this time of year can be for students and parents alike (I know, I am one of them!).
We have quite a few events coming up until the summer holidays, so please go to page 4 for the full list. Thank you to all the parents who came to our “Your Views on Inclusion� evening meeting. Some very interesting feedback and suggestions were shared and we will compile a report ready for the July Newsletter.
We have a few surveys on inclusion, autism and your experience of the Education, Health and Care Plan process if you can spare a few minutes.
Enjoy the glorious weather and looking forward to seeing you at one of our forthcoming event.
See you soon! Barbara and the Team General enquiries: ppv@p-d-f.org Barbara McDougall: PPVcoordinator@p-d-f.org.uk Kara Jewell: engagementofficer@p-d-f.org.uk Alison Cooper: ppvadmin@p-d-f.org.uk
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What’s On?
Events and workshops coming up soon Are you a parent or carer of a child or young person with additional needs and disability and living in Portsmouth? We run various coffee mornings, events and training sessions in partnership with various voluntary groups ( Autism Hampshire, Contact A Family) and statutory agencies (such as CAMHS- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) Event
Date and Time
Venue
Home Education and SEN workshop
Saturday 17th June 10.30 am to 12:30 pm
Parent Reps Catch Up Event for parent reps only but do join us if you would like to find out more about the role. Do email to book your place. PPV Coffee Morning
Wednesday 21st June 10 am to 12 noon
The Frank Sorrell Centre Prince Albert Road Southsea PO4 9HR The Frank Sorrell Centre Prince Albert Road Southsea PO4 9HR
PPV Family Day Activities for children and grown ups
Wednesday 9th August 10 am to 1 pm
Picnic in the Park Bring your beach ball and picnic blanket!
Thursday 24th August 10.30 am to 1.30 pm
Thursday 6th July 10 am to 12 pm
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The Frank Sorrell Centre Prince Albert Road Southsea PO4 9HR The Frank Sorrell Centre Prince Albert Road Southsea PO4 9HR Canoe Lake Near the splash pool area
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Parent Reps Update
We are currently recruiting new parent reps to join our busy team. We are very flexible and you do not need any experience as full training will be given. You are the expert when it comes to special educational needs and disability and your input and views are an important part of changing the way services are delivered in the city.
We are recruiting new parent reps!
You can committ as much or little as you want and you can get invoved in topics that matter to you and your family including autism, wheelchair services, early years and many more.
You will find more information about the role on our website and there is an easy form to complete online should you be interested.
You can get involved to make a difference.
We will publish videos in July and you will be able to hear from parents and professionals what it means to them to be able to work together to improve the life chances of children and young people with special needs and disability. Portsmouth Parent Voice are organising a parent rep get together on Wednesday 21 st June, 10 am to 12 noon where you will have an opportunity to meet the team over breakfast. Please email ppvcoordiator@p-d-f.org.uk to register and for catering purposes.
Join us on 21st June to find out more.
If you require further information. Do visit our website: http://www.portsmouthparentvoice.org/get-involved/ or call on 07712 439 159 Looking forward to hearing from you soon!
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Complete the form on our website to register.
Appreciation Awards The Appreciation Award was created by the Co-production Group (or CoPro) in order to celebrate and recognise professionals who have helped parents and families of children and young people with special educational needs and disability. We are in the process of setting up a web page on our website to make it easier for you to nominate a professional who has helped you and your child/ young person. We often receive more complaints than compliments so it is important to recognise that there are individuals who are committed to make a difference to parent carers and their families. Maybe by highlighting good practice in the city, we will be able to change the way services are delivered to you and benefiting other families in the same situation. So go on, get nominating!
Congratulations to: Sian McLeod, Specialist Health Visitor Philippa Williams, CAMHS LD Lee Morgan, SENCO, Admiral Lord Nelson School
If you would like to nominate an individual who has made a difference for your child, young person or family, go to: http://www.portsmouthparentvoice.org/get-involved/ and complete the online appreciation award form. 7
Talking to children and young people about tragic events like terrorism This information aims to help parents, teachers and adults working with children and young people to talk to them about tragic events like violence, war and terrorism. (Those who have been directly affected by a tragic event may need more specialist and bespoke support.)
What should we say to children/young people?
Talk about what has happened. Talking about things is better than avoiding them. In the absence of information children may imagine and worry about all sorts of things. If you know what they are thinking, you can help them work through their thoughts.
Adults are usually more scared about discussing sad events with children than children are about hearing about them.
Be led by the information/questions your children want answered, children process information at their particular developmental level so they may not want to know or worry about the same things as you.
Give basic facts about what has happened, avoid speculation or hearsay. There is no need to go into unnecessary detail about what's happened. Top Tips for talking about difficult topics Keep your answers simple Accept that some children may need to ask the same questions several times and need to have answers repeated to them. Always tell the truth, even if it is upsetting. Children may surprise you with how strong and resilient they can be! The important thing is you will be there to comfort, reassure and help the child to manage their emotions.
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Remember sadness and concern are normal and appropriate reactions to tragic events. Children need to know that to react like this is both normal and ok. Guard against overprotecting rather than protecting children. Share your feelings but do so in a calm and measured way. This shows children that feelings are ok and it is how you manage them that counts. Tell children that they can come and ask questions and/or share concerns any time. Create a time and place for children to ask their questions. Don't force children to talk about things until they're ready. If you don’t know the answer to a question or you don’t feel you can discuss it, then be honest and say so. Useful answers could include 'I don’t know the answer to that, let me see if I can find out and I'll let you know', 'that’s a difficult one, I wish I had all the answers for you, but I don't', 'that is a good question and I need to think about a good answer. Let me talk to you about this later'. Let children be children. They may not want to think or talk a lot about these events. It is OK if they'd rather play ball, climb trees, or ride their bike, etc
Should I let my child watch the news or go online? It is impossible to avoid the 24/7 media and rolling news coverage that we are all exposed to nowadays.
The main thing is to talk about and be there to try and help children to manage their emotions and process what they are seeing/hearing.
Try not to let children watch too much television or spend too long online. Guide them towards age appropriate media (e.g. BBC's 'Newsround').
Reassure children that tragic events are in the news because they are very rare and don’t happen often.
Reassure children that although people may be talking about an event all the time, it is very unlikely that such an event will affect them.
Encourage children to talk to a trusted adult if they hear or see something that upsets or worries them on the news or online.
What if children don’t talk or ask questions? If children don’t talk about tragic events it could be because:
They are too young to understand what has happened. For children five and older, they might still be emotionally immature and don’t really understand what is going on They are managing their anxiety through denial, a very common reaction.
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In these situations, children might be going through a delayed reaction and may well talk about it more as the weeks and months go by.
Top tips for helping children cope after a tragic event Reassure children that such events are extremely rare. 'what's happened is awful, thankfully things like this are very rare' Reassure children about their personal safety. Help them understand that there thousands of people around the country who are trying to make sure that they are safe. Keep to a child's regular routines (both at school and at home) as much as possible. Reassure children that it is ok to carry on doing usual activities. Help children find ways to express themselves. Some children may not be able to talk about their thoughts, feelings, or fears. They may be more comfortable drawing pictures, playing with toys, or writing stories or poems directly or indirectly related to current events If possible avoid trips away from your children or new and unfamiliar teachers in school. Don't let children watch too much television or other media. Hearing about the events and seeing tragic images over and over again will raise anxiety. Talk to children about how there is much more good than bad in the world and that after tragic events you see so many examples of this. Share examples (people giving blood, Sikh community putting up drinks stall at vigil in Manchester). Celebrate shared sense of community and values. Talk about and celebrate your communities. Make an effort to talk to your child more than usual. It doesn’t have to be about recent events. Talking about anything makes children feel connected to you and this in turn brings a sense of security. Encourage children to take part in helping activities.
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All children benefit from learning to understand and manage their feelings and emotions. Developing the skills and resilience to do develop our children's emotional well-being is a key part of what schools do. Developing good emotional wellbeing helps us all cope with stress.
Top 10 emotional skills that help children cope with stress 1. How to recognise your feelings 2. How to communicate your feelings 3. How to make yourself happy when you are upset 4. How to make yourself feel safe and secure 5. How to calm yourself down when you are anxious or angry 6. How to understand and react appropriately to the feelings of others 7. How to make helping others a part of your daily life 8. How to have a positive attitude, even when bad things happen 9. How to ask for help when you need it 10. How to make good and responsible friends
Examples of activities to promote these skills are available from the Portsmouth Educational Psychology Team and the ELSA project delivered and supported by them.
When might more specialist help be needed? Most children will cope with tragic events. However if children continue to show a range of anxious behaviour more specialist support may be needed from your GP or local CAHMS services. Although reactions will vary from individual to individual, signs to look for include:
Recurring nightmares Recurring thoughts Bed wetting Extreme withdrawal, sadness and a reluctance to do normal activities Excessive worry, becoming clingy and anxious A sudden change in eating or sleep habits Stomach aces, headaches or other physical complaints
Life is stressful and at any one time a child could be experiencing a number of stressful events in their lives (e.g. divorce, bereavement, moving house, parental illness etc.). Remember stress is cumulative, the more stress in a child's life the more likely they are to become anxious. Keep a particular eye out for children who are already experiencing a degree of stress in their lives.
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Sources of further information and support Portsmouth Educational Psychology Team tel: 023 9268 8781 email: caitriona.scully@portsmouthcc.gov.uk School ELSA NSPCC at https://www.nspcc.org.uk GP CAHMS
Acknowledgements Information for this leaflet has been taken from work by:
Shapiro, L.E. (2001) 'Will they fly a plane into our house?' How to talk to children about terrorism. Play2Grow., LLC. Malcom Taylor (Principal Educational Psychologist) Thurrock Council
CAITRIONA SCULLY BA (Hons), PGCE, MSc, HCPC registered Senior Educational Psychologist May 23rd 2017
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Hampshire Teenage Project – Project Leader Salary range: £8.99 per hour (25 years & under) £9.28 per hour (25 years & over) Hours to be worked flexibly as required, on average 12 hours per week admin and 4-5 hours at an activity (occasionally some activities may be longer). The Hampshire Teenage Project was established in April 2014 after the success of its sister project in Portsmouth. It currently caters for young people aged 13 – 21 years of age (though this will change to 16 – 25 years of age following appointment) with a range of disabilities who live in South East Hampshire. It provides a varied programme of leisure, volunteering and work experience activities that help build confidence, improve self esteem, social skills and prepare young people for adulthood. All activities take place in group settings with the help and support of trained staff & volunteers. The purpose of this project is to encourage positive interaction with peers in group settings & supporting young people into independence. We require a Team Leader to develop, plan, organise and lead a varied programme of activities for our service users. Duties will include taking subs and recording attendance, running the activity, and coordinating a small team of staff & volunteers. It will also involve home visits and risk assessments. This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and creatively-minded person to help to continue developing this service. Good planning, organisational and communication skills are essential and a full driving licence together with use of a car would be advantageous. Enable Ability will meet all out-of-pocket expenses (including mileage as appropriate) and provide regular supervision, a supportive working environment and opportunities for career development. This position is subject to a DBS check at the enhanced level and satisfactory references. Applications forms and further details are available from Mary or Richard at Enable Ability, 311-313 Copnor Road, Portsmouth, PO3 5EG. Tel: 02392 671846 (answer phone available out-of-hours) Mobile: 07944 461270 Email: hampshiretp@gmail.com Closing date for applications: Noon on Tuesday 6th June 2017 Proposed interview date: Wednesday 15th June 2017 Enable Ability is an Equal Opportunities Employer with ‘Investor in People accreditation. Charity number 276422
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Your Views and Consultations
Autism Assessment Feedback Survey Has your child received an autism assessment via the Child Development Centre or CAMHS? We need to hear your views about your experience of the process. The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/QGWD5SH
Your views on inclusion We would like to find out about your experience as parent carer of inclusion in mainstream school. What was good, not so good? Do you have ideas how we could improve inclusion when a child has special educational needs or disability? Please complete the short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/VBX9SSK
Your experience of the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process We would like to hear about your journey through the new assessment process, whether you have transferred from Statement to the new EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) or if you have requested an assessment for an EHC Plan. We want to see what is working for parents and what needs more work, so we can take this back to the Local Authority. We will then work with the Local Authority to share any good practices across all the schools in Portsmouth and look at ways we can improve anything that is not working. To choose a new assessment survey or the transfer survey, please go to our website: http://www.portsmouthparentvoice.org/get-involved/
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NEWS IN BRIEF
Sensory Science Night at the Science Museum, London The Science Museum invites you to a SENsory Science Night on Saturday 5-Sunday 6 August. Have you ever wondered if museum objects truly come alive once the lights go out? They challenge you to join them for an after dark exciting exploration of the Museum! They hope to give you the opportunity to experience all that Science Night has to offer, including camping in one of the galleries. The museum will be yours to enjoy! This event is aimed at campers aged 7-14, with special education needs, and their families. Campers need to be accompanied by at least one adult over the age of 18. To ensure that you and your family have a great evening, the number of campers in attendance will be restricted to around 200. The event will start at 7.30pm on Saturday and finish at 10am on Sunday. They hope you will stay for the whole evening and through the night, to join them for a delicious continental breakfast. However, the understand the planning involved in organising and preparing for an overnight stay, so you are welcome to stay for as little or as long as you like. The reduced cost is £25 per camper and booking will open on Monday 7 June. To book, contact the Learning Support Team on 02079 424777. You will need to pay at the time of booking so please have your debit or credit card to hand. Booking are accepted on a firstcome, first-served basis and they are unable to take provisional bookings. For more information, call 02079 424749 or email science.night@sciencemuseum.ac.uk. Watch the film to see what a typical night looks like, please go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnJL073V2JY . A visual story, facilities information and accessible map is available on request. They look forward to seeing you and welcoming you on the night.
My Dental Passport This document has been designed to help those with learning disabilities or special needs when going to the dentist. It gives dental staff important information about you before they do any interventions with you. It covers: Things you must know about me • Things that are important to me • My likes and dislikes. To download the passport, please go to: http://www.accessibleinfo.co.uk/pdfs/MyDentalPassport.pdf
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Problem-solving Toolkit Cerebra has produced a toolkit which aims to support disabled people and carers, as well as their families and advisers, who are encountering difficulties with the statutory agencies in relation to the provision of health, social care and education support services. The toolkit aims to unpick these problems and to develop effective strategies for resolving them. To download the toolkit and give your feedback on the resource, please go to http://w3.cerebra.org.uk/help-and-information/guides-for-parents/problem-solving-toolkit/ If you do not have access to the internet, call 01267 244200.
Care Act Guide Disability Rights UK produce high quality information, products and services developed by and for disabled people. They have produced a comprehensive guide to the Care Act. This guide is free to download: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/sites/default/files/pdf/CareActGuide24january2017.pdf?pla tform=hootsuite Alternatively call 020 7250 8181 or email enquiries@disabilityrightsuk.org
FarmBuddies A Social Enterprise based near Petersfield, arrange for accompanied individuals and groups to visit farms one day a week to do a variety of regular farm jobs, including animal work, according to age choice and ability. The concept, known as Social or Care Farming, is a new expanding opportunity now available across the South East region. Most sectors are catered for from Young People starting at 12 years old up to Older People over 70 with the onset of dementia. The outcomes from regular visits, usually over 12 weeks, are outstanding; they include improved confidence, self-esteem, work skills and knowledge as well as health benefits. A typical day starts at 10am until 3pm with breaks for lunch and light refreshments. The cost varies depending on the farm but is usually £60 per day. For more information, email Stephen@farmbuddies.org.uk or call 01420 538793 or 07596 077261. Website: http://www.farmbuddies.org.uk/
Book your tickets to Autism Show London This year’s Autism Show will take place in London on 16-17 June. Come to this year's show to: -
hear the UK’s leading autism professionals and researchers learn practical strategies and approaches discover hundreds of specialist products and services listen to the experiences of adults on the autism spectrum 20
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access specialist clinicians, therapists and legal advisers seek out the EHCP Help Centre join the LEGOÂŽ Therapy Workshops pop in to the Autism Uncut Cinema.
Book your ticket today and save 20% off the door price: http://www.speeddata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=AuL67Consumer Members of The National Autistic Society receive a further ticket discount by quoting the code NAS17 when booking.
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You can keep in touch with us using the following
Website: www.portsmouthparentvoice.org
Facebook: Like our page Portsmouth Parent Voice Twitter: You can follow us at @PparentVoice
Email ppvcoordinator@p-d-f.org.uk
Phone: 07825 185 608
Instagram: ppvcoordinator
Pinterest: Portsmouth Parent Voice
Write: Portsmouth Parent Voice The Frank Sorrell Centre, Prince Albert Road, Southsea, PO4 9HR
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