WPCC March 2022 Information Event

The Wiltshire Parent Carer Council

March Information Event

The Civic Centre, Trowbridge Friday 25th March 2022 ONLINE ATTENDEE PRE-EVENT INFORMATION PACK

CONTENTS

Overview of Event

Page 1

Why this Event is in Trowbridge

Page 2

Why this Event is not in the Evening

Page 3

If Your Plans or Availability Change

Page 4

Anticipated Agenda

Page 5

Information about Stands

Page 6 to 9

COVID Measures

Page 10

How to Book

Page 11

OVERVIEW OF MARCH INFORMATION EVENT Following the success of our last event in December 2021, we are delighted to be running our next information event on Friday 25th March 2022.

What to expect at this event…

We are expecting about 30 services and providers to attend and promote information about the services and support they offer. This will be in our popular Market Place, where you will be able to walk amongst the information stands, talk to providers and find out more about what may be on offer to support your child or young person.

Workshop We are running a workshop on helping your child to manage anxiety.

This follows an extremely popular and successful session we previously ran at one of our Virtual Coffee mornings. The session was facilitated by colleagues from Oxford Health and we are delighted to welcome them to our event where they will again share helpful tips and strategies to support you in helping your child or young person manage anxieties that affect things like sleep, attending school, panic attacks and separation anxiety. The workshop session will last an hour and will be repeated to enable as many people to participate as possible. Time will be built in the sessions for question and answers. Spaces will be limited and booked on a first come, first served basis.

Refreshments Our refreshment area will be open throughout the event, so that all attendees can take a rare opportunity to sit with a free cup of tea or coffee and cake while chatting with other parent carers, helping you to realise that you are not alone and enabling you to meet other people who understand what it is like to be a parent carer.

We are not providing lunch at this event. This venue costs significantly more than the Corn Exchange in Devizes. The majority of people who attended our event in December said they preferred this venue to the Corn Exchange. To be able to run this event at this venue within budget, we are unable to include a free buffet lunch and have shortened the event to finish at 1pm. We would be interested in people’s evaluation feedback about this change of format.

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WHY IS THE EVENT AT THE CIVIC CENTRE IN TROWBRIDGE? We are sometimes asked by parent carers why we hold our big information events in just one location. In the past, this has typically been Devizes.

We recognise that holding our large information events in one location may mean some parent carers having to travel to attend and we apologise for any inconvenience. We take the decision to hold large information events in one location for a number of reasons:• • •

•

it costs on average at least £2,500 to host one of these events and we simply don't have the financial resources to repeat these events across the county these events require the commitment from a large number of professionals and we would be unable to secure their time for several events we sometimes have to pay for external keynote speakers and facilitators who typically charge in the region of £350 to £450 per day; repeating these events would significantly increase these costs We try to find a venue that is as central in the county as possible. Devizes has a venue called The Corn Exchange. The Corn Exchange is a venue that is large enough for these types of events, and being in Devizes, it is the most central, suitable venue we have been able to find

We were unable to book the Corn Exchange for our December event because it was being used as a vaccination centre to deliver the COVID vaccination programme. After much searching for possible alternatives, we managed to secure the Civic Centre in Trowbridge.

We realise this isn’t as central as The Corn Exchange but it was the best alternative we could find, as many venues have either stopped trading or are not taking bookings.

The majority of people who attended our December event said they preferred the Civic Centre over the Corn Exchange and said that parking was better, the venue was brighter and more modern, and the layout of the venue meant it felt more accessible. The Civic Centre is a 10 minute walk from Trowbridge train station which has regular trains from towns including, Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury and Chippenham. There is a large multistory car park adjacent to The Civic Centre offering some free parking places. There is also a large long-stay pay and display car park which is two minutes from the venue.

We thank you for your understanding, and as always, we will pay parent carers' travel, car parking and childcare expenses.

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WHY IS THE EVENT NOT IN THE EVENING OR AT THE WEEKEND? One or two parent carers have asked why WPCC information events take place during the day and do not take place or are repeated in the evening or at the weekend; the WPCC Steering Group has considered and discussed this, and it has also been discussed with WPCC staff.

The WPCC Steering Group has made the decision not to hold or repeat its information events in the evening or at weekends. This is to respect the demands on WPCC staff and volunteers, most of whom are parent carers and would not be able to commit additional time due to their caring responsibilities. Additionally, it is unlikely that many professional colleagues would be able to commit additional time on top of their normal working day, and many are also carers. Venues often cost more in the evening and at weekends and this would have a significant impact on what the WPCC could offer. Repeating events of this scale would not be financially feasible for the WPCC. We are sorry if this is inconvenient to some parent carers. We would encourage parent carers who wish to attend our information events to speak to their employer as many are open to considering the needs of carers. Carers’ UK explains on its website that people have the right to request flexible working if you are an employee with 26 weeks (six months) continuous employment at the time you make an application.

Your employer might also be agreeable to you attending one of the WPCC information events for just an hour.

Some parent carers attend our events in a professional capacity in representation of their work place. This creates an opportunity of benefiting the place where the parent carer works as they not only represent their place of work by attending and networking with others, but also take information back to their work place to share with colleagues.

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IF YOUR PLANS OR AVAILABILITY CHANGE

We had a significant number of people book to attend our December event who didn’t attend on the day. Some attendees kindly let us know they were going to be unable to make it and we are very grateful to them.

Having catered for a number of people who didn’t make it on the day and didn’t let us know they would be unable to attend, we had a lot of food left over which is both wasteful and expensive.

We appreciate that sometimes things happen that make it impossible to let us know, but we politely ask that if you have booked and you know you are not going to be able to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can amend our catering numbers.

Thank you

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MARCH INFORMATION EVENT Anticipated Event Agenda Arrival & Registration (Refreshments will be available in the Usher Suite)

Welcome/Housekeeping Stuart Hall, WPCC

Main Entrance

9.30am - 10.00am

Usher Suite

10.00am - 10.20am

Refreshments Area (Relax with tea/coffee & cakes)

Usher Suite

Explore Marketplace

Lansdown Hall

Anxiety Workshop (Pre-booking only)

Close

10.20am - 13.00pm

10.20am - 13.00pm

10.30am - 11.30am Council Chamber

OR 11.45am - 12.45pm

Please note, this may be subject to change due to the ongoing COVID situation.

Exit 5

13.00pm

MARKET PLACE STANDS INFORMATION OVERVIEW Organisation

Contact

Information Contact is a national organisation for families with disabled children. They are here to support families, providing the best possible guidance and support. They influence policy and work to tackle the inequalities families face. They are the national delivery partner supporting parent carer forums in England.

Wiltshire Council - Fostering

Looking for couples, families and individuals who can make space in their home and heart to help a child through a difficult time. Foster carers come from diverse backgrounds. They welcome applications from anyone regardless of nationality, religion, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. They pay a generous and competitive allowance to foster carers.

Carer Support Wiltshire

They help carers to access services, information, education and training, respite, and breaks from their caring role. They ensure they have a voice that is heard and work with health and social care professionals and employers to raise carer awareness and develop best practice.

Wiltshire Wildlife

On their two Care Farms, they offer child-centred naturebased alternative provision for children, young people and adults with additional needs. Their students may be on the autistic spectrum, be diagnosed with ADHD, have experienced trauma, be experiencing mental ill health, social communication difficulties and sensory processing difficulties, or be in need of emotional support. They are suitable for ages five and upwards (depending on need) and all their students have a dedicated one-to-one support worker as part of our provision.

Wiltshire Cricket

Super 1s Disability Sessions and SEND Cricket Sessions.

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MARKET PLACE STANDS INFORMATION OVERVIEW Organisation

Wiltshire Centre For Independent Living (CIL) 0-25 SEND Service

Wiltshire Portage

Wiltshire Council Transport Fairfield Farm College

Information

Supporting disabled people living in Wiltshire to have choice and control to live independent lives.

Co-ordinate the Statutory Assessment process.

Wiltshire Portage provides a specialist home educational service for children (birth to school entry) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They provide step by step individualised educational play programmes to support developmental progress. Portage also supports children and families’ participation and inclusion in their community.

School and college transport.

Post 16 Specialist College with day and residential options.

Nisai Learning

Nisai is a Section 41 approved provider. Their long-term curriculum covers KS3 through to KS5 and enables students to study a variety of subjects as well as supporting them with reintegration or preparing them for their chosen pathway - whether this is college, university, apprenticeships or employment. Students can access their online lessons anywhere with an internet connection, so there is no requirement for a student to be on-site or at a particular location. They do work with schools to offer students a bespoke blended approach to learning.

Wiltshire College & University

Further Education, learning support, Foundation Studies.

Employment & Community Skills (WEST and Community Connecting)

Supports the pathway to employment, including travel training, community inclusion, internships and paid employment

Marlborough Dyslexia Association

Information about the two voluntary organistions which support Dyslexia in Wiltshire.

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MARKET PLACE STANDS INFORMATION OVERVIEW Organisation

Healthwatch Wiltshire

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity

Family & Community Learning Team Splitz

Wiltshire Parent Carer Council Wiltshire Autism Diagnostic Service (WADS)

Information

Healthwatch Wiltshire is your local health and social care champion. They have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to local feedback and improve standards of care. They can also help you to find reliable and trustworthy They provide emotional and practical support for families who have a child with a serious illness. They offer the whole family support for as long as they need them and support is planned to meet individual needs of each family.

Employment and Skills + Family and Community Learning.

Specialized support service in the south west providing support for people/families who have experienced Domestic or Sexual abuse.

Signposting and support for parent carers of young people aged 0 - 25.

NHS Wiltshire adult diagnostic service age 18 onwards.

South Wiltshire NAS

Support and information for young people with autism and their families.

HCRG

HCRG Care Group (Formerly Virgin Care) Wiltshire Children's Community Services. Wiltshire Children's Community Services provide a range of universal and specialist children's services in Wiltshire including Health Visiting/School Nursing, Speech and Language Therapy, Community Paediatrics, Learning Disability Nursing Team, Wiltshire Autism Assessment Service, Bladder & Bowel Service, Children's Community Nursing, Children's Continuing Care Team and Integrated Therapies (Occupational

Wiltshire Autism Assessment Service (WAAS)

The Wiltshire Autism Assessment Service provides a diagnostic pathway for children and young people in Wiltshire.

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MARKET PLACE STANDS INFORMATION OVERVIEW Organisation Barnardo’s & Elizabeth House

Soundabout

Whole Life Commissioning Team

Rethink Mental Illness

Information

Short Breaks Clubs as well as other clubs for young people with SEND. The Soundabout Inclusive Choir for Wiltshire Youth is run in partnership with Wiltshire Music Connect, and welcomes people aged 18 years and under, and their families. The choir celebrates that everyone has their own way of sharing their voice. By welcoming all voices they aim to be as inclusive as possible, and actively try to remove barriers to participation from those with severe and profound learning disabilities.

The Whole Life team commissions support services for adults of working age who may present with mental health needs, learning disability (with or without dementia), autistic spectrum condition, physical or sensory needs, social, emotional and behavioural needs, speech, language and communication needs. They also support young adults (16-25) to enable a smooth transition in preparation for adulthood. Focusing on “whole life” enables them to plan support around each person, without creating artificial barriers between childhood, adolescence, adulthood and older age. It also helps them to see people’s whole lives – their strengths, talents and aspirations – rather than just their needs or disabilities.

Wiltshire Mental Health Inclusion Service.

TOFP & Triple P Courses

Triple P parenting course & Time Out For Parents parenting courses are available to support families across Wiltshire.

Family Counselling Trust

Charity providing affordable, short-term counselling to children, young people and their families in Wiltshire.

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Although the Government has removed all domestic COVID restrictions, we continue to do all we can to responsibly organise this event to reduce risk where we can.

We ask that everyone attending is mindful that attendees and standholders may care for, work with, and/or live with vulnerable people, and be respectful of the measures the WPCC, Civic Centre and individual attendees have put in place to keep people safe while attending this event.

We expect attendees to act responsibly and adhere to the following guidance while attending the event: -

General Guidance • We recommend attendees regularly use hand sanitiser where available •

We respect individuals’ preferences for wearing face masks while entering/exploring the event

•

Capacity in the Workshop will be limited

•

We ask people to be mindful of social distancing at all times, including in the Market Place and Refreshment Area

•

Individuals who aren't from the same household may choose not to share elevators

•

We will operate a one-way system in the Market Place

•

The number of Information Stands will be reduced and will be separated by at least 2 metres

WE KINDLY ASK ATTENDEES NOT TO ATTEND IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU HAVE BEEN IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19

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We hope you have found this Pre-Event Information Pack helpful and informative.

To book your place to attend the event, simply click:

www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WPCC-March2022-Event-Booking.

We very much look forward to you joining us on Friday 25th March 2022 at The Civic Centre, Trowbridge.

Please remember to book early as places are limited.

If you find nearer the time that you are unable to attend, please let us know so that your place can be offered to someone else.

This also helps us not over-cater and thereby not waste food or spend more of our funding on this event than necessary.

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