Leeds SEND Local Offer Website
Leeds Local Offer (SEND) Ebulletin – February 2023 |
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Welcome to the February 2023 edition of the Leeds Local Offer ebulletin. The ebulletin is an opportunity for us to share with you SEND Leeds Local Offer website updates, training opportunities, good practice, resources and promote consultations that are taking place in the city by services under the Local Offer.
We encourage you to share the information within your teams and with children, young people and families you are working with. If you have any stories, service updates, groups or events that you would like us to feature in a future issue you can send them to me at LLO@leeds.gov.uk or give me a call on 07712 214392 if you have any questions.
Previous editions of the ebulletin can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/LLOEbulletin
Kayleigh Thurlow Local Offer and SEND Voice and Influence Coordinator
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Leeds Local Offer LiveTuesday 28th March 202310am till 2pm (drop in)Pudsey Civic Hall, LS28 5TA
Leeds Local Offer Live is a market place event that provides families with the opportunity to find out about services available to them in Leeds.
At this year’s event we will be holding an hours workshop for families “Supporting SEND in Leeds at every stage”
You can book onto the workshop when confirming your attendance at the event.
Book your place to attend the event at https://tinyurl.com/LLOLive23
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| Leeds Local Offer Updates and Developments |
| Regional Local Offer Video Officers from the Yorkshire and Humber region who are responsible for their Local Authorities Local Offer websites meet monthly to share challenges and best practice in continuing to develop their websites for families.
A Yorkshire and Humber ‘what is the local offer’ video has been produced by the workers to explain to families what the local offer: https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/model/page/youtube_video/34346
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| Localised Cluster Support Following feedback from families we have developed a ‘localised cluster support’ section on the Leeds Local Offer website: https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/search/list?query=ClusterSupport&exact=1
The core purpose of Clusters is to identify support for those families, children and young people most in need of help and, to ensure they are offered the right intervention at the right time, by the right people.
There are 22 clusters in the city, 21 locality based and 1 SILC Cluster. The Leeds Local Offer website includes information about each cluster and how families can access the services they provide.
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| New to SEND Following feedback from families we have developed a ‘new to SEND’ section on the Leeds Local Offer website: https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/search/list?query=New2SEND&exact=1
The section includes information about:
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| Join the Leeds Local Offer Facebook Group The Leeds Local Offer facebook page is a way of us communicating service updates, events and other key information direct with parents, carers and professionals.
The Leeds Local Offer facebook group can be found at https://www.facebook.com/groups/leedslocaloffer
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Useful service information and updates |
| Leeds Parent Carer Forum Leeds has a new Parent Carer Forum.
A Parent Carer Forum is a group of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and or disability. Their aim is to make sure the services in their area meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and their families. They do this by gathering the views of local families and then working in partnership with local authorities, health services, education and other providers to highlight where local services, processes and commissioners are working well, or indeed to where there is need for improvements to be made.
When Parent Carer Forums work alongside service providers this is called co-production. Co-production is an important principle in parent carer participation. Co-production happens when parent carer forums play an integral and equal part in the decision-making process and are fully engaged in shaping, developing, implementing and evaluating services and systems.
Contact are supporting the developments of the new Leeds Parent Carer Forum in Leeds.
For more information about the new Leeds Parent Carer Forum please contact leedspcf@gmail.com
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| SNAPS Super Stars Awards! These virtual awards are a chance for you to celebrate the people who make a difference to your lives and NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!! We invite you to nominate anyone in your life who you think deserves recognition – this could be a child, teacher, carer, co-worker or family member. You can make as many nominations as you like, for whatever reason you like. When you nominate someone, you get the chance to add a personal message which will be sent out to them (if you provide their email address), along with notification of their nomination.
We think everyone deserves the opportunity to feel SUPER and we can’t think of a better way to brighten someone’s day than for them to get an email of appreciation! The SNAPs Super Stars awards began in 2019, when they were created in order to celebrate the bravery, determination and positivity of the children, and their families, who access SNAPS’ services. Lucy Owen, Chief Executive Officer at SNAPS, said: “We think everyone deserves the opportunity to feel super and we are holding these awards to recognise the difference people can make to our lives and to brighten people’s days in what has been a turbulent time for many.”
Lucy goes on to explain: “Often our families are told about all the things that their child won’t be able to do. At SNAPS we celebrate all the things that they CAN do. We frequently find that with our support, children can achieve life changing milestones that other health professionals told them wouldn’t be possible such as walking unaided. The SNAPS Super Stars Awards recognise and celebrate every child’s achievements, and we wanted to open this up to everyone. Afterall, there are so many super people out there helping to make life special.”
Click here to make your nomination: https://visufund.com/snaps-superstars
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| Short Breaks and Fun Activities Short breaks are activities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) that enable them to have fun, spend time with friends and build their confidence and skills in a safe environment. Activities can last from one hour up to full weekend (residential) opportunities.
Most of our Commissioned Services are at capacity however there is availability at our after-school provisions at West Leeds Activity Centre and South Leeds Hub which offer young people a wide range of exciting activities.
For more information see the Short Breaks Catalogue: https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/model/page/service/33605
Mencap will be running their Half Term Playscheme in February for 11 – 18-year-olds and Endorphins will be holding sessions on Saturday 11th and 18th February at the South Leeds Hub.
Future residentials are available at Herd Farm (3rd to 5th March) and Lineham Farm (24th to 26th March).
To access Targeted Short Breaks please complete an Expression of Interest Form on-line at https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/support-for-pupils-with-send/short-breaks-for-disabled-children
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| Children and young people information and consultations (Please share these with young people you work with) |
| Leeds SENDIASS Young people videos are now available on the Leeds SENDIASS YouTube Channel Young People SEND information videos can be viewed on our playlists on Leeds SENDIASS YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/@leedssendiass4614/playlists
Leeds SENDIASS Young People information videos are for young people 16 and over and provide information about Special Educational Needs and/ or Disabilities (SEND) processes, designed in consultation with young people in Leeds with SEND. Videos provide step by step information about Leeds SENDIASS, include the Leeds SENDIASS service offer animation, information about the Leeds Local Offer and information about SEND processes including Education Health and Care Needs Assessments, Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and EHCP reviews. New videos are being added to the offer over time.
Please contact sendiassproject@leeds.gov.uk if you have any questions.
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| SEND Youth Activities Survey 2022 Our Community Committees need your help to find out what activities they should provide in the area you live.
Please complete their survey to help them understand what activities young people like to do.
It should only take you a few minutes to answer all of the questions and remember to click Finish to submit your response to us. The last day that you can respond is 31 March 2023.
If you need to speak to someone about this survey then please email CommunityCommitteeFunding@leeds.gov.uk or telephone 0113 378 5808
Click here to complete the survey: https://surveys.leeds.gov.uk/s/AEF68V/
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| Help shape Leeds Mind’s mental health support https://www.leedsmind.org.uk/services/youth-in-mind/
Leeds Mind has recently opened Youth in Mind, new 1-to-1 and group mental health support designed by and for young people who have had very difficult, frightening or distressing experiences.
We’re looking for more young people with personal experience to join our steering group. This is a great chance to help shape the support young people get, meet others with similar experiences, and add to your CV – and there are gift payments for each meeting.
Interested?
Please contact Yoshiko by email youngpeople@leedsmind.org.uk or WhatsApp or call 0113 305 5800.
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| Improving Children and Young People's Mental Health Inpatient settings
The NHS wants mental health inpatient units for children and young people to improve and become the best they can possibly be. They want to make sure their inpatient service offer safe, high quality carer which is useful, and given at the right time.
They want to hear from children and young people who have lived experiences of services such as CAMHS. They are asking about issues related to being an inpatient so they can learn from first-hand experiences.
Complete the online survey here: https://www.commonroom.uk.com/nhseinfo and be entered into a prize draw for £50 worth of vouchers!
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Parent and carer information and consultations (Please share these with families you work with) |
| Applying for Home to school travel assistance for children starting Reception or Year 7 in September 2023 If your child is in receipt of an EHCP (Education Health and Care Plan) and in September 2023 your child is;
You may want to consider applying for travel assistance from Leeds City Council.
If you think that your child may be eligible for transport assistance and you would like to apply, please refer to our webpage where you will find the Children’s Transport Policy and details of the support available (www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-transport). You will also find information on our website regarding our award-winning Independent Travel Training Scheme.
If, after reading the policy, you feel that your child may be eligible, you can apply for travel support by completing a home to school travel application form. Please send an email to send.transportapplications@leeds.gov.uk to request a form. All applications for travel support are assessed in line with the Children’s Transport policy. Please note that having an EHCP does not mean that your child will be eligible for support.
Please ensure you submit your application no later than Friday 17th March 2023. If your child’s plan is late, we will work with SENSAP to process your form as soon as possible.
After 17th March we assess travel support for young people entering or staying in post-16 education. Therefore, if your application is received after 17th March, it may not be assessed until summer 2023. Late applications can result in travel assistance for eligible applicants not being in place until several weeks after schools reopen in September. You would be responsible for temporarily organising and funding your child’s school travel arrangements until their eligibility for travel support can be assessed.
Almost 2000 children and young people access our travel support, and we assess hundreds of application forms. We thank you for working with us to ensure that your application is processed efficiently before the start of September.
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| Time to Talk Next Steps If you are a parent/carer of a 16–25-year-old with additional support needs in England this free support for your child and yourself will be useful in the journey for your child towards adulthood.
Time to Talk Next Steps (https://www.ndti.org.uk/projects/time-to-talk-next-steps) is delivered by NDTi in partnership with Contact. It is designed to reach young people with additional support needs who may have limited or no plans for the future and are experiencing anxiety and, isolation. Young people don’t need to have a diagnosis or Education Health and Care Plan (ECHP). They may still be at school or college or have been out of education for some time.
A team of experienced staff with good knowledge of education, employment, social care and health systems, provide tailored support virtually. All support is virtual (on the phone, teams, zoom – whatever suits you) and is tailored to the individual and their family.
To make a request for support please go to NDTi’s webpage : https://www.ndti.org.uk/projects/time-to-talk-next-steps
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| Communication Matters Communication Matters charity has three exciting events lined up on Friday 24th March 2023 at the University of Leeds.
AAC Awards This will be a special evening celebrating all the wonderful people in our Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) community.
For AAC users, their families and friends, teachers, teaching assistants, therapists, clinical scientists, suppliers of AAC products and anyone supporting the world of AAC, there will be ten award categories.
Find out more, have a look at the award categories, and buy your tickets for the night, on our awards website here - https://bit.ly/aacawards2023
AAC Exhibition Day This open exhibition is an opportunity to meet in person suppliers of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) products and related services.
The world of AAC is constantly changing - new software and technology, new strategies, and new evidence about use of AAC. The day is open to AAC users, parents, carers, and professionals, and will be an opportunity to get hands on with the latest communication aids, discover the latest product developments and get up-to-date information on the range of AAC products available in the UK. All direct from many of the UK’s leading suppliers of communication aids, equipment, software, and symbol systems!
Find out who is exhibiting and more at - https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/news/aac-exhibition-day-2023-savethedate/
Mentoring Project Drop-in Session This is an open session to find out more about the Communication Matters Mentoring Project.
Are you an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) user, parent, carer, or professional working with AAC clients? Are you interested in finding out more about the Communication Matters Mentoring Project and would like to have a look at our free learning and development resources and opportunities for AAC users? If yes, then please pop in!
This is a great chance to have a chat, see the resources and have a go. We have funding available for more workshops, qualifications, and courses in 2023, all free for AAC users. We would also love to hear more about your ideas and what you would like to do.
Find out more at - https://www.communicationmatters.org.uk/news/mentoring-dropin-session-2023-save-the-date/
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| ND Parent Focus Group Do you think your child may be autistic or have ADHD? Maybe you have already been through the autism or ADHD assessment process with them? Would you like to help us develop good information on neurodivergence for Leeds parents?
If so, we need your help!
We are running 2 parent focus groups on 28th February (online) at 1pm till 2.30pm and 4.30pm till 6pm.
The groups will be friendly and informal, and you will receive a £20 gift for taking part.
Want to find out more? email liz.neill@commonroom.uk.com text / what's app Liz at 07496 494679
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| SENDIASS Parent Carer Information Videos SENDIASS information videos are short or medium length, narrated videos aiming to give parents and carers information and advice about key (Special Educational Needs and Disability) SEND processes. They may also be useful for professionals who are working with families who are considering or are going through these processes.
You can view all SENDIASS information videos on the Leeds SENDIASS YouTube channel by following this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHzY7c0_VtCPjf_Spem9vfQ?view_as=subscriber
Information videos aim to support parents and carers to understand SEND processes in a step-by-step format and include targeted videos which can be viewed whilst filling out forms.
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| Professionals - consultations / opportunities / training |
| Consulting with the SEND Youth Forum The SEND Youth Forum are a network of young people 11 to 25 year olds with SEND. The group receive monthly opportunities, these includes focus groups, consultation surveys and attending a monthly SEND Youth Forum online session.
Do you want young people to influence your service developments? If you would like to consult with the SEND Youth Forum at one of their monthly online sessions please email kayleigh.thurlow@leeds.gov.uk for more information.
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| West Yorkshire and Health and Care Partnership - Neurodiversity Senior Responsible Officers (SRO) from the VCSE / Third Sector The West Yorkshire and Health and Care Partnership have 2 SRO (senior responsible officers) vacancies for non-nhs (health) leaders across our partnership who are passionate about autism and ADHD to join our team. They particularly welcome expressions of interest from Voluntary/Third sector to bring wider knowledge, experience and challenge to our work.
There is a growing network of neurodiversity champions and allies across our partnership and oversight by an active steering group. However, there is much more to do to address inequalities for neurodivergent people and meet our ambitions. We are looking for more Senior Responsible Officers, and particularly welcome expressions of interest from Local Authority, Public Health, Education, Voluntary/Third sector to bring wider knowledge, experience and challenge to our work.
You would join our exiting SRO’s and project team to make up the core leadership team.
NB there is no pay enhancement associated with this role.
Specific role of SRO
To find out more about then programme, please contact Shelley Russell, Neurodiversity Lead - shelley.russell1@nhs.net.
For an informal chat about the role – please contact any of the current SRO’s - alisonkenyon@nhs.net or rhona.radley@nhs.net .
Kim Shutler is an SRO for another programme and has recorded a little video (https://www.wypartnership.co.uk/application/files/1016/7448/6484/VIDEO_SRO_Kim_Shutler.mp4) to share why it is important for the VCSE/Third sector to be involved in partnership working. Kim is happy to chat about her role and experiences kim.shutler@thecellartrust.or
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| Early Help Open Mics Early Help Open Mics are back for 2023 and available to book onto.
Now delivered over Microsoft Teams, Early Help Open Mic Forums are multi-agency practice development opportunities available to everyone within, or connected to, Leeds Children’s Service. Consisting of 15 people from different services and agencies, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about Early Help. In particular, forums give group members the chance to increase their skills and confidence in Early Help within their practice.
Book your place by emailing families.first@leeds.gov.uk
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| Kooth: Free, NHS commissioned, online mental health support for young people For Professionals supporting young people, Kooth are running free webinars about how Kooth.com can support 10-18 year olds. Kooth offer free, NHS-commissioned, online mental health support, that any young person can sign up for anonymously.
Info session for Professionals to learn more about Kooth: Tuesday 7th February, 4-5pm
Book onto the session here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/childrens-mental-health-week-kooth-info-session-for-professionals-tickets-506458469917
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| Leeds SENDIASS Professionals Training Wednesday 22nd February, 12.30pm till 2pm
Leeds SENDIASS is offering a free online training information session to professionals in education, health and social care, including the voluntary sector.
The aim of the training is to increase professional’s knowledge of SEND law, guidance and local policy in key SEND areas including SEND support, SEND funding, Education Health and Care plan processes, SEND tribunals and Preparing for Adulthood.
We also hope to support a greater understanding of parent/carer's queries and professional's roles and duties in SEND processes.
The training session will also include a question-and-answer section.
Click the link to book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/leeds-sendiass-professionals-training-tickets-510529155447
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| How to make your recruitment processes more inclusive Luminate Education Group and Leeds Museums and Galleries are leading the way in making a difference to the lives of people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND). We will look into the current barriers learners with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) have when accessing employment and how the recruitment process can be adapted to make it more inclusive.
Leeds Museums and Galleries will share how they adapted their recruitment process to make it more inclusive and we will hear from current employees who have been through their new process.
Join Luminate Education Group and Leeds Museums and Galleries to find out the barriers students with SEND have when accessing employment and how you can adapt your recruitment process to make it more inclusive.
Wednesday 8th March 2023, 1.30pm till 3pm online.
Click the link to book your place: https://booking.etfoundation.co.uk/course/details/1583/How-to-make-your-recruitment-processes-more-inclusive?sh=2705338&ci_id=7422
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| Resources |
| Workers who support us - a resource for services developed by students with SEND in Leeds Students from specialist schools took over the SEND Partnership Board on the 29th November 2022. Students spoke about the different workers who support them in the lives and what qualities they feel are important for these workers to have.
This resource has been developed by students from Broomfield South SILC, West SILC, East SILC and the SEND Youth Forum to enable teams and services to understand what qualities are important to young people for workers to have.
Ways you can use the resource:
Click the link to download the resource: https://leedslocaloffer.org.uk/#!/model/page/service/34324
We would like to hear from you about how you have used our resource and if you have any feedback. Email: VIC@leeds.gov.uk
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| MindMate Ambassadors Would you like MindMate Ambassadors to come to your school or college to run a wellbeing stall?
What will students get out of it?
How will your school benefit?
To arrange a visit please contact liz.neill@commonroom.uk.com
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