SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

EMBRACE ALL TRANSITIONS

SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

TAMHS VS CAMHS

Pleasejoinourmailinglistbyvisi3ng:www.swindonsendfamiliesvoice.org.uk

tomakesureyouhaveyoursayoncurrentsurveys,consulta8onsandfocusgroups

andforinforma8on

facebook.com/swindonsendfamliesvoice

Emailusat:swindonsendfamiliesvoice@outlook.com

OURVOICESREALLYAREBETTERTOGETHER!Tel:07486873405

WearetheparentcarerforumforSwindonsuppor8ngtheparentsandcarersofchildrenandyoungpeoplewithSpecialEduca8onalNeedsandDisabili8esaged0-25years.

TheGreatSwindonSENDBakeOff!FamiliesacrossSwindonshowofftheirbakingskillsaspartoftheirHomeSchoolinglessons.

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Local SEND Champions!

Wehaven’tevenbeenabletomeetupface-to-facetoplanthings.Everythingbeingsouncertainisarealchallenge.”

We asked whatHannah enjoysthe most abouther work, shesaid;

“I lovemakingadifference tootherpeoples’ lives,seeing their reac8ons and their smiling faceswhentheyseeyouissuchagoodfeeling.”

“I am par8cularly proud of the latest videowe didshowingtheposi8vesofthelockdown,anditshowseven though this is a hard 8me it’s a really joyfulvideowithfamiliesbeingtogether.ItissettoThisIsMe from the Greatest Showman and it gives megoosebumpswatchingit.”

WhatdoesthefuturelooklikeforEmbraceAll?

“We’ve wriQen popular Fairy tales in the form ofsensory stories, which we hope to be introducing.Forexample,withGoldilockswewill be tas8ng theporridge, wading through the forest, hearing andfeeling thewindblowing, tryingout the3differentchairsthataretoohard,toosoUandjustright.Wewouldprepare2separatesessions,onefor18+andone for under 18s. Ensuring the storieswere reallyinterac8ve and tailoring the stories to the agegroups.When it’s safe todo so,wewill bringbackthedisco.Atthe lastoneeveryonewassohappy itwaslovely.

On our Facebook page we will con8nue to makeMakatonvideoswhicheveryonelovesmaking!”

For more informa8on about Embrace All, and tohearwhentheirdiscoisduetomakeacomebackpleasefollowthemonFacebookat

www.facebook.com/embraceld/

Welovetohearof localpeopledoingtheirbitforthe SEND community and this8mewe caughtupwithHannahfromEmbraceAll!

EmbraceAllstartedlifeinBristolwhere Hannah Morris and hercolleague Rachael Chun metwhile working in a home foradultswithLearningDisabili8es.“About 2 years ago we gottalkingabouthowwe felt therewasn’tenough todo forpeoplewith Learning Disabili8es. Wewanted to create a communityfor them, so we started drama

and music classes, which were really warmlyreceived.”RachaelwaslivinginSwindonsoHannahmoved here to, so they could progress theirCommunity Interest Company together. Theylaunchedtheirfirstdiscoforaged16+atColeviewCommunity Centre. Hannah told us, “It was somuch fun, we had a great turnout with peoplecomingfromallovertheplaceandeveryonehadagreat 8me. The plan is for the disco’s to be heldmonthly, but not long aUer our first one thelockdownhappened!”

Hannahexplained that theaimof thecompany isto provide more community and equality, alongwith fun things to do for people with LearningDisabili8es.EmbraceAll iscurrentlyspecificallyforthosewithLearningDisabili8esaged16+years,butthey want to branch off into mental health.Hannahexplains,“Ifwehadtheinterestwewouldliketohostac8vi8esandeventsforunder16’stoo,includingyoungerchildren.”

The Covid-19 outbreak has thrown so manychallenges at everyone, and for Embrace All theywere disappointed to have to stop all theirgatherings. “We were so excited about the nextdiscobuthadtocancelit,andwehavelotsofideasfor the future, but we couldn’t get started onthem.

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Information

Lotshaschangedandiscon8nuingtochangewithinSENDduring this8me.Tohelpensureyouarekeptup todate,regularlychecktheSwindonLocalOfferforchanges,usefulinforma8onandresources,andanswerstoyourFrequentlyAsked Ques8ons. www.localoffer.swindon.gov.uk/content/send-local-offer/landing-pages/coronavirus-updates-for-send-local-offer

NewandImportantEHCPGuidance

If you have a child or young person with an Educa8onHealth and Care Plan (EHCP), applying for one or in theprocessofbeingassessedforone,youwillbepar8cularlyinterestedtoreadthisSwindonBoroughCouncilguidanceon how provision will be met through the 'reasonableadjustments' change in the law, the assessment processandAnnualReviews:

www.swindon.mylifeportal.co.uk/media/34235/guidance-on-statutory-assessments-and-ehc-plans-during-covid-19-may-2020

We have passed on your concernsregardingtheSENDServiceTeam(SENAT)including:

‣ Emailsnotbeingrespondedto

‣ Telephonenumbersringingout

‣ When you have spoken to someone,you are some8mes not gekng callsback from EHCP Coordinators withanswerstoyourqueries

‣ Some have made mul8ple calls andhave not been gekng calls back fromEHCPCoordinators

As part of the new restructure there is aDeliverySupportTeamwhohavenowputin a number of procedures in place totrack phone calls and emails to ensureEHCP Coordinators are replying to bothphonecallsandemails.

Pleasemake sure you use the telephonenumbers and email addressesmen8onedwithinthisnewsleQer,asmessages/emailssent to individual people are not able tobe tracked. If you do not receive aresponse within 5 working days, pleaseemail senat@swindon.gov.uk and markfor theaQen8onofAndrewOrr (DeliveryandSystemsTeamLeader)whowillfollowitupforyou.

Weareverypleasedwiththisoutcomeasitshowsparentcarers feedbackhasbeenlistened to and there is now a dedicatedescala8on process for if emails/messagesdogoamiss.

SEND Service (SENAT) contact details Duetothecurrentsitua8on,theSENDServiceisworkingwith limited capacity. To speak to a member of staff,please call 07824 868353 or 07971 715864 or emailSENAT@swindon.gov.ukandtheywillansweryourquerywithin72hours. ThetelephonelinesareopenMondaytoThursday8-5,and8-4.30Friday.

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Top Tips for Transition Asschoolshavebeguntoopentheirdoorstomorepupils, many thoughts now turn to star3ng a newschool in September or returning to your exis3ngschool,andbothparentsandchildrenmaywellbefeeling awide spectrumof emo3ons, fromanxietyanduncertaintytoexcitementandop3mism.Forall,the return to school will present a major change,bringing both challenge and opportunity. Researchtells us that transi3ons can be a difficult 3me forchildren;whether that be a returning to a familiarsedngormovingontopasturesnew.

In our recent Covid-19 Impact survey manyresponders highlighted that transi8oning back toschool was a big concern to themwith one parentsayingthattheywereworriedthat,“thetransi8ontosecondarywill fail as the transi8on plan agreed hasnotbeenimplemented.”

With your feedback inmind,we contacted Sendiassand the Educa8onal Psychologist team to ask whattheir‘TopTips’aretohelpparentsandcarerssupporttheir children and young people in gekng back toschool whether it’s a new school or their currentschool.

Here are some ideas to support you and your childduringthesefirstfewweeksandmonthsintoa‘newnormal’ in their educa8onal sekng post lockdownwhich has been produced by Dr Amanda Hayllar,parent and Educa8onal Psychologist, from SwindonEduca8onal Psychology Service and furtheronTracyKnight(temporarySendiassManager)sharesher8psonstar8nganewschoolwithinthecurrentclimate:

Prepara3oniskey!

Uncertainty is stressful for everyone. Ensure youreceiveclearcommunica8onfromyourchild’ssekngso you know exactlywhat pupils are going back to.Carefully read the informa8on provided by schoolthenexplainittoyourchildusinglanguageandideasthey will understand (e.g. explaining ‘bubbles’ orgroupsasschool‘families’).

Support your child to understandwhatwill be thesame in school and what will be different.Emphasising what will remain the same for them(e.g. schoolbuildings, some rou8nes)may increasefeelingsofsafety.Preparethemfordifferences(e.g.changeofteacher)andofferplentyofopportuni8esforyourchildtoaskques8ons.

Reduceuncertaintybyhelpingyourchildtovisualisewhat their school daywill look like. Talk (or draw)through the day with them so they can imaginewhatitwillbelike.Planaheadfor8mesthatmaybedifficult for them and prac8ce rou8nes in advance(e.g. pukngon their uniform,prac8ce the journeyduringdailyexercise8me,dropoffsandpickups).

Empoweryourchild

Your childmay havefelt a lossof controlduring thisuncertain8 m e . Tohelp yourc h i l d t ofeelsafeandreadytoreturn,helpthemtofocusonthings they can control and avoid worrying aboutthings they cannot. For example, remind them ofwhat they have learned about how to keepthemselves safe (washing hands, coughing into asleeve,etc).Reassureyourchildthatschoolstaffarereadyandprepared,andworkinghardtokeepthemsafe.

Perhaps help your child to write a leQer/videomessage for their teacher so they can conveymessages they feel are important at this 8me. If awholeleQerfeelstoomuch,trydrawingapictureorasimpletalkingac8vitybyaskingthemtocompletethesentence‘Iwishmyteacherknewthat…’

If your child is feeling par3cularly anxious orworried, iden3fy and prac3se strategies they canuse to calm themselves down - Some helpfulac3vi3es can be found on the following website:www.elsa-support.co.uk/relaxa3oncalming-ac3vi3es-children

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Transition cont… Offerincreasedemo3onalsupport

It is important to acknowledge, validate andnormalise your child’s feelings by crea8ng the 8meandspaceforthemtoexpresshowtheyarefeeling.Provide reassurance by telling your child that allfeelings(goodandbad)arenaturalandnormalrightnow. Be curious in your approach and open upconversa8ons using open ques8ons. If your child isreluctant to discuss their feelings, don’t push butinstead make it clear that you are available if andwhen they need you (e.g. bed8me is oUen a 8mewhenworryingthoughtsemerge).

Use light-hearted approaches, such as art, visuals,games or play (e.g. role-play) to open upconversa3ons about feelings. This free rainbowmood tracker may be a good way to start aconversa3on about how your child is feeling:www.elsa-support.co.uk/rainbow-mood-tracker.Othertop3psforhowtotalktochildrenabouttheirfeelingscanbefoundat:www.cwmt.org.uk/talking-about-feelings

Yourchildmayneedtoprac8sebeingawayfromyouagain. Spend short amounts of 8me apart, andconsider resources to deal with separa8on anxiety,suchasdrawinga‘hugbuQon’(e.g.intheshapeofaheart) on yours and theirwrist, then tell them thatwhentheyaremissingyoutheycanpressthebuQonandknowthatyouwillbedoingthesameathome.Books such as ‘The Invisible String’may be helpful.Try crea8ng your own fun hello gree8ng (e.g. aspecial handshake) so they have something to lookforwardtowhenyoupickthemup.Formoreadviceontalkingtochildrenwhoarepar8cularlyanxiousorworr ied , see : www.annafreud.org /media/11459/7waysanxiety.

Forchildrenwhostruggletounderstandwhatschoolmay be like, consider wri8ng them a personalisedsocialstory.Socialstoriesareshortdescrip8onsofapar8cular situa8on, event or ac8vity, which includespecific informa8on aboutwhat to expect andwhy,andcanhelptoreduceanxiety.See8psforwri8ngasocial story at:www.au8sm.org.uk/about/strategies/social-stories-comic-strips.

Createandmaintainsocialconnec3ons

Socialnetworksofsupportarecrucialforbothadultandchildwellbeing.Considerusingtechnology(e.g.WhatsApp, FaceTime, Skype, and Zoom) for yourchild to connect with their classmates. Even veryyoungchildrencanmakeuseofthistechnologyandspend 8me with their peers. If they feel shy,introduceanac8vity thechildrencoulddovirtuallythat does not focus on talking (e.g. do somecolouringtogether,makeaLegomodel,ascavengerhunt).

Lookforwardwithhopeandop3mism

Protectyourchildfrommixedmessagesinthenewsandmedia around returning to school by focusingon hope and posi8vity. Remember that mostchildrenwilltaketheirleadfromyousoevenifyouarefeelinganxiousoruncertain,focusonthethingstheyarelookingforwardto(e.g.seeingtheirfriendsand familiar adults at school) and promote theopportuni8es that going back to school will bring.Read a posi8ve story about going back to school:www.elsa-support.co.uk/back-to-school-aUer-coronavirus-story and www.em-edsupport.org.uk/Page/7730.

Acknowledging and celebra8ng endings ispsychologically important forchildren.Returningtoschoolwillalsosignalanendtolockdownandhomeschooling. Start posi8ve reflec8ve conversa8onswith your child about this ending by asking ‘Whatdid we enjoy/learn during this special 8me athome?’ and ‘What new things didwe enjoy doingduringthis8methatwecancarryonwith?’

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Transition cont…

Your childwill nowenter anew rou8ne,whichmayinvolve going back to school full-8me or perhapspart-8me, combinedwith some home schooling. Aswith any new beginning, give your child space and8metogetusedtothisnewwayofdoingthings;theymaybeunseQledatfirst.Reassureyourselfandthemthat uncomfortable feelings around change arenormal.ChildrenareoUenfarmoreresilientthanweexpectandtheywillseQlein8me.Keepclearlinesofcommunica8onwiththeadult(s)whoislookingaUertheminschool(perhapsviaemail)sotheycankeepaspecialeyeonthemifneeded.

Bekindtoyourself!

Being the best parent you can be requires payingaQen8ontoyourownwellbeing.Rememberthatthishas been a difficult and stressful 8me for everyone.Bekindtoyourselfandspend8medoingthingsthatyoufindenjoyableandmakeyourelaxed.Beingkindto yourself may involve minimising 8me on socialmedia or news if you find yourself beingoverwhelmedbynega8veormixedmessages.Someideas to promote your ownwellbeing can be foundat; www.annafreud.org/media/11242/looking-aUer-each-other-ourselves-final.

Jodie Smiien is a local children’s well-beingprac33oner, specialising in au3sm. We haveworked with her a number of 8mes and she hasrecentlyqualifiedwithaPostGraduateCer8ficateinAu8sm. Jodie regularly runs webinars that costaround £7-10. Jodie has several webinars plannedoverthesummersocheckregularlyforupdatesonher Facebook page: www.facebook.com/BehaviourSupportWiltshire

‣ Exploretheschool’swebsiteofthenewschoolwithyourchild(especiallywhattheschooldaylookslike,uniformandtheprospectus).ItoUenraises ques8ons or issues that can bediscussed.OUenchildrenwill saywhat if?Youthen have an opportunity to work out asolu8on together. I would suggest that anywhatif’sandpossiblesolu8onsarerecordedsothey can be shared if needed or referred tolater.

‣ On the website look at the gallery or, if theyhaveit,avirtualtouroftheschool–thiscouldopen up discussions about what happens ineacharea/subject.

‣ Ifthenewschoolhasn’tbeenintouchsendanemailtotheSENCOviatheschoolofficeaskingthem for a virtual appointment in June todiscuss specific arrangements and follow thisupwithasecondappointment1-2weekslatertodiscusspreciselywhatisgoingtohappenonthefirstdayandinthefirstweekforyourchild.

‣ Do you have friends/contacts with childrenalreadyattheschool–cantheybeabuddyforthefirst fewweekse.g. check inwith thematlunch8me–ifsoarrangeacoupleofmee8ngs(virtually)beforehandifappropriate.

With opportuni8es for face to face workshops andtraining on hold for the 8me being, here are somecompanies thatareofferingwebinars thatmayhelp.Please contact them directly for more informa8onandprices:

The CurlyHair Project provideswebinars on Au8smrelated informa8on - Go to their website for datesand booking: www.thegirlwiththecurlyhair.co.uk/services/events

WEBINARS THAT YOU MIGHT FIND USEFUL

SENDIASS TOP TIPS FOR TRANSITIONS TO A NEW

SCHOOL/COLLEGE

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

The Great Swindon SEND Bake Off! Wedon’tknowaboutyou,butwehave foundthat lotsofusarebakingwithourchildrenalotmorethanusual!WhatbeQerwaytoteachMaths,Science and Design Technology than to get our kids cooking.We askedfamiliesinTheSENDRoom,ourFacebooksupportgroup,tosharepicturesof their children in ac8on and their wonderful crea8ons, The GreatSwindonSENDBakeOffifyouwill…andboydidtheysharetheirpictures!Ontherightarearesomeofourfavourites…

If this has inspired you to get into the kitchenwith your children, thenhowaboutgivingthisverysimplerecipeago,thatmanychildrenwillbeabletodowithminimalsupport.

Chocolate Pastry Twists Ingredients: Pack of Pre-made puff pastry,Chocolatespread,Oneegg,Greaseproofpaper

1.Heattheovento200degreesandlineabakingtraywithgreaseproofpaper.

2.Unrollapre-madepuffpastrypacketandusearounded end knife to cut the pastry in halflengthways(soyouhave2longrectangles).

3.Spread chocolate spread over one half of thepastryandplacetheotherhalfontop(soitlookslike you have one big chocolate spread pastrysandwich).

4.Use the rounded end knife to cut the pastrysandwich into strips (you should get about 10strips).

5.Twisteachstrip(youmayneedanextrapairofhandstodothisbit!).

6.Beat the egg in a bowl, and using a pastrybrush or your finger, glaze each twist with theegg.

7.Layeachoneontothebakingtraywitha liQlespacebetween eachone, as they puffupwhencooking.

8.Askagrownuptoputthemintotheovenandcook for 10-12minutes or un8l they are cookedthroughandaregoldenbrown.Askagrownuptoremovethemfromtheovenwhentheyaredone.

Oncetheyhavecooled..youcaneat-Delicious!

STEPHIE&HERCOOKIES

MAX&HISPIZZAPINWHEELS

FLORENCE&HERCHOCOLATEHEART

ELIJAH&HISBREAD&BUTTERPUDDING

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

SBC SEND News Splash! EveryFridaySwindonBoroughCouncilsendsoutaSEND News Splash! A weekly communica8on tokeep everyone in the loop about what ishappeninginSENDlocallyandna8onally.Althoughit is aimed at professionals it is oUen useful forparentsandcarerstoreadtoo.

Youcanreadthemany3mebylookingontheSwindonLocalOfferwebsitehere:www.swindon.mylifeportal.co.uk/content/send-local-offer/landing-pages/document-library-landing-and-content-pages/send-news.

CAMHS vs TAMHS If you have a child or young person with mentalhealthissues,doyouknowwhichserviceisrightforthem?

WehavedonesomeworkwithTAMHsandCAMHstounravel children and young people’s Mental Healthservices.

‣ Forbehaviouralorangerissues,parentsshouldbesignposted to the Early Help Hub and to otherorganisa8ons that provide advice for parents, i.e.SafeFamilies,FamilyLinksand theFamilyService.These are all listed on the Local Offer -www.localoffer.swindon.gov.uk

‣ Some schools can provide help with a child’smental health if they have Emo8onal LiteracySupport Assistants (ELSAs) and have the MentalHealth Trailblazer programme. Check with yourschoolSENCO.

‣ If interven8ons are not making a difference, areferral from a professional to the Single Point ofAccess(SPA)canbemadeforTAMHsorCAMHs.

‣ Ifyourchildisnotinschool,buthomeeducated,areferral froma relevantprofessional canbemadetotheSinglePointofAccess.

‣ The Single Point of Access uses a screening gridtool to signpost the referral to the appropriatechild’smentalhealthservice.

‣ TAMHsmaybeappropriate inthefirst instanceorif a child presents with more complex issues, forexampleOCDand/orextremeanxiety theywillbereferredtoCAMHs.

Abbrevia3ons: CYP – Children and Young People/Person, CBT – Cogni8ve Behavioural Therapy, SPA –Single Point of Access (via GP, TAMHS worker inschool/Senco/mental health nurse, privateprofessional,psychologist)

SeethetableonthenextpageforafullbreakdownandcomparisonofCAMHS&TAMHS.

Could you be a Winner? Swindon Community Loiery is a weekly onlineloierythatsupportslocalgoodcauses.

We would like to thank all those that havesupported us so far through the SwindonCommunity LoQery. For thosewho aren’t familiarwith the new loQery, the draw takes place everySaturday night at 8pm. Each 8cket costs £1 perweek and you chose six numbers per 8cket. Themorenumbersyoumatchinadrawthebiggertheprizeyouwin,up to£25,000. Ineverypound50pgoes towards your chosen Good Cause (pleasechooseus!)10pgoes towardsaCommunity Fundand the rest goes towards the prize money andrunningcosts.

Go to: www.swindonloiery.co.uk/support/swindon-send-families-voicetopurchase3ckets.

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

CAMHs TAMHsWhatdoestheacronymstandfor?

ChildandAdolescentMentalHealthService TargetedMentalHealthService

Whereisyourservice

based?

MarlboroughHouse,OkusRoad,Swindonandinthe

community,e.g.athome,Costa,inparks.

MainbaseOakTreeAnnex.

Addi8onal bases are The Meadow

(phone),RubenGeorgeandTheSaltway

Centre(post).Canhomeeducatedchildrenuseyourservice?

Yes, with a referral from the relevantprofessional.

Yes,withareferralfromtherelevantprofessional.

Howdoyoureferto

yourservice?

CYPwho aQendA&E are spoken to by theHospital

Liaison Service, then referreddirectly toCAMHs for

assessment.

GPscangain immediateaccess tothedutyClinician

foradvice.

Via the SPA. The referral must be

descrip8ve, relevant to the severity of

the problem and the impact needs

accuratelydefiningbytheprofessional.

Whichprofessionalsareinvolved?

A CAMHs team may include; Senior MentalHealthPrac8ceNurses,Occupa8onalTherapists,Mental HealthNurses, SupportWorkers, SocialWorkers, Learning Disability Nurses, AssistantPsychologists,PsychologistsoraPsychotherapist

TaMHsworkers inschools,Outreachworkers–TAs,Therapists

Whattreatmentsor

programsare

available?

Treatments/programs are ev idence-based

interven8ons. Psychology and CBT formula8ons

require a high level of func8oning and the child

needstopar8cipatevoluntarily.Apsychiatristcanbe

involvedtoadviseontheuseofmedica8on.

Treatments and programs are usually

family focussed within educa8on

sekngs. Programs are delivered by

Outreach Workers and some clinical

prac88oners,i.e.MentalHealthNurses.DoIhavetowaittoaccesstheservice?

Fromanini8alreferralforarou8neassessment,ittakes5weeks.Urgentreferralsarescheduledfor 7 days aUer they have been received.Emergency referrals are within 24 hours. AUerthe assessment, the wait for treatment variesandisbasedontheCYPsclinicalneed.

Thereisawai8nglistanditisneedsbased,basedontheCYPreferral.

Canparentsassist

withprogramsor

treatment?

Yes.ACAMHsparen8ngworkerwillaskforparents/

carers to be present and involved with treatments

andprogramswiththeirCYP.

Yes. In school, parents/carers can be a

great support to their child and act as

theiradvocate.Istheprogramortreatmentoveradesignated8me?

CAMHs is available for the child, as long assupportisneeded,toimprovetheCYP’smentalhealth.

TaMHS is a short-term supportservice.

Atwhatagedoesthe

childmoveto

thecareofadult

mentalhealth

services?

Attheageof17½years,theCAMHsteamwillbegin

theprocessoftransi8oningtheYoungPersonacross

toAdultMentalHealthServices.Theprocessbegins

withaTransi8onPanel,whichmeetsonceamonth,

and consists of CAMHs, Avon and Wiltshire

Partnership, Mind and LiU Psychology. The Young

Person'svoiceiscrucialtothisprocess.

Supportcanbeprovidedupto18years

old.

CAMHS vs TAMHS - WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Lockdown Saviours! Thelockdownhasbeenarollercoasterformany.Weall have those great moments where we think wehave totally nailed the Home Schooling and should

p r o b a b l yapply for aH e a dTeacher jobwhen thingsget back tonormal, andthen thosenot so greatm o m e n t s

when it feels like we are juggling a dozen balls,making the 5th snack of the day at 11am, being areferee inafight,becauseonechilddoesn’t likethewaytheotheronelookedatthem,andasforyear3maths,dotheyreallyneedtoknowwhataunitandnon-unitfrac8onisanyway??So,weaskedsomeofour team Parent Representa8ves what their‘Lockdown Saviours’ have been.What is their go toac8vity, website, book etc that is guaranteed toentertain and keep their children busy and regain aliQlebitoftheirsanity!Wehopesomeoftheirideaswillhelpyougetoverthose‘notsogreat’moments!Hereiswhattheysaid…

LouScriver-MaddieMoate'sYouTubechannel

MaddieMoate and Greg Foots ‘Let's go live’ showseverydayat11amhaskept Jorjaamusedaswellasmyself.We'vebothlearntloadsandmadealotoftheexamplestheyshowontheirlivestreamseachday.Itbreaksuptheschooldayandaddsfunandgamestoourday.We'vewatchedeveryepisode!

www.youtube/k4W_mOjXaBA

NausheenAli-PEwithJoeWicks

Sincelockdownwehaveonlymissedonesession,butwedo it together as a family andmost importantly,theboysaredoingsomethingac8vefivedaysaweek.Healthyandagoodstructuretotheday.

www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1/videos

CharloieCobb–TheAlphaBlocksApp

We downloaded the NumberBlocks&AlphaBlocksapps for£3each which Elijah will work ondaily for 10 mins each. It ’savailable on Google Play and theAppStore.

MichelleLloyd–Twinkl

The range of ac8vi8esavailable inall subjectsis great and I can findloads for Billy to do.Thesensorystoriesareour favourite and aresoeasytofollowwithalotof stuff that canbefound a round thehouse!

www.twinkl.co.uk

Wealsodoalotofsingingandmygotoforthat isSpo8fy as they have so many different playlists.Then, for messy play, I use the learning4kidswebsiteforideasandgreatsensoryplay.

www.learning4kids.net

AminaAmawi -CosmicKidsYogaonYouTubeandPokemonGoApp

My kids are lovingCosmic Kids Yoga onYouTube, they arelovingthePokémonGoapp too. I have onechild that wants to beout all the 8me andone that’s hated beingo u t , b u t s i n c ed ow n l o a d i n g t h ePokémon Go app shehas been happy to goon long walks whilst catching Pokémon. It hasliterallybeenalifesaver.OncoldrainydaysCosmicKidsYogahasbeenaGodsendsos8llgekngsomeexercise in. They do themed yoga like Pokémon,MinecraUorDisney.

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Lockdown Saviours cont…

AlisonSaunders-BBCbitesize

WeuseBBCBitesizeandfinditeasytonavigateandIcan letFfionjustgetonwithfindingherwayround.It’s suitable forall keystages.Theyhave tutorialsorreadingonasubjectthencantakeatestaUerwards,normallyabout10ques8onslongpertest,sonottoodaun8ng.Ofcourse,it’sfreewhichisahugebonus!

www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize

AlisonFielden–Kahootandfamilywalks

Uplands have been doing quizzes on Kahoot whichmydaughterhasenjoyed.We'reallbusyworking(meespecially!!!)duringtheday,soshe likes itwhenweallgettogetherfora familywalkat lunch8meandacatchup.www.kahoot.com

SarahAdams–Cookingandnaturewalks

MyeldestlovesTuesdayaUernoonwhenwetackleafood prac8cal in the kitchen! She also enjoys theschoolquizzesonKahoot.Myyoungersonlikesgoingonnaturewalksandprac8singphotographicskills.HeisalsoenjoyingthemathsonlineatOakAcademy,hereally likes, "the teacher doing themaths alongsidehim”-www.thena8onal.academy

JacquiWai – Koo KooKangaroo and ScienceMaxonYoutube

EverymorningweputonKooKooKangarooonYouTubeanddosilly4-5min ‘wakeandshake’videos that really appeal to my boys. Everymorningitgetsthemmovingandreadytostartthe day and helps transi8on them frombreakfast and TV mode into star8ng theirschool work. Science Max is also a fun showthat gives us lots of ideas ondifferent scienceexperiments; such as how many toilet rollsdoesittaketoholdupasmallchild!

KooKooKangaroo-www.youtube/Imhi98dHa5w

ScienceMax-www.youtube.com/channel/UCbprhISv-0ReKPPyhf7-Dtw

MillieGreen-SupportWorkers

TheSwindonTui8onServiceprovidetutoringformy daughter’s educa8on and during lockdownthey have been absolutely amazing. Lessonshave takenplaceusing8x8VideoConferencingsoUware and the tutors have listened carefullyto see if it is a ‘good’ day or a ‘bad’ day andadapted their teaching accordingly. Also, thelovelyleQersfromherTeacheroftheDeafhaveboughtasmile toour faces. Visit theSwindonLocal Offer for lots of informa8on on localservices:www.localoffer.swindon.gov.uk

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Spotlight on our Parent-Carer Reps

Everynewsle+erwewillintroduceyoutooneofyourparent-carerrepresenta6ves.Thismonthweareintroducing…

Whatdoyouenjoyaboutbeingaparentrep?

Thebest thingaboutbeingaparent rep is gekng thechance tomeet all newparentswhohave started their journeywith SENDandbeingabletohelp/guidetheminanywaypossible.Justbeingabletotalkandsharemyexperienceswithothers.

Whathasbeenyourproudestmoment?

JustbeingabletobepartofSwindonSENDfamiliesVoice,Igetthechance toworkwith suchwonderfulpeoplewhohave the samepassionasmetotryandmakeadifference.

If you could change one thing about the SEND services inSwindontodaywhatwoulditbe?

For our SEND children to be treated with the utmost respect.Some8meswhenthingsaredownhill, theyshouldnotbetreatedlike an outcast, and all the schools and councils should worktogethertomakeithappen.

Whatdoyoudowhenyouarenotbeingaparentrep?

IruntheportagegroupattheParen8ngHub.Ilovespending8mewithmy family, we always try to arrange dinnerswith extendedfamily and just relax together.We play board games as a familyandgoonsocialou8ngs.AsafamilywearebigfansofAvengerssowelovegoingtothecinematowatchthelatestinstalments.

IliveinNorthSwindonwithmyhusbandand3boys.EachofmyboyshavedifferentSENDneedsandareuniqueintheirownspecialway.

Nausheen Ali

ParentFeedback:

“ThankyoutoSENDFamiliesVoice-youaremygotopeople

whenIneedinforma3onaboutanythingSEND

related.”

ParentFeedback:“WelldoneSENDFamiliesVoice.Ifeelyou’vehandled

everythingreallywell,I’veseennonstopsupportonlineandseenyouhelpthosewhoaretrulyinneedwithnooneelsetohelp.You

guysareamazing!”

Pleasehelpusgrowtheforumbyjoiningthemailinglist:

www.swindonsendfamiliesvoice.org.uk/mailing-list-sign-

up

SUMMER 2020 SWINDON SEND FAMILIES VOICE NEWSLETTER

Letter from the Chair

It’shardtobelievehowmuchhaschangedsinceourSpringnewsleQer.

It’s no exaggera8on to saywehave all hadourlives turned upside down. AUer the EasterHolidays we found that things had started toseQle within some of the Families Voice teamhomes, somany of us have now figured out away to return to work, with video mee8ngs,emailsandFacebookbeingourprimarywaysofworking now.Alongside home schooling it isn’teasysopleasebearwithusifittakeslongerthanusualtorespondtomessagesandemails.

Despitethis,Iampleasedtosayweares8llableto work hard to share your experiences andfeedback about local services, even though wearen’table tocomeout to schoolsand runoursupportgroup,whichIspeakforthewholeteamwhen I saywe reallymissdoing! So please con8nueto par8cipate in requestsfor informa8on when youcan, as it’s making a realdifference.

Bestwishes,Jacqui

The SEND Room isan online Facebooksupport group forparents and carerso f ch i ldren andyoung people aged0-25 in Swindon

who have any Special Educa8onal Needs andDisabili8es.

• Aplacetosupportoneanother

• Aplacetomeetotherswhounderstand

• Aplacetoshareinforma8on

SEARCHONFACEBOOK:TheSENDRoom

TheSEND

RoomWenowhave838

membersinTheSENDRoom!

COVID-19 IMPACT SURVEY FACTS‣ Wehad180+responses!Thankyoutoallwhocompletedit!!

‣ YouratedthesupportyouweregivenonHomeSchoolingduring

thelockdownasanaverageof3.3/5.

‣ 50%ofresponderstoourCovid-19surveysaidthat

appointmentsthathadbeenchangedtovideoorphonewent

wellcomparedto14%whosaiditdidn’tworkforthem.