Summer term 2018
Welcome to the Summer edition of Sendiass News! We aim to keep you in the loop about what we are up to, and provide you with useful and practical information and advice.
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Conference feedback
Thank-you to all our parents who attended our conference and for all the feedback. As always it was great to welcome parents and carers, to offer some face-to-face support.
The conference provided the opportunity for Suffolk parents to meet and share experiences in addition to being able to browse the 'marketplace' stalls .
Read our parent feedback from the conference
We have shared your comments and questions about the Suffolk Local Offer with the Local Authority, responses to your queries are being added to the Suffolk Local Offer website.
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Our new website is now live!
We've been busy working on bringing you our very own website. We have lots more to add but we hope you like it so far.
Take a look and let us know what you think, including any ideas and suggestions, by clicking the feedback button.
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Contact card and service leaflet
The above 'keep with you' contact cards flew off the shelves and we have just ordered more!
See below for our new parent and carer service leaflet.
If you would like one, or a supply of either, get in touch by emailing: enquiries@suffolksendiass.co.uk
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Parent workshops
EHC plan workshops
Does your child have an EHC plan or is an EHC needs assessment underway?
A workshop for parents and carers explaining the purpose of an Education, Health and Care Plan and how it can help your child.
We explore key sections and responsibilities, how you and your child can be involved and what to do if you are uncertain about the Plan.
Book your free place via Eventbrite...
Monday 16 July, Mildenhall
Tuesday 17 July, Newmarket
Friday 12 October, Bury St Edmunds
Thursday 18 October, Woodbridge
Friday 2 November, Halesworth
Empower your child
A workshop exploring strategies to help you support your child to begin to ask for help in school.
Tuesday 11 September, 9.30 to 11.30am, Needham Market
Book your free place via Eventbrite
SEND Parent Champion course
This course is aimed at parents who would like to make a difference in the community through positively empowering other parents of children with additional needs.
Colchester Baptist Church, 75 Colchester Road, Ipswich IP4 4ST
Session 1: 15th November 10am – 12 noon
Session 2: 22nd November 10am – 2:30pm
Session 3: 29th November 10am – 2:30pm
Book your free place via Eventbrite
Making Meetings Matter
A workshop for parents and carers which explores practical strategies for how best to prepare and take a positive part in meetings with schools and the local authority.
Wednesday 31st October 10am to 12 noon
Chatterbox Children's Centre, Copleston Road, Ipswich, IP4 5HB
Book your free place via Eventbrite
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Watch this video of a Suffolk parent talking about her experience of a permanent exclusion, including appealing to the Independent Review Panel (IRP).
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This can be a very difficult time for parents, you will likely have lots of questions about what happens next and, where you disagree with the decision, will want to know what you can do about it. Take a look at the information within our exclusions section including FAQ's.
Following a permanent exclusion the governing body will be notified and will make arrangements to meet to consider the exclusion. Read more about the governor meeting
The Independent Review Panel (IRP) Caroline talks about in this video is the appeal process you may request following the governing body decision to uphold the exclusion.
We also have a factsheet. around preparing your case for both the governor meeting and the IRP.
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Local authority news
Future of specialist education in Suffolk
The local authority have identified there aren't enough places in Suffolk for children with SEN, and are seeking your views about the proposed options. Their preferred option is to develop a network of specialist units attached to mainstream schools in addition to securing additional places at special schools.
Read more about the consultation, which runs until 7 August
SEND Review 12 July, Kesgrave Hall
An opportunity to find out about how the local authority are progressing with their strategy.
If you want to go along to this event please email the local authority to let them know which discussion groups you would like to take part in, so they can plan the day effectively.
Follow the link below for a list of the discussion groups, themes 1 to 5 are in the morning, and themes 6 to 9 are in the afternoon starting at 1:15pm.
SEND Review information
Email your discussion group choices to: andrea.oconnell@suffolk.gov.uk
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Service demands
Thank you for your patience while we have been continuing to respond to a high number of calls with reduced staff numbers.It might be a few days before we are able to respond to your message or email at the moment.
In the meantime you may find some answers to your questions on our website.
See below for our helpline opening hours during the Summer break.
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Health & social care in tribunals
You may have heard about a two-year trial from April 2018 to extend SEND tribunal powers to the health and social care sections of EHC plans.
This trial means that if you lodge an appeal with the SEND tribunal about any of the education sections (sections B, F or I) of a plan, you may now also appeal the sections relating to health or social care needs or provision (sections C, D, G, H1 or H2). You can find out more about the sections of a plan here.
It is worth remembering that any health and social care provision which educates or trains a child or young person should be specified under 'Special Education Provision' (section F) of the EHC Plan. This might include speech or occupational therapies for example.
You could include in your appeal, where you believe the local authority have not fully identified health or care needs as part of the EHC needs assessment - for example, where social care have responded with 'not known to service'.
Though the tribunal will not be able to make legally binding orders on health and social care, it has been made clear that their recommendations will generally be followed. The responsible health body or social care team must respond in writing to you within 5 weeks of the recommendation being made.
If a decision has been taken not to follow all or part of the recommendations, the health body or social care commissioner must give sufficiently detailed reasons for that decision.
You can read the full guidance about the trial, including the duties of health commissioners and local authorities here.
The forms to lodge an appeal and related guidance is here. There is now a separate form if you wish to appeal a refusal to assess decision, SEND35a and for all other appeal types use SEND35.
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Independent Supporters
Current funding arrangements for Independent supporters finished at the end of March. This government funding was originally made available for services to help families going through the EHC needs assessment process, during the transition from the old legislation to the new.
We are really pleased to be able to say that Nikki Brownlie, one of our current Independent Supporters will remain on the team and continue to offer this support to parents until next year.
However, Steph Knight, who has supported so many families since she joined the team two years ago, will be leaving us at the end of this month to concentrate on other things. She will be missed and we wish her all the very best for everything she does in the future.
For families who would like to find out more about the EHC process we are offering workshops across the County and we have loads of information on our website.
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Spring term 2018 Data
Of the 645 referrals we received during this term, here are the top categories for contacting our service ...
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We have had lots of great feedback for our free workshops – thanks to everyone who filled in evaluations.
Read our full report
Highlights from completed evaluations...
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Our most recent survey responses...
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The SENDIASS team are (left to right), Debbie Amor, Stacey Ford, Stephanie Knight, Sian Monteith, , Nikki Brownlie, Nicki Howlett, Natasha Podevin, Gillian Tate and Kate Langston.
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