Northumberland special educational needs and disabilities information roadshows

Northumberland Parent Carer Forum, In It Together, is working with Northumberland County Council to raise awareness of local services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.

Over 30 services are taking part in the roadshows including NHS, social care, Northumberland County Council’s disabled children’s team, education and training providers, and voluntary organisations.

The roadshows are drop in events so there is no need to book. They will take place from 10am to 4pm on;

Thursday 20 September at Hexham Mart, Tyne Green Hexham, NE46 3SG

Monday 1 October at Ashington Hirst Welfare Centre, Alexandra Road, Ashington, NE63 9HN

Thursday 25 October at Alnwick Rugby Club, Willowburn Avenue, Alnwick, NE66 1BE

Roadshows will include a range of information, advice and support that families children and young people aged 0 -25 with (SEND) would find useful.

There will also be information about opportunities in education, supported employment, leisure, as well as information about specific conditions such as Autism and Dyslexia.

Elizabeth Johnston, chair of In It Together said: “We are delighted to be involved with the SEND Information Roadshows again this year following the excellent feedback from previous events. They are a great opportunity for parents/carer of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities to find out about the range of services that are available in Northumberland.

“You will find them useful if you noticed your child is finding certain aspect of their learning a challenge or it might be following a diagnosis or further along the line when you’re looking for the right college or employment opportunities. They are also an opportunity to meet other parents – there will be something for everyone!”

Northumberland County Council is running workshops at these events to share with parents and carers the Northumberland Graduated Approach for Special Educational Needs. This Graduated Approach sets out how schools can support children and young people with SEND and what different types of support are available to match differing levels of need and how they can be accessed.

There will also be the opportunity for families to feedback about the information the council provides on local services and support for children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND which is called the ‘Northumberland Local Offer’.

Councillor Wayne Daley, Deputy Leader and portfolio holder for Children’s Services at Northumberland County Council added:  “We are committed to giving all children the best start in life and to support them to reach their potential. We know that we may not always get things right but we think it’s really important that we work together with families and providers to improve services for children with special education needs and disabilities. We are delighted to be working with In it together to increase awareness amongst families with children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities, so they know what’s available and how to access the right support to best meet their needs.

“We also really want to hear from parents, children and young people about the information we have on our website so that they can help shape what is available online. Please join us at the roadshows and share your views.”

Northumberland County Council has recently invested £2million in SEND provision to create additional places for children and young people with special educational needs before the end of 2018.

Visit the Northumberland Local Offer website to find out more about local services, information and advice for children, young people with SEND and their families at www.northumberland.gov.uk/localoffer 

Alternatively contact In It Together by calling 07729192909 or emailing info@in-it-together.org.uk, or the Northumberland SEND Information Advice and Support Service by calling 01670 623 555 or email alison.bravey@northumberland.gov.uk 

Photo caption: Pictured L-R: Amanda Richardson, In It Together south east and central locality representative; Elizabeth Johnston, In It Together chair; Northumberland County Councillor Wayne Daley; Sam Barron, Head of SEND strategy for Northumberland County Council and designated clinical officer for Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group; and Eileen Robinson, vice chair and west locality representative for In It Together.