Welcome to West Berkshire Parent Carer Forum's April Newsletter! We hope you find it informative, and would love to hear what you think of it. Let us know Here
Hi, My name is Fiona Worby, and I'm the coordinator for the West Berkshire Parent Carer Forum. I am a parent of a child with Special Needs, and am very excited to tell you we now have a Steering Group in our Forum!
The Steering Group is made up from parent/carers from the forum who wanted to become a little more involved, as a parent or carer, services want our opinions on how they are doing to help them improve, and we really can make a difference. By meeting and working with them and discussing about how and what we feel services provide for us, we can change things for the better. I will be posting more information up about our Steering Group on the website, so please do take a look at www.westberksparentvoice.org.uk
* We will be having a new website coming soon, as we have changed our name from West Berks Parent Voice to West Berks Parent Carer Forum. I will be posting more about the website soon!*
The great thing about the forum is The Bigger We are, The Stronger we Become!, so if you would like to join us, please click HERE You have received this email because you kindly gave us your email, and so automatically became part of West Berks Parent Voice. Please share this email with anybody you know with a child or young person who has Special Needs, everybody is welcome, and every Special Need is important.
Dingley Offer The Following, but for more information and to be taken to their website, click on the bear above.
Learning Through Play Sessions
Running through the academic year these sessions are run under Ofsted standards using the Early Years Foundation Stage, and aim to give every child with an additional need the best early intervention support and education.
Stay and Play Sessions
These run at least once a month at each of our Centres and give family members the chance to see their children in our Centres and the strategies we use with them. It also gives parents the chance to meet each other and exchange experiences.
Coffee Mornings
Our coffee mornings are arranged periodically at our Centres to bring families together and enable them to talk about issues they are facing or share successes. We also sometimes have pamper evenings and other social activities for parents.
Home Visits
Our Family Support Workers make home visits where they can help families to use Dingley strategies in their own homes. We provide a home visit to every family that we start working with.
Inclusive Holiday Playschemes
We run inclusive holiday sessions for children with additional needs and their mainstream siblings (if under 8 years old). These are a really important break for families during holiday periods and we make sure the activities are fun for all the children.PASS Service
At Reading and Wokingham we provide a service for early years providers to help them include children with additional needs. We provide support over the phone, through our staff visiting the setting, and through staff from the setting visiting our Centres.
We have been working with children and young people with physical disabilities and sensory impairments for nearly 20 years.
We offer a wide variety of social and leisure activities for children and young people aged five to 18. Activities take place after school and at weekends in term time, and throughout the week during the holidays. You can find out more about the activities we run.
During the school holidays, we run regular activities for our members, who are aged over 8. Activities include:
Pottery
Building bird boxes
Chocolate making factory
Taking part in local activities
Bowling
Sailing
Rock climbing
Swimming
Picnics
Children and young people are supported at activities by a team of trained volunteers and the PALS manager, who oversees the event, while parents can enjoy a much needed break. In addition, during the school holidays, we offer the opportunity to take part in residential trips.
Activity costs are met by parents, but are kept to a minimum and often subsidised, especially for residential trips.
The 18+ group has been running successfully for nearly ten years and is open to our more independent members. The group take part in a variety of social events and some residential trips, but emphasis is placed on the individual to be as independent as possible.
The PALS Office
Mayridge Farm
Englefield
Berkshire
RG7 5JT
(Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service)
What we do
The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service for West Berkshire provides:
free and confidential service, provided independently from education, health and care providers
Impartial information, advice and support relating to special educational needs and disability (SEND)
Advice and support from independently trained Information, Advice and Support (IAS) Service staff
Support through the statutory processes relating to Statements of Special Educational Needs and the new Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment and planning
Information and practical support to find the answers to your questions in relation to education, social care and health services
Who we can help
We can provide information, advice and support to:
Parents or carers of a child or young person (aged 0-25) with a disability and/or special educational needs
Parents or carers who are worried that their child or young person may have a disability or special educational needs;
If your child has questions, we can help them too
Young people aged 16-25 who have a disability and/or special educational needs
Our service is for people who live in West Berkshire. If you don’t live in West Berkshire, but need support, we can put you in touch with your local IAS Service.
How we can help
We aim to provide you with help that is right for you. We can help by
Listening to your views and concerns
Helping you feel more confident to express your views
Explaining your options, rights and responsibilities
Help in preparing for meetings and/or attending meetings with you;
Answering your questions about Statements of Special Educational Needs and Educational Health and Care (EHC) Plans;
Supporting you through a needs assessment or review
Support to resolve disagreements
Developing networks and links locally to provide solutions to your individual queries
Please find the following details of Autism Awareness Events for Happy Days this month: APRIL 2017
It all kicks off on:
Sunday 2nd April Spring Fayre and Fun Run for Autism 12-4pm @ Coles Diner and around Mary Hare
Fayre - over 20 stalls of games, crafts, gifts, chocolates, sweets, refreshments, bouncy castle, bungee run, prizes and lots of fun! £2 for adults / £1 for children / under 5yrs free
Monday 3rd April Bowling Fun at Thatcham 7pm-8pm Happy Days, Mary Hare and HD Gamers Den
If you would like a lane it is £6 per person please book via me first I have booked the lanes so you will need to secure your space with me, you can pay me on the night. It includes one hour bowling.
Tuesday 4th April Game a thon HD Gamers Den 6.30-8.30pm @ Coles Diner
£3 per young person, siblings welcome. Pizza for tea with a range of Easter competitions to play!
Age 11-18 years only.
Thursday 6th April - Coffee and Cake morning 9am-10.30am @ Coles Diner
Lots of coffee, tea and cake - a chance for parents to catch up whilst the older children are at school (little ones welcome to come and play)
Free event a donation box will be on the counter.
All money raised this week will help support Happy Days, as well as the Summer events, outings and a donation made towards National Autistic Society.
Happy Days is a club for children aged 5-10 with autism, Asperger's, ADHD and or deafness as well as their families
HD Gamers Den is a club for young people aged 11-18 with autism, Asperger's, ADHD and or deafness as well as their families
Please share amongst people you think will be interested in the events above, please let me know if you are joining in on any of the events.
Are you, or is someone you know, providing much-needed care for a loved one?
Get free access to a range of support and services – right when you need it most.
Call us: 0118 324 7333
Carers Trust provides timely, personalised information and support via the Reading & West Berkshire Carers Hub to make caring for a loved one easier.
The Carers Hub can offer:
Information, advice and guidance
Signposting to other organisations
Short break accommodation
Access to Carers support groups
Free health and well-being memberships
Access to Carers breaks
Free training and caring support
Carers Smart’ benefits and discounts
Carers grants
Peer support
Are you wondering if you are a Carer?
You may not see yourself as one, but if you are looking after someone – whether it be an adult or child – who fits one or more of the example descriptions below, then you are a Carer.
They:
are elderly and frail
are physically disabled
have a learning disability
have mental health problems
have a history of substance misuse
have a long term health condition
have a sensory impairment
There is a range of support available to you, which will help you look after yourself as well as the loved one you care for. Carers Trust provides a range of support and services which can be accessed via the Carers Hub – funded by: Reading Borough Council, West Berkshire Council, North & West Reading CCG
South Reading CCG, Newbury & District CCG.
Reading and West Berkshire Carers Hub runs a friendly support group for carers in West Berkshire, which meets on the First Wednesday of each month. All carers welcome.
Please call 0118 3247333 if you would like any further information about the group.
WHERE: Pangbourne Small Village Hall, RG8 7DY
COST: Free
CONTACT: Reading and West Berkshire Carers Hub 0118 324 7333
Come and join us for one of our exciting sessions. We are always listening to feedback from our families, if you think there’s something missing from what we are offering let us know and we’ll see what we can do.
Monthly Openings:
Wednesday 6pm – 8pm
(the 3rd Wednesday of the month)
Friday 9.30am – 11am
(the 1st Friday of the month)
Sunday 10am – Midday
(1st and 3rd Sunday of the month) see Opening Times page for further details
Click on the image above to see whats on in April.
Monthly Openings:
Wednesday 6pm – 8pm
(the 3rd Wednesday of the month)
Friday 9.30am – 11am
(the 1st Friday of the month)
Sunday 10am – Midday
(1st and 3rd Sunday of the month) see Opening Times page for further details
The Local offer sets out provision which is available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), aged 0 to 25, including education, health and social care services.
Where you see the green West Berkshire Local Offer flag, on the top, right corner of a record in this directory, you will know that the service or provider has submitted information on what they can offer a child or young person who has SEND. This is known as their Local Offer. Please do take a look, there are providers of a range of services which may be useful to you.
