About Us

The PCC has been working to establish a constitution with a view to becoming a Charitable company. Our objectives are to positively change and enhance the lives of disabled children, young people and their families by working collaboratively with partners in Health, Education and Social Care, and to ensure parent carers participation, amongst others. Our aim is to continue to give its individual members a voice, supported in growing numbers to get the message across.

In the hope to becoming a Charity, we identified Trustees to ensure continued Parent/Carer participation with this borough. The Trustees are:
Antoinette Harris - Chair
Heather Tarbuck - Vice Chair,
Lendell Morrison and Ann-Marie Eastman - Co Secretaries
Alison Miles - Treasurer
Annika Jaramillo, Dora Naisubi, Teresa Kahn and Nadia Crichlow.

Congratulations to our Vice-Chair, Heather, who has just been recruited to Contact a Family's Strengthening Parent Participation Team as Parent Participation Advisor for London.

We also continue to have the support of a group of active forum members who attend meetings, consultations and other events. They also help put together our newsletter and this website. Support from forum members is always welcomed.

The Parent/Carer Council was previously facilitated by a part-time Parent/Carer Council Development Officer Alison Miles (until April 2012), who is a Southwark resident and parent of a child with a disability.

If we are successful in our application for charitable status, we will be able to fundraise, and possibly employ someone to support the PCC over the next year and beyond. We know that we do not have the capacity to employ someone directly; however, we recognise that we cannot continue as we have been since April 2011, with several parents devoting over 20 hours per week to the PCC, and risking burn-out. We hope to hold our first AGM in April, when the current officers will step down and a ballot held.

Alison Miles – Treasurer

My name is Alison and I have two children: Ellen who is 9 and Stewart, 12. Ellen was diagnosed at 18 months with congenital myasthenia, a rare neuromuscular condition nick-named ‘the ragdoll illness’. She uses a wheelchair, takes medication five times a day in order to function, but is not on the disability register, so does not qualify for social care services. Ellen receives ongoing physio and occupational therapies and has a statement of special educational needs linked to her physical disability. She is supported full-time at her local mainstream primary school.

I have a background in supported housing and I am particularly interested in person-centred planning, i.e. involving children, young people and their carers in the development, delivery and review of individual care and support packages. I am also committed to drawing together our experiences as parents and carers of children with disabilities or additional needs, to demand, inform and support continuous service improvement.

Lendell Morrison - PCC Co-secretary

Hi, I am Lendell and I have four children, one with Down’s Syndrome. I joined Southwark Parent/Carers’ Council because I am committed to helping other parents/carers of children with disabilities who don't have a voice. I am also a member of Down’s South London, a south London-based charity for parents of children with Down’s Syndrome.

Heather Tarbuck - Vice Chair

Hello, my name is Heather, I have three children. My middle daughter Lola has global delay, fine and gross motor difficulties and growth hormone deficiency. I am a School Governor at a hospital school in Southwark and have a background in Social Work and local government.

My particular interests and concerns relate to the education and the attainment of children with additional needs who are placed in mainstream school. I joined Southwark’s Aiming High Project Board, which was overseeing the funding, and development of additional services for children with disabilities from 2008-2011.