Local News: PCC News
Through Aiming High for Disabled Children, the Southwark PCC has been awarded the funds to develop this website and produce an independent newsletter (see latest newsletters). We are now looking forward to building a much bigger forum; developing and formalising links with ‘special interest’ groups, and channelling parent/carer opinion through the PCC to key decision-makers, commissioners and service providers.
We have elected a Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer, and have signed up ten parent/carer ‘reps’ (see About Us) who want to hear your views and represent them in discussions with the Local Authority/PCT.
New Parent/Carer Council Support Worker
Contact a Family Southwark recently appointed a part-time Parent/Carer Council Support Worker to work alongside Alison and the PCC. Rebecca (Becky) Skipwith joined us in November, and has taken on newsletter production and organisation of PCC events linked to the development of parent carer participation within the context of the Aiming High Programme. Alison will continue to field consultation requests and will endeavour to set up focus groups around specific service areas and co-ordinate consultation with other parent carer groups and networks. (see Meetings and Events).
Aiming High for Disabled Children
The first newsletter from the Aiming High for Disabled Children programme in Southwark is now out. Aiming High is a transformational programme with government funding for two years (2009-2011). Most of the funding has been put into improving short break opportunities for disabled children and their families.
The Southwark Council programme currently includes: Saturday morning sports club, disability football schemes, Orient Street short break summer scheme, National Autistic Society's dramatherapy classes, Charlie Chaplin Adventure Playground's summer scheme and weekend club, Sunday Club for children with ASD, the new Whippersnappers creative centre in Dulwich Park, a Personal Break Scheme and more. A Befriending and Mentoring Scheme is being set up for teenagers, too.
Click here to read the Aiming High newsletter.
Aiming High for Disabled Children: Southwark Community Chest
Community Action Southwark (CAS) are inviting groups and organisations working with disabled children and young people in Southwark to apply for small grants to expand their activities, or to pilot a scheme for this financial year.
For example, the grants could be used for equipment to make a service accessible and meet the needs of disabled children and young people. Or for extra revenue funds to enable disabled children and young people to attend activities.
Grants available: Revenue funding up to £500 and/or Capital up £1,000. Organisations can apply for both and the money has to be spent by end of March 2010. For more information or an application form, contact Mary Braid 020 7703 2368 or admin@casouthwark.org.uk.
Recent and Ongoing Consultations
Transition Guides for Parent Carers and Children and Young People with Disabilities
Around 20 parent carers attended a consultation on 25 June 2009 to consider draft guides for parent carers, and children and young people on the subject of transition. These are now ready for publication and will complement a new and very detailed Resource Pack for professionals, which is available on request. The pack and guides are most relevant to parents and carers of children in years 9 and 10.
If you would like more information, please email the Children’s Transition Manager, Norbert.Cilia@southwark.gov.uk. For copies of the guides, please email: alison.miles@cafamily.org.uk.
Southwark's Strategy for Children & Young People (aka The Children and Young People's Plan 2010-2013)
Members of the Parent/Carers’ Council participated in several of Young Southwark's Tell Your Story events last summer, where more than 1,000 stories were collected to help shape priorities for the 2010-2013 Children and Young People's Plan in Southwark. Discussions are ongoing, but the draft strategy should soon be available for public consultation. Watch this space!
For more info, contact Young Southwark on 020 7525 3674 or email: young.southwark@southwark.gov.uk.
PlayBuilder Funding: Parks - have your say in new play designs
The PCC invited parent/carers to contribute ideas for park design at a consultation and fun family event on Saturday 28 November in Dulwich Park. The parks below have been earmarked for improvement, although we hope to see an increase in the range of play experiences available to children with disabilities across the borough.
Bermondsey: Tanner Street (Grange)
Borough and Bankside: Bittern Street (Cathedrals), Dickens Square (Chaucer), Newington Gardens (Chaucer)
Camberwell: Lucas Gardens (Brunswick Park)
Dulwich: Belair Park (Village), Halliwell Court (East Dulwich)
Nunhead & Peckham Rye: Goose Green (The Lane), Clifton Estate (The Lane), Peckham Rye Park (Peckham Rye)
Peckham: Leyton Square (Peckham)
Rotherhithe: Southwark Park (Rotherhithe), St Mary Frobisher Gardens (Rotherhithe), Pearson's Park (Surrey Docks)
Walworth: Nursery Row (East Walworth), Kinglake Playground (East Walworth), Salisbury Row Park (East Walworth)
Evelina Children’s Hospital – Review of Pain Assessment and Management
Three members of the PCC fed comments back to Sophie Auckland (User Involvement Manager at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital Trust) on the design and content of a draft information sheet and leaflet. Both documents aim to encourage parent carers of children and young people to participate in the evaluation of pain assessment and management procedures in the Intensive Care Unit. If you have experiences to share and would like to participate in this study, please email: sophie.auckland@gstt.nhs.uk for further information.
Requests to Parent/Carers
Adult Learning Disability Partnership Board: Carer representation needed
The Adult Learning Disability Partnership Board is looking for parent carer representation to attend a meeting from 11am-1pm this coming Thursday 8 October. The purpose of this meeting is to consider how to achieve effective family carer representation on the Partnership Board. In a letter to a number of carers’ groups, Chris Dorey (Learning Disabilities Joint Commissioning Manager) says:
"We would hope that the carers attending the board meetings would be able to represent the views and aspirations of carers of people with learning disabilities in Southwark and take some responsibility for feeding back the work of the Partnership Board to other family carers."
If you are a parent/carer of a young person with learning disabilities who receives health and social care services now, and who may be eligible to receive ongoing support from Adults’ services in the future, please contact Alison for further information. She will then forward to you the meeting invitation and a copy of the Board’s Terms of Reference.
A Good Place to Live
The Learning Disability Partnership Board has produced a draft easy-read Accommodation Strategy (2009-2013), that is yet to go to Speaking Up for comments (see http://www.speakingup.org). If you would like to view this and submit comments to the Board, please download the document here or contact Alison and she will email/post you a copy and collate comments to feed back to Penny West, Learning Disability Accommodation Project Manager.