PCC Meetings
Meetings are open to any parent/carer of a child or young person with a learning difficulty, disability or additional need living in Southwark. We meet around every six weeks.
Our next meeting is held at Cambridge House, Gilroy Hall,
1 Addington Square, Camberwell, SE5 0HF on:
- Wednesday 14 March
- 10.30-11.30 PCC business
- 11.30 to 1pm, Contining our Forum Discussion on:
Transition from Primary to Secondary School - Followed by lunch
Future meetings:
Wednesday 25 April 10.30am-2pm
Wednesday 30 May 10.30am-2pm
Wednesday 11 July 10.30am-2pm
We want you to be able to attend and participate in our meetings, so if you require any transport or childcare support, please let us know.
Upcoming PCC Events
The Future of Education for our Children: Conference
Wednesday 29 February 10am-2.45pm
Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre
This PCC conference will be open to parents and professionals and will focus on the SEN Green Paper and 'academisation'. Speakers will include:
Sue North from CaF's Strengthening Parent Carer Participation Team
Cathy Loxton, Principal of the Harris Academy at Peckham and Harris Girls' Bermondsey
Karen Sitch, Harris Federation SEN Lead
Jane McConnell, Chief Executive, IPSEA (Independent Parental Special Education Advice). Look out for further information on booking for this event.
PCC Information and Networking Event:
Personalisation and Preparation for Independence
23 March Beormund Centre
We will be welcoming key note speaker Steve Broach a solicitor focusing on the rights of children (in particular disabled children) and Kirsten Henriksen from the new Children and Young People's Transition Team. This event will take place at book the Beormund Centre as part of our agreement with the United St Saviour's Trust to hold an event in the north of the borough. Again look out for details.
We continue to focus on subjects of general interest to parent carers at our meetings and were joined at our last meeting by Kirsten and trainer/facilitator, Barbara Wilson, who shared some very useful information with us on personalisation. If you would like to find out more about this subject, please contact Alison Miles on 07508 124789 for copies of Barbara's handouts, or come along to one of our event on 23rd March.
Parents enjoying lunch after a PCC meeting
Previous PCC Events
Parent Carer Workshops
Over the past year or so, the Parent Carers’ Council (PCC) has held several workshops for PCC members on sustaining the PCC as a charitable organisation, and an away day for parent carers interested in deepening their involvement with the PCC, developing their skills as parent representatives, and helping other local parent carers to achieve positive change in any number of ways.
Parks and Play
Southwark Council Parks Department and the PCC held a consultation at Francis Peek Centre in Dulwich Park on 28 November 2009. The local Parks Department has received Big Lottery ‘PlayBuilder’ funding to develop new ‘natural’ play features in a number of parks and play areas across the borough. These new features will be aimed at 8-13 year olds and must take into consideration the needs and preferences of children with disabilities and/or additional needs.
To complement these improvements, the Parent Carers' Council (PCC) prompted the Parks Team to bid for Aiming High capital money to buy and install inclusive play equipment, which can be accessed by children of all ages and abilities. But they still need to hear about the difficulties we all face as families with disabled children to ensure that they buy the right equipment and place this in parks that are convenient and easy for us to get to. For more information, contact Andrea on 020 7525 0855 or email: andrea.pita@southwark.gov.uk.
Parent/Carer mini-Conference: October 2009
The Parent/Carers’ Council held a mini parent/carer conference focusing on the Aiming High for Disabled Children funding on Friday 16 October at InSpire, St Peter’s Church, Liverpool Grove, SE17, which was well attended by parents and professionals.