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Parents & Carers

Contacts, Consultations & Training

Local Contacts
National Contacts
Training
Consultations
Every local authority needs to have an IAS Service. They offer information, advice, signposting and support for families with children with SEND.
 
This is where you will find information on all of the SEND services that you should need eg local schools or activities.
 
For activities and support for families with children and young people with additional needs and their siblings.
 
Plymouth Autism Parent Support Group
Share your experiences in this monthly support group run by parents for parents. It offers the opportunity to pick up and share new strategies in a private, safe and understanding environment. For more information about this group, please view the Facebook page or email
 
Bud Club is a completely FREE fortnightly, family-friendly activity club set up to help the whole family, where a child is affected by mental health or neurodevelopmental difficulties. Families can spend time doing art, games, sporting, and outdoor activities in a low-key, non-judgmental way. For more information view the Facebook page or email giveachildachance@sky.com.
 
If you live in Cornwall or you use services there, you may wish to visit the Cornwall Parent Carer Voice Group.
Loads of information and advice for families with children and young people with SEND
 

An organisation that give grants to families with children and young people with SEND. This may be means tested.

Auditory Processing Disorder
FREE information about Auditory Processing Disorder/APD and links to support for living with this disabling condition.

The UK's leading charity for people on the autism spectrum and their families. They provide support, guidance and advice, as well as campaigning for improved rights, services and opportunities to help create a society that works for autistic people.
 
The Early Years SEND Partnership is a national programme supporting professionals and parents. You can find out about training and resources to increase access and inclusion in early years for children with SEN and Disabilities.
 
ICAN help children communicate. This group run regular TALK (Talking Activities for Little Kids) webinars for parents who are concerned about their child's language development.
 
Time to Talk Next Steps (link)
Time to Talk Next Steps is free support for young people aged 16-25 years in England with additional needs. It is for young people who are experiencing anxiety, isolation and who have limited or no plans for the future. This program currently has various start dates up until June 2022.
 

This page has several different courses and information sheets about Autism.

Active Consultations

You are warmly invited to share your views and lived experiences in the consultations listed below.

CDC Website Survey (link)
NHS would really love some feedback about thier website www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk/CDC so they can improve it. They really appreciate your time. 

You can watch a video about this on our MEMBERS PORTAL page

Consultation closes: TBC

We want to make sure we are sharing the right information with our families and young people, especially when they are waiting to be seen by our service. We know our waiting times are longer than we would like, and are working hard to address this. We also know that, for lots of families and young people, they are hoping to gain clarity around a potential diagnosis. We understanding that sharing information and resources can't replicate this, but we hope it provides additional support and guidance for you.

We are hoping to find out from you what you would like to know? What information would it be helpful for us to be sharing? If you have been seen by our service, what did we tell you that was most helpful or had most impact? Are there tools and resources you wish you had known about sooner?
 
Any information provided is confidential, and will help to inform the ongoing development of our service.
 

Consultation closes: TBC

Parenting Styles and Children's Peer Relationships (link)
You are invited to participate in a research project that  is being conducted by Tansu Ince, who is a PhD student, supervised by Dr Jan Georgeson and Dr Becky Stancer at the Plymouth Institute of Education. This project is concerned with children with or without special educational needs who are being educated in inclusive settings, and their parents. I would like to invite you to participate in my research, as your child is being educated in a mainstream school. Before you decide to take part in this study it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. This questionnaire will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Consultation closes: TBC

Assessing Parental Autism Courses (link)
Good afternoon, I am currently doing a research project for my Psychology degree that aims to assess parental autism courses, which due to lack of funding for services, can help parents to support their children. As a parent of a child with Autism and ADHD, I feel passionate about services effectively supporting young people and their families. I would be extremely grateful if anyone who has completed a parental autism course could please complete my questionnaire.

Consultation closes: TBC

Supported Employment Services (link)
PCC is looking into how they commission supported employment for people with disabilities and or social care needs in the city. It would be greatly appreciated if you could complete the short form (follow the link above) about employment for your young person. All results are anonymous.

Consultation closes: TBC

Accessing mental health services within Plymouth: 16-25 year-olds (link)
Livewell Southwest is due to embark on developing a service for 16–25-year-olds that will help ensure that this group gets the right support. Livewell Southwest understands that to do so, young people’s voices and experience are key to making this a successful service. Please share this survey with your 16-25-year-old.

Consultation closes: TBC
 
I Can: Supporting children and young people with communication and understanding (link)
I Can is looking at ways to improve their online services so they can support more families with children who face difficulties in speaking and understanding language. Share your views by following the link.
 
Consultation closes:  TBC

 

Past Consultations

The consultations below are no longer active but can be viewed for your reference.

Proposals for a new Social Care facility for adults with a learning disability close to Central Park
Consultation closed: 30th April 2023

Exploring the risks of Tinder, Snapchat, TikTok, and the safeguarding steps you can implement to keep your children safe online (link)
Consultation closed: 31st August 2022

Parent/Carer Survey on Educational difficulties encountered with Deafblindness (link)
Consultation closed

The Annual Childcare Parents Survey (link)
Consultation closed: 15th December 2022.

The South West region of Parent Carer Forums have launched a survey for parent carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (0-25). Along with NHS England they are working to better understand the experience of families
Consultation closed: 21st December 2022. 

University of Bradford want to hear your (and your children’s) views on short-sightedness (link)
Consultation closed: 4th October 2022

SEND Review: Right support, right place, right time
Consultation closed: 22nd July 2022
 

Mayflower Medical Group Survey (link)
Consultation closed

Consultation closed: 31st March 2022
 

The Parent Carer Wellbeing Study (link)
Consultation closed: March 2022

Healthwatch Plymouth (link)
Consultation closed: 28th February 2022

PIAS (Plymouth Information Advice  & Support for SEND) website consultation (link)
Consultation closed: February 2022

Consultation on developing accessible assessment (link)
Consultation closed: 24th January 2022.

Bringing Us Together Advocacy Project (link for Parents and Carers)
Consultation closed: November 2021

Bringing Us Together Advocacy Project (link for Children and Young People)
Consultation closed: November 2021

 

Consultation closed: 24th August 2021

Consultation closed: 10th August 2021

 
Consultation closed 26th February 2021.
 

Consultation closed 29th January 2021.

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