School’s SEND Information Exchange JULY 2018 LOCAL OFFER UPDATE School’s SEND Information Exchange JULY 2018

Since April’s Exchange

Website Content Very little significant change to the website More CAMHS info added More Nurseries added Planned Parent/Carer area

School events attended New Foundation Parents evenings SEND Coffee and Cake drop ins Transition evenings Summer fairs

ADHD Foundation training Fantastic event attended by 80 SENCOs. Feedback clearly showed how needed, how useful and informative the training had been. The ADHD kindly allowed their slides to be posted on the Local Offer for any SENCOs unable to attend on the day. Look in the green ‘What’s New’ section.

MARVELLOUS MENCAP ‘TREAT ME WELL’ campaign Info always posted on the Local Offer, FB and Twitter

Parent Carer Participation Wirral Looking to widen their membership and reach more Mums and Dads. Produced a leaflet to tell Parent/Carers about the critical role they hold. Leaflet drop to special schools and now delivering to mainstream schools. Please make your Headteacher aware - the package will be addressed to them. Please can you ensure all the children on your SEN register take a leaflet home.

Parent Carer Survey Please encourage Parents and Carers to complete the Questionnaires located in the green What’s New section on the homepage of the Local Offer. Closing date is Monday 16th July. Golden opportunity to shape future SEND provision here in Wirral. http://localofferwirral.org/parents-and-carers-questionnaire-please-share-your-views/

SENCO changes in your setting? Please can I ask you to drop me an e mail with any updates for the academic year 2018/2019? sallytittle@wirral.gov.uk Helps me maintain the distribution lists and ensures all the relevant staff in each setting receive information in a timely manner. Thanks!

SEND Information Report Please make sure this annual task is on your SENCO to do list. SIR’s should be in place at the start of the Autumn term. Always good practice to review the content to ensure the information is current and reflective of all matters SEND in your school. Remember to change the revised date to let your readers feel confident that they are accessing an up to date document.

‘News’ feature

Information sharing Our Cluster group met yesterday and we had invited along Dr Helena Workman, a local optician who is now testing for Visual Stress and Irlen's. She is very passionate about identifying sight issues and supporting pupils with visual stress difficulties and she is hoping to get the word out to schools, via SENCOs about the support they are offering. As a cluster, we wondered if it would be possible for you to disseminate her information to other schools? Obviously we are not promoting one optician over any other, but there are no other places on the Wirral currently offering this.   Her email is helenaworkman@greasbyopticians.co.uk if you would like to contact her to find out any additional information.

ELKLAN training ELKLAN's accredited course for verbal students with autism/social communication difficulties.   COURSE INFORMATION: The first part of the course looks at typical communication, then moves on to different types of support e.g. visuals, structure – the sessions are very practical and include video observations and practice using different materials/modification of tasks for students. By the end of the course, learners should have a good understanding of typical communication development, difficulties experienced by students with ASD and a range of language/social skills tasks and strategies to use with students. UPCOMING COURSES FOR AUTUMN2018/SPRING 2019 ELKLAN Communication Support for Verbal Pupils with ASD ELKLAN Speech & Language Support for 3 -5s ELKLAN Selective Mutism workshop for parents on Friday 14th Sept Kirstie Goulding, Independent Speech & Language Therapist Mobile (07934) 666 859 or by e mail kirstiegoulding12@gmail.com

Assessments - sent in at the end of summer term – 6 week clock starts ticking and EHCP co-ordinators cannot ‘deliver’ within the prescribed timescales as unable to obtain info/advices.  

Social Media & the Local Offer Please like Please follow @lowirral

Youth SEND Voice Conference SOME GOOD NEWS!! Contact a family -national charity who support families with disabled children. _______________________ They have approached the Local Offer Wirral after reading about January’s successful event. They have requested a case study to share this ‘outstanding example of best practice’ with other LA’s.

Better still……. North West SEND Participation Award Winners Scott Poppy North West SEND Participation Award Winners

2018/19 EXCHANGE DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES NOVEMBER MARCH JUNE EITHER TUESDAY 13th from 1pm to 3.30pm TUESDAY 5th from 1pm to 3.30pm TUESDAY 25th from 1pm to 3.30pm OR WEDNESDAY 14th from 9am to 11.30am WEDNESDAY 6th from 9am to 11.30am WEDNESDAY 26th from 9am to 11.30am COUNCIL CHAMBER, BIRKENHEAD TOWN HALL

Thanks for all your support! Sally