NW SEND

Regional Network

Newsletter

The network is keen to provide support for children, families and practitioners. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any queries you may have. If you would like to be added to the newsletter circulation list just send an email to the address below.
Dr Cathy Hamer
NW SEND Regional Network co-ordinator
Email: [email protected]  Mob: 0778 357 7284

North West regional network events

NEWSFLASH
Early Years / SEND – FURTHER OPPORTUNITIES – Additional workshops for parents / carers and practitioners / volunteers
A special approach to Making it REAL in the North West
(Raising Early Achievement in Literacy)

The Early Childhood Unit at National Children’s Bureau are delighted to offer an extension project to the Early Years/SEND Partnership. The project, funded by the Department for Education, is focused on supporting families of young children with special needs through the Making it REAL programme. Making it REAL is an evidence based programme which supports parents in their vital role as a child’s first, and most enduring educators. It involves sharing professional knowledge and skills with parents, building their confidence in supporting their own children’s learning.
The project involves:

• Special Treasure Chests for families with young children with special needs to promote early literacy activities. These will be available for distribution through early years and specialist services, settings and schools, food banks and charities.
• An opportunity to become a Making it REAL Champion to share key messages.
• Workshops for families to share REAL activities for early home learning. These will take place on Zoom
• Workshops for practitioners to gain an understanding of how REAL can support families with young children

The final workshop for parents, carers and families will be held on Zoom on
22.3.21

The final workshop for practitioners and volunteers will be held as follows:
23.3.21 1.30 – 3pm MS Teams
This workshop is suitable for all early years practitioners and settings, charities, health services and anyone who has contact with young children.

To book a workshop place please email: [email protected] stating which workshop you would like to attend.

SEND National Trial briefing
18.3.21 9.30 – 12.15 repeated on
24.3.21 1 – 3.45
These national events, hosted by Mott MacDonald, are aimed at ensuring LAs, CCGs and other stakeholders are aware of their duties in relation to the trial and understand the alternative routes for disagreement resolution. The SEND National Trial Briefing Events will provide local areas with an update from DfE on the progress of the trial and a reminder of duties in relation to the SEND national trial. There will be a presentation from a SEND Tribunal First-Tier Tribunal Judge along with a Q&A session. The events will also include sessions on joint working practices to help local areas further embed learning from the National Trial.
The briefing event will take place on Microsoft Teams. A calendar invite will be shared one week prior to the event.
There are 4 spaces per local area:

• 1 place for a SEND representative
• 1 place for a social care representative
• 1 place for a health representative
• 1 SENDIASS representative

How to make your booking
Please select your preferred date, the local area you represent and your role from the drop-down menu. If your local area is no longer listed on the drop-down menu of the order form for any of the dates above, the allocation for your local area has have been filled. If there are no spaces available for your local area and sector, please email [email protected] and we will add you to the waiting list. Places will be allocated after booking closes.
The events are linked here – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/send-national-trial-learning-events-2021-tickets-136443314627
Should you have any difficulties with the booking process, or have any questions, please contact Mott MacDonald at [email protected].’

More Early Years/SEND partnership events
18.3.21 Understanding Parental Co-Production and Inclusive Practice with Contact:
23.3.21 Ordinarily Available Provision with CDC: 
25.3.21Whole Setting SEND and ‘Joining the dots’ with Nasen:
30.3.21 The The Home Learning Environment with NCB’s Early Childhood Unit: delivered by NCB (register here)
29.3.21 1 – 5pm Safeguarding, SEND and Preparing for Adulthood
This event is open to professionals across education, health and care both children’s and adults’ services, parent carers and anyone who is supporting young people into adulthood.
Topics to be covered include:
The lessons from research and serious case reviews relating to the risk of exploitation among children and young people who have SEND/learning disabilities
Some key messages about exploitation and safeguarding during adolescence and early adulthood- how young people are viewed & labelled
The importance of our roles as parents and carers and professionals in responding to the needs of young people as they grow up; holistic whole life practice
The fine balance between keeping young people safe and allowing positive risk -taking including helping young people to protect themselves from an early age, protective actions and what we can do to promote inclusion
Understanding consent
The importance of partnership working across children’s and adult services and the challenges/possibilities within the system
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=uc24UbDrdEqOZ9HMRiI95ztE67NQoENMjvq3J_nOonFURVpHWFo2VzhTRTFYOVpRRTNNUDU5WTBGWC4u

29.3.21 1 – 4.30pm SEND and Social Care National Learning Event
This event is aimed at practitioners in Social Care and SEND including early help, disabled children’s teams, and mainstream social care teams (including safeguarding, child protection teams and LAC teams,) as well as Transition and Adults Social Care teams.
Please register for free here
For more information please contact Deborah Salami at the Council for Disabled Children at [email protected]

Other events

15 – 19.3.21 Inclusive Education Festival
There are eight free events to attend during this week-long festival; the sessions and the contributors are:
Mon 15 Mar, 2:00pm-4:00pm
The Journey Towards Inclusive Education

• Julie Pointer & Linda Jordan, NDTi
• Richard Reiser, World of Inclusion
• Michelle Daley & Joe Whittaker, Alliance for Inclusive Education
• Artemi Sakellariadis, Centre for Studies in Inclusive Education
• Christine Burke, Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities

Tues 16 Mar, 10:30am-12:30pm
Leadership for Inclusion & Inclusive Classroom Practice

• Jane Friswell, NDTi Trustee
• Elizabeth Harris, Head Teacher | Monega Primary School, London
• Debbie Lakey, Deputy Head Teacher | Cleves School, London

Tues 16 Mar, 2:00pm-4:00pm
An International Perspective on Inclusive Education

• Linda Jordan, NDTi
• Gordon Porter, Inclusive Education Canada
• David Towell, Inclusive Futures
• Marcia Rivas, Peru
• Jessica Foster, Nottingham

Wed 17 Mar, 10:30am-12:30pm
Inclusion in Higher Education: Access All Areas

• Ellen Atkinson, NDTi
• Nick Llewellyn, Access All Areas & Central School of Speech and Drama

Wed 17 Mar, 2:00-4:00pm
Creative Approaches to Supporting Inclusive Education

• Barry Jones, NDTi
• Diane Janssen & Eleanor Newsted, Bedazzle
• Colin Newton & Elliot Newton, Inclusive Solutions

Thurs 18 Mar, 10:30am-12:30pm
Inclusion in Secondary & Further Education

• Pat Bullen, NDTi
• Sarah Le-Good, Head of Inclusion | Derby College Group
• Marion Stanton, Managing Director | Communication & Learning Enterprises Limited / Impington Village College, Cambridge

Thurs 18 Mar, 2:00pm-4:00pm
The Right of All Children to Have Gloriously Ordinary Lives

• Richard Reiser, World of Inclusion
• Sanchita Hosali, British Institute of Human Rights
• Tricia Nicoll, Director of Tricia Nicoll Consulting (a shared lives carer to two young autistic people, passionate about getting everyone gloriously ordinary lives)

Fri 19 Mar, 10:30am-12:30pm
Our Right to Inclusive Education: Perspectives from Young People, Families & Friends

• Carol Robinson, NDTi
• Eleanor & Liz Barraclough
• Wilf & Ingid Clark
• Sterre Ploeger & Hannah Facey

To book free places at any of the above sessions the link is Sign Up Form: Inclusive Education Festival, 15-19 March 2021 (office.com)

18.3.21 10 – 12.30 Free course for practitioners working with children with SEND and their families
Contact’s accessible and jargon-free course will give practitioners practical ideas about how they can support disabled children and their families, and skill them up to understand parents’ concerns and how best to help them.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/working-with-parentscarers-of-children-with-send-tickets-129475808629

18.3.21 11am Shared Support monthly get together
Shared Support is Making Participation Work’s informal get together for participation and co-production practitioners. The theme for this session is how to support young people as they transition out of youth participation opportunities and move beyond youth participation.
Register in advance by clicking here: https://bit.ly/37YJtX2
You will be sent a Zoom link.

21 – 27.3.21 International Adolescent Health Week
The theme this year is “Adolescent resilience in the face of a pandemic” with the goals to increase the recognition of youth health issues.

22.3.21 Learning and mental health: 2 sides of the same coin
The conference will focus on effectively educating children and young people, whilst actively supporting the development of positive mental health to help them achieve and thrive.
Learning and mental health: 2 sides of the same coin – edpsy.org.uk

22.3.21 4 – 6pm Intelligent Lives – Free online film screening
What do we lose when intelligence is a number? Watch the film and join the discussion about inclusion. The film tells the stories of three young adults with learning difficulties who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college and the workplace.
For more information and to book your place go to Webinar Registration – Zoom

23.3.21 Classroom strategies for working with young people with tics and Tourette’s Syndrome

Classroom strategies for working with young people with tics and Tourettes Syndrome – edpsy.org.uk

23.3.21 Facilitating effective assessment of children
This virtual masterclass, facilitated by David Glasgow and Bill Joyce, will update delegates on principles of child assessment and include, and train, attendees in the use of This Much!, which is a simple to use but very effective app for eliciting information from children on any topic. It is based on well-established assessment procedures, but is interactive, allowing children to rate people, places, experiences, and sensations using an easily customised scale. The course includes a licensed copy of This Much! for Mac or Windows, which will form the basis of hands-on learning on how to use this tool.
Facilitating Effective Assessment of Children (healthcareconferencesuk.co.uk)

25.3.21 Next steps for the Ofsted inspection framework – adapting to the impact of Covid-19 and the return to school, remote learning and regulation of apprenticeship providers and FE colleges
https://www.westminsterforumprojects.co.uk/book/Next-steps-for-the-Ofsted-Inspection-Framework
25.3.21 A Better Start event: Parents and Communities in the Driving Seat
A Better start is a ten-year National Lottery Community Fund. Five sites are supporting families to give babies and very young children the best possible start in life, through a focus on improving early childhood development outcomes. This event will focus on the learning from parental and community involvement in the project and how that is improving service impact and responsiveness. You can find out more information and register here.

25.3.21 An exploration of school staff and educational psychologists perceptions of promoting a sense of belonging and self-identity in children and young people who attend internal inclusion units in schools with Lianne Lusted
Events Archive – edpsy.org.uk

25.3.21 Self Employment & Organisational Adaptations – a Preparing for Adulthood event
There are two sessions about the ways that organisations have adapted to enable young people with additional needs to be employed. The first focuses on self-employment and the second on Supporting Innovation: Organisational Adaptation and Influence. To book your place on these free workshops please visit
https://www.preparingforadulthood.org.uk/events/self-employment-and-organisational-adaptations.htm

MCA & DoLS for Managers
29 & 30 March 2021 (10.00am – 12.30pm)
29.3.21 – 4.4.21 World Autism Awareness Week
Mental Health in Learning Disability
30th March 2021 (9.45 am – 1.00 pm)
30 & 31.3.21 Evidence, Evaluation and Impact: Improving Outcomes for Children
Organisations serving children, young people and families have made great progress in recent years in evidencing the impact of their work. However, the increased constraints on resources and capacity that have been created by the pandemic highlight the importance of ensuring that services are actually making a real difference.
Evidence Evaluation & Impact | Home (eventsforce.net)
8.4.21 1 – 2.30pm National Community of Practice for Personal Health Budgets in Learning Disability and Autism Services webinar
For information and to confirm your attendance contact: [email protected]

26.4.21 Gender Identity and Autism Workshop
https://autismahandsonapproach.co.uk/giworkshop/

27.4.21 Supporting Disadvantaged Families: Building Better Futures and Improving Social Mobility
Supporting Disadvantaged Families: Building Better Futures and Improving Social Mobility – Government Events
29.4.21 9.30 – 1 Restorative Parenting Recovery Programme
Halliwell Homes: Restorative Parenting Recovery Programme CPD Tickets, Thu 29 Apr 2021 at 09:30 | Eventbrite
MCA & DoLS for Managers
29 & 30 April 2021 (10.00am – 12.30pm)
20.5.21 & 21.5.21 International Conference – Advancing dyslexia and dyscalculia, British Dyslexia Association.
www.bdadyslexia.org.uk/services/conference

16.6.21 The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Conference 2021
Hear the latest updates on SEND policy and funding in the wake of Covid-19.
Also hear a breadth of best practice case studies from LAs and schools, from co-ordinating a cross-agency response and providing mental health support, to practical implementations for the classroom in both primary and secondary schools.
The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Conference 2021 – Government Events

SHARING LEARNING AND PRACTICE ACROSS THE NORTH WEST

Congratulations to those from the North West who featured at the Children & Young People Awards 2020 ceremony recently:

Public Sector Children’s Team Award & The safeguarding award
Rochdale Borough Council – Sunrise (Complex Safeguarding Team)

The Advice and Guidance award
Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group – Education Advocacy Project

The Play award
Centre for Early Child Development – Blackpool Better Start Outdoor Space Engagement Project

The Youth Relationship award
Highly commended: Rochdale Borough Council – Rochdale Relationships Revolution

The Youth Work award
Wigan Youth Zone – Virtual Youth Zone

The Family Support award
Centre for Early Child Development – Blackpool Better Start Community Connectors

Safeguarding Award sponsored by Thirtyone:eight
Highly commended: Rochdale Borough Council – Sunrise (Complex Safeguarding Team)

The Public Sector Children’s Team Award
Winner: Rochdale Borough Council – Sunrise (Complex Safeguarding Team)

Comics Youth, an organisation that provides comics-based literacy and wellbeing projects for marginalised children and young people aged eight to 25, won the coveted Children and Young People’s Charity Award. The Liverpool-based charity also picked up the Youth Work Award for its Marginal Leadership and Development Programme, a mentorship initiative giving under-represented young people the opportunity to express themselves through comics, artwork and writing.

CONSULTATIONS
Reminder: Mental Health Act White Paper Consultation
The Government’s Reforming the Mental Health Act White Paper was published last month. The Department of Health and Social Care is currently undertaking a consultation to gather people’s views and shape how Government takes forward these proposals. You can read more about the consultation here.
It you would like to respond to the consultation, please submit your response via the portal. The closing date for responses is Wednesday 21 April 2021.

EdTech and SEND: DfE funded assessments (Only available till end of March)
Assessments for learners with SEND to find out how accessible technology can help them to access the curriculum better. They are fully funded, but only available till the end of March. You can find out more details and register interest here:  https://www.nationalstar.org/products-services-facilities/star-technology/accessible-tech/send-support-hub/

RESOURCES

Trauma informed resources
Barnardo’s have launched their new Barnardo’s Education Community – a resource aimed at teachers, lecturers and staff working in the education sector. Educators will be able to access trauma-informed resources, support and advice about how to support children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing, including coping with loss, grief and bereavement. It will also provide a Community of Practice where education professionals can share and discuss best practice nationwide.
Welcome to Barnardo’s Education Community – Barnardos Education Hub (educators-barnardos.org.uk)

Diabetes Care

Training videos on how to make reasonable adjustments to diabetes care.

The video modules below are part of a four-part series of training modules that are a result of the Real-D project from the University of Leeds.
Real-D was a project about making reasonable adjustments to diabetes care for people with a learning disability and it was funded by the British Medical Association and Leeds Community Healthcare Trust. These modules form an overall springboard for Health Care Professionals to think about their own practice.
Part 1 – What is a learning disability?
Part 2 – How to make reasonable adjustments
Part 3 – Getting it right during Covid-19
Part 4 – Coding, communication and change
Real-D Project training video modules | Diabetes UK

Heads Up toolkit
The ‘Heads Up!’ toolkit aims to encourage young people to:

• have their voice heard on mental health support and services,
• communicate what needs to change,
• promote and highlight good mental health in the community; and
• prioritise looking after their own health – mental, emotional and physical.

Young people give ‘Heads Up’ on mental health campaigning (niccy.org)

Love Never Dies
A beautifully-written and drawn children’s book dealing with loss and
grief. It has been self-published and can be ordered through @TootsDesign through
the following link: Love Never Dies | Toots Design

The DEN: Resources to support parents and kids during lockdown
The Den | Save the Children UK

SEN Reads Issue 1
SENReads – Issue No.1 (mailerlite.com)

FOCUS: REMOTE EDUCATION
In January, Ofsted published some research on what works well in remote education They have now published a video about how remote education is working for children and young people with SEND.
The video shares findings from interviews with area leaders and providers as part of Ofsted’ autumn programme of interim visits.

INFORMATION

New support materials to help clinicians deliver safe and effective Covid-19 vaccinations for people with a learning disability.
Clinicians are encouraged to use the following resources to help improve the accessibility of COVID-19 vaccination appointments:

• COVID-19 vaccine film produced in collaboration with Skills for People and Learning Disability England for people with a learning disability and autistic people
• Public Health England  Easy Read COVID-19 vaccination leaflet
• Public Health England Easy Read what to expect after the vaccine leaflet
• Easy Read adult consent form

There are also training materials for COVID-19 vaccinators and volunteers. They provide top tips on communicating with people with a learning disability and autistic people and highlight the range of reasonable adjustments that should be considered to ensure that the appointment runs smoothly.

Age 13+ Young Epilepsy have launched The Hub
The Hub is a forum for young people to connect with others, share experiences and learn from the community. They can ask the questions they’ve always wanted to, share how living with epilepsy affects them, and support others who might have had similar experiences. There’s also a dedicated space for parents/carers of children with epilepsy and takes just a couple of minutes to sign up.

Government Tackling Child Abuse strategy
Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Harmful online challenges and online hoaxes
Advice for schools and colleges to support their approach to harmful online challenges and online hoaxes.Harmful online challenges and online hoaxes – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing
Guidance for headteachers and college principals on the 8 principles for promoting emotional health and wellbeing in schools and colleges.
Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

BLOGS
Using the engagement model
A blog exploring the challenges presented to us due to Covid, arguing for flexibility, responsiveness and creativity.
School catch-up: using the engagement model to face coronavirus challenges – edpsy.org.uk

Relationships and resilience: the need for social and emotional learning right now in UK education
What do children need for mental health and wellbeing?
Relationships and resilience: the need for social and emotional learning right now in UK education – edpsy.org.uk

VOICE MATTERS      

The Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health have worked along with nearly 900 children and young people who shared their views and helped to choose priorities for paediatrics.  The aims was to find out “what knowledge, skills and attitudes doctors need when working with children and young people” and “what would revolutionise care.”
Read the findings at: Voice matters – Paediatrics 2040 (rcpch.ac.uk)

Want to improve your engagement with inclusion health groups?
If so, go to: What can you do? – Friends, Families & Travellers (inclusion-health.org)

FOCUS: EATING DISORDERS

Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan, Associate National Clinical Director for Children and Young People’s Mental Health, has written two new guidance pieces:

• The first piece for parents and guardians includes what kind of signs and symptoms to look out for in children and young people;
• The second piece for children and young people focuses on the types of symptoms they may have and where they can get help.

RESEARCH AND REPORTS

The experiences of minority ethnic heritage parents having a child with SEND: a systematic literature review
Given the need to provide culturally competent children’s services which support each child’s right to full educational participation, the current systematic literature review aims to provide an up-to-date, international review of empirical studies that investigate the experience of minority ethnic heritage parents who have a child with special educational needs and disability (SEND).
Studies were assessed using a qualitative assessment framework. Of the 17 studies that met the inclusion criteria, only 11 were classed as higher quality and included in the final synthesis. The findings highlight that for ethnic heritage families, parenting a child with a disability can be a highly stressful experience, involving a sense of loss and concerns for the child’s future, compounded by families and cultural factors as well as professional service factors, with religious beliefs and practices, on the whole, serving as a protective factor. Implications for educational psychology practice and future research are clearly identified.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/334566448_The_experiences_of_minority_ethnic_heritage_parents_having_a_child_with_SEND_a_systematic_literature_review
The State of Children’s Mental Health Services 2020-21
A Children’s Commissioner’s report
The state of children’s mental health services 2020/21 | Children’s Commissioner for England

Social work and autistic young people: an exploratory study
A study by the Chief Social Worker for Adults’ and the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families which seeks to improve the quality of autistic people’s lives and social work practice.
Social work and autistic young people: an exploratory study – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Longest Lockdown
A year out of school without essential therapy and delays to hospital checks has led to disabled children’s health getting worse, a new survey by the Disabled Children’s Partnership (DCP) has found.
The report finds that:

• 3 in 4 disabled children are facing delays to routine health checks.
• 70% of disabled children are unable to get therapies for their development.
• Two thirds of disabled children are still not getting support set out by law in their Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.

I want to do well: a literature review of existing research on children and young people’s experiences of Covid-19.
This review focuses largely on experiences of lockdown, with further research anticipated to capture changing views and longer-term impacts, as well as to better understand the varied experiences of different groups of children and young people.
Microsoft Word – I Want To Do Well.docx (afaeducation.org)

Lockdown could have a long term effect on young people
Loneliness and social isolation increase the long-term risk of depression and anxiety in children and teenagers, a recent review of research suggests.
https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/lonely-young-people-risk-mental-health-problems-years-after-lockdown/

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUDDING FILM MAKERS

The Oska Bright Film Festival 2021 is open for entries. This is the work’s biggest festival of films made by, or featuring, people with a learning disability, Asperger’s or autism. Submit a short film by 31 March to be considered for the festival which will take place later in the year.
Find out what you need to do and how to submit here: www.oskabright.org

TRAINING

Free webinars including:
Creating opportunities for sensory learning in your classroom
How high-quality AT support for literacy closes the reading gap
Effective resourcing for social, emotional and mental health
Communication and the importance of clean language boundaries
Free online SEND training – watch now! (tessenshow.co.uk)

Council for Disabled Children National Virtual Event February 2021 – Recordings
On the 26th February 2021, CDC ran a national virual event for SEND Leads, DCO/DMOs and Commissioners from across the country. The aim of the event was to update the sector, share knowledge and best pratice and learn from each other. The main plenary session consisted of:

• NHSE/I SEND update from Lorraine Mulroney, Senior Nurse for CYP and SEND Workstream Lead at NHSE/I
• A briefing on Delivery partner offer by Fiona Nzegwu, DfE
• Presentation on ICSs, Integrated Care Partnerships and Local Care Organisations and provider collaboratives by Richard Owen, Head of Children and Young People, NHS Medical Directorate, NHS England
• West Yorkshire and Harrogate Children and Families ICS Programme presentation delivered by Sue Rumbold, Director

A recording of the main session can be found here.
Attendees at the event were also given the opportunity to attend 2x workshops on variety of topics. Please find the workshop recordings below:

• An overview of CDC’s e-learning offer
• Building resilience for young people with additional needs through COVID-19
• Changing Young People’s Lives Through Personalised Care – Thurrock’s Story 
• Developing a framework for minimum training requirements for healthcare professionals with regards to Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
• Ensuring breadth of health advice and a collaborative submission as part of the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process.
• From surviving to thriving: keeping a special school, its pupils and their families supported during a global pandemic. 
• Home and Away – Good transitions for young people who have lived out of area as a result of their education when returning to their home community.
• Putting the NHS Number on an EHC Plan
• Respite and Short Breaks
• Results from the UK National Autism Diagnostic Services Survey 2020: Similarities and differences between provision from paediatric and CAMHS teams, and recommendations for change
• SEND Data Dashboard
• Supporting the sector through Whole School SEND
• The Healthy Parent Carers Programme: using CLANGERS to improve parent carers health and wellbeing as a response to the COVID-19 Pandemic 
• Using technology to triangulate information and enable anticipatory support- Salford
• What co-production has looked like during the pandemic.

If you would like to have access to any of the PowerPoints shown in the workshops, please email Dafna at [email protected].

Nasen Whole School Send training calendar
15384 Training Calendars 2021 SPRING FINAL LINKS_1.pdf (nasen-prod-asset.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com)

Psychological First Aid online training.
This training helps support children and young people that have been affected by emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic. It is available for all frontline workers, such as teachers, health and social workers, charity and community volunteers and anyone who cares for, or is regularly in contact with, children and young people aged up to 25, including parents and caregivers. Those completing the training will be equipped to better identify those children that are in distress and provide support to help them feel safe, connected and able to take steps to helps themselves during the pandemic or other crisis situations.
CYP Psychological First Aid online course – FutureLearn

VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY

Spectrum Gaming, don’t just want to be a community that enables autistic young people to develop meaningful friendships and develop a more positive perspective of autism. They want to create a movement that will have a positive influence on society through advocacy, and enable strategical change to ensure the needs of autistic young people are met across the UK.
However, there has been a surge in demand for their community and they would really appreciate some volunteer support so they can continue to grow and improve on what they do.
If you share their passion and have some spare time, they would love if it you would consider joining them on their journey by volunteering with them.
Potential volunteer roles include:

• Minecraft moderators
• Autistic mentors
• Discord community moderators
• Face to face meet up volunteers
• Fundraisers

If you can, please fill in the form below and they will invite you to an information session where they can talk more about what Spectrum Gaming is, how you can support them, but also how they can support you as a volunteer, before you come to a final decision of whether volunteering with them is right for you: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=DQSIkWdsW0yxEjajBLZtrQAAAAAAAAAAAAMAADkQWgFUMlpGQ1NCRVNQVDU5RkxBOExOUlU5TUVPQS4u

FOCUS: RETURN TO SCHOOL
Finding space to listen and reflect
Return to school: finding space to listen and reflect – edpsy.org.uk

Back to school: Some key considerations
Back to school: some key considerations – edpsy.org.uk

FOCUS: SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH A PARENT IN PRISON

Resources from the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT)
For children | Prison Advice and Care Trust.

Children heard and seen
Home – Children Heard and Seen

Support for families and friends of prisoners
Support for families and friends of prisoners – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Coping with incarceration
Coping With Incarceration | Sesame Street in Communities – Sesame Street in Communities

Children affected by the imprisonment of a family member
453 – Welsh Schools Handbook_English.pdf (nicco.org.uk)

OTHER NEWSLETTERS

Afasic update:
Afasic March Update – Free Resources (mailchi.mp)

Autism newsletter:
Autism Newsletter (mailchi.mp)
Centre for Youth Impact news
Centre for Youth Impact Newsletter: February 2021 (mailchi.mp)

Making ourselves heard news
February Making Ourselves Heard Newsflash (mailchi.mp)
March Making Ourselves Heard Newsletter (mailchi.mp)

Mental health, Learning Disability and Autism newsletter
https://mhlda.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/d/D1D359B364F4B2C22540EF23F30FEDED/204745E813181C7063B21DE8DA818551

NFER Direct
NFER Direct February 2021 (dmtrk.net)

Ofsted news
Ofsted News – Issue 98 – February 2021 (mailchi.mp)
Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health & Us news:
RCPCH &Us News March 2021

Teacher Bulletins
Teacher Bulletin: latest information on reopening schools to all students, catch up and exams (govdelivery.com)

Teacher bulletin: guidance, tips and advice – and recognising excellence in teaching (govdelivery.com)

Whole School SEND newsletter
Your Community of Practice e-news (dmtrk.net)