To better collect your views and experiences, we have introduced a new feedback form, which we’ll tell you more about in this week’s update. There’s also important information about:
New HPCI feedback form
We want to know when you have a good experience of a Herts SEND service, and when you have a poor one. This helps us share views and experiences with the people who design and deliver the services that our children need and use. (We will never share personal or identifying information.)
Our new feedback form is designed to capture your views and experiences. It’s quick and easy – just 3 questions.
Whether you’re telling us about good practice, so we can encourage it to be shared amongst more teams, or letting us know about a new issue, we want to hear it all. Do use it whenever you have feedback to share and let others know about it, so they can have their voices heard too.
HCC’s SEND summit – 15 September
HCC have recently set out some further information about their SEND Summit and how families can feed in their views. Information so far is here but to summarise – the summit itself will be invite only, due to space restrictions. But we’re told that parent carers will make up a third of attendees. HPCI will be there to represent families, alongside other parent groups and organisations from the voluntary and charity sectors, who work with Herts SEND families. And the event will be live-streamed, so interested parents can watch online.
In the run up to the summit, families are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas via this survey which is open until 31 July or by going along to a “listening event”. The details of these events are yet to be announced – we’ll share further when we have dates and locations.
If you are able to share your thoughts, please do – the more family views included, the better.
Feedback from our recent survey on mental health in schools
Thank you to everyone who responded to our survey on mental health support in schools. We had well over 200 responses.
Parents told us clearly that their main priority for their child was “wellbeing and happiness”, with “safety” coming a close second. However, the majority of respondents thought that the main priority of their child’s school was “academic progress and/or grades”.
There was a huge amount of feedback regarding people’s experience of mental health services in Hertfordshire and ideas about how support, both in schools and beyond, could be improved.
We have shared our findings with the Mental Health Support Team and our parent reps will draw on these as part of our discussions on driving improving improvements across Children and Young People’s Mental Health services. If you would like to read a more detailed summary of our findings, you can find this here.
The Hertfordshire Money Advice Unit
One thing that families tell us that they would like more support with is money and benefits. We often hear how overwhelming it can feel to complete an application for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The “Children with Disability” project can provide advice and assistance to parent carers with their child’s DLA or PIP claim or review forms (up to the child’s 18th birthday). It’s run by Hertfordshire’s Money Advice Unit. You can contact the project yourself or ask a professional such as social worker, school, GP or health visitor to do this on your behalf.
You can contact the team on 01438 843456 or you can e-mail mauadmin@hertfordshire.gov.uk They can also refer you for advice on other benefits if needed.
Free Book: Planning With Love: A Guide to Wills and Trusts for Parents of Children With Special Needs
This book is currently free on Amazon Kindle (until Tuesday 24 June) and “provides practical, up-to-date guidance and information to help parents navigate the complex process of planning for their child’s future”. To download the book, you can search “Planning With Love” on Amazon Kindle or click here.
The Government’s Spending Review
On Wednesday the Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her spending review to parliament. A spending review is where the Treasury sets out how much each government department can spend and what will be delivered with that money.
As part of this year’s review, £760m was announced for “SEND reforms”. However, this money is not a separate pot and will need to be found from within funding announced for rises in school budgets.
The government also announced that it will set out its SEND reform plans in a Schools White Paper, which is going to be published in the autumn. This White Paper will set out any proposals for future law changes, so could potentially have a big impact – we will keep you informed once we know the details.
