Home / HPCI Member update 29 September 2023
This week’s update starts with a quick reminder to please complete our 2023 survey and also covers:
Survey: Families with SEND’s use of holiday and activity clubs in Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) are currently running a survey for parent carers of children with SEND to establish their usage of holiday and activity clubs in Hertfordshire. The lack of suitable holiday club provision is something that members have repeatedly raised with us as an issue, so we’re pleased that HCC are looking into this and would encourage you to complete the survey here: Children and Young People with SEND (hertfordshire.gov.uk) The survey should only take five minutes to complete and it’s open until 6 October. If you have more than one child with SEND, you can complete the form more than once.
Survey: Advocacy services in Hertfordshire
HCC funds independent advocacy services to support vulnerable people (18+) in conversations about their care and support. The current contracts finish in June 2024 and the Council is asking for input as it reviews these advocacy services: Advocacy Public Survey The link also has details of some workshops that are also being run to seek views.
Event: SEND Reform England Protest (13 October in St Albans)
SEND Reform England is a voluntary group that is campaigning for reform of the SEND education system. They are holding a protest in St Albans on 13 October (11-2) and you can find more details about the event on their Facebook page.
Event: Contact’s Rare Conditions Conference (4 October, online)
Contact (the national charity for families with disabled children) are holding a free online conference on 4 October to bring together parent carers of children with rare conditions and also to help shape and develop Contact’s network of rare conditions groups across the UK. Further details are here.
Update: Herts SEND toolkit – updated for 2023/24
You might be aware that HFL Education and HCC produce a SEND Toolkit for schools (HPCI were involved in the development of the toolkit, which one parent described as having a “SENCO in a box”!). This has just been updated for 2023-24 – if your school is struggling to support your child with SEND it might be worth reminding them that this tool exists, and they can download it for free.
Feedback request: Have you experienced housing issues relating to your child’s SEN or disability?
Shelter, the national Housing charity, is working with regional colleagues to better understand how SEND and housing issues overlap. If you have anything you’d like us to feed into this discussion, please email contact@hertsparentcarers.org.uk