Welcome to the latest issue of the SENDMatters Termly Update
This termly newsletter aims to provide parents, carers and young people and professionals with information and updates that inform you of the latest news, developments and services for children, teenagers and young adults (aged from birth to 25 years old) who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bromley.
We cover a range of developments and key local events, and any updates.
What's in this issue?
- SEND Celebration
- Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT) conference for Pre-school leaders and SENCOs
- Bromley Local Offer for Young People
- Deaf Awareness Project
- SEN Support Train the Trainer, Lead the Leader
- SEN Support ready-made training packs for Bromley Schools
- Help and support for families
- Have your say - SEND Network Champions
- Let us know what you think
SEND Celebration
Celebrating young people with special educational needs and disabilities
The excitement was palpable at the first SEND Stars Awards. It was the finale to a month of activities to recognise the accomplishments of Bromley’s children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), and the people who make a difference to their lives.
Other events included webinars to share experiences, a display of artistic talents at the Pavilion Leisure Centre, information stations in Children and Family Centres and a Local Offer market place event to enable families and carers to meet professionals face to face to learn more about the support and services for families in Bromley.
The awards recognised, children, young people, parents and carers and local organisations.
Early Years Inclusion Team (EYIT) conference for Pre-school leaders and SENCOs
The Early Years Inclusion (EYIT) team held a conference for pre-school leaders and SENCOs on the 12th October at Bromley Library. It was a very full agenda and provided an overview of the EYIT offer of support including the new planning meetings.
This was followed by a range of speakers, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their excellent presentations. These included Julie Cook, Local Offer Development Officer, Michael O’Dwyer at St Peter and St Pauls Nursery/Primary School, Rebecca Osbourne (SEND specialist in the Bromley Health Visiting Team) and Hilary Kendrick, Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.
The feedback reflected that the settings had found the day helpful in supporting the development of their inclusive practices and work with children and families.
‘Really great conference! I've learnt so much and taken away lots of ideas to support the children in our setting’
‘Very useful and lots to go back and research. Very beneficial day’
Really good to have practical training
The team would like to extend their thanks to all those who took an entire day away from their work place to hear more about inclusion and supporting children and their families with SEND.
Bromley Local Offer for Young People
Over the last six months, the Local Offer Development Officer (LODO) has been working with a web designer to create a Bromley Local Offer for Young People and work is currently ongoing.
The LODO has been working with a variety of schools and settings to design a website containing information for them as they prepare for adulthood,
If you would like to be involved in its development please email Localoffer@bromley.gov.uk.
Deaf Awareness Project
“My name is Kaitlyn Hilson, I was a student at Darrick Wood School and now I work in the Deaf Base at Darrick Wood School. I have done some acting projects and I would love to break down the barriers in the acting industry. I wrote this piece and performed it at the Courtyard Theatre. I wrote it because I want to raise Deaf Awareness and try to make the world more inclusive and accessible for everyone. I hope this video helps people understand the Deaf Community better”
SEN Support Train the Trainer, Lead the Leader
Building on the ongoing success of the Dyslexia Train the Trainer, Lead the Leader (TTLL) program for school teachers in our local area, Bromley’s Inclusion Support Advisory Team (ISAT) has this year expanded the training offer to a total of four comprehensive courses.
The courses include dyslexia, autism, ADHD and speech, language and communication needs, providing coverage of the highest incidence needs at SEN Support level in mainstream schools. Each TTLL program is for SENCOs, middle/senior leaders or aspiring leaders who want to raise staff awareness and skills in their school, to support adaptive high-quality teaching, reasonable adjustments and common interventions. All courses include five structured and resourced modules, running from November 2023 to June 2024. Over a third of Bromley’s mainstream schools are taking part in the TTLL 2023-24 cohort, with each participant cascading professional learning to teachers and support staff, as well as direct activities with parents/carers and pupils, to build confidence in their school’s ordinarily available provision. Throughout the year, ISAT will be sharing the exciting and inspiring work undertaken by mainstream schools across Bromley throughout the local SEND network!
SEN Support ready-made training packs for Bromley Schools
Alongside the SENCO Hub, Bromley’s SENCOs and school staff who are SEND champions can access a wealth of practical resources that have been created and curated to support excellent SEN Support provision, via four SEN Support Padlets. These Padlets are frequently updated and now include 20 ready-made training packs made by Bromley’s Inclusion Support Advisory Team (ISAT): Autism; Dyslexia; ADHD; and Speech, Language and Communication Needs. Professionals in Bromley schools can use these training packs flexibly, for example the slides can be downloaded and adapted to deliver staff training and they are also suitable for self-directed learning. Each pack includes a suite of ‘take-away’ resources also. A new bonus set includes an introduction to various specific learning difficulties, including introductory training for dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia and working memory and processing difficulties.
Help and support for families
Bromley Mencap Update
Bromley Mencap Children’s Service
We are very excited to be holding a Christmas Silent Disco on December 21st. This will be for children with SEN, who can be accompanied by their siblings and their parents. It will include crafts, Christmas stories and a chance for parents to meet.
Please see our website for details and how you can get involved -
Short Breaks Buddying Service
Our Short Breaks Buddying Service offers support to young disabled people aged 14-25 years old to access leisure and recreation opportunities in the community. Our team of buddies are aged 16 and above and are able to help with first steps towards travel training, understanding money and gaining confidence and social skills. We employ, train and match buddies to young people engaging in the service. We provide regular training and ensure that DBS and insurance requirements are covered.
Benedict has been a buddy since 2019 and has been matched with Harvey since 2020. Benedict accompanies Harvey to various places using public transport including coffee shops, the cinema, bowling and browsing shopping centres. They often go for a walk and Benedict has also helped Harvey with some food shopping.
When Benedict went to university, he continued to provide support to Harvey during his holidays. During term time, Harvey also benefitted from the support of another buddy. Benedict has now finished university and is able to resume support with Harvey. Benedict accompanied Harvey to the Bromley Mencap Disco in the summer which they both enjoyed greatly and he recently took Harvey to the Barbers for a haircut.
Christmas Resources
As Christmas approaches, Bromley Mencap have produced some really useful resources as seen below:
Have your say - SEND Network Champions
The next meeting is 31 January 2024.
- Do you believe that we should all be SEND Champions?
- Do you want to be part of an exciting network representing your service or families in SEND?
- Are you an outstanding and passionate individual who wants to make a difference for children and young people who have SEND and support your service in this area?
- Would you like to be a key lead for your area?
- Are you interested in becoming a SEND Network Champion?
Have a chat with your line manager or email Localoffer@bromley.gov.uk for more information.
Parent and carer engagement in Bromley
We want to put the voice of our children and young people and their families at the heart of what we do.
Our SEND engagement framework Better Together: Inform, Involve, Influence sets out how we ask for, collect and use feedback from our children and young people and their parents or carers.
We work with a range of organisations and individual parent and carers.
Bromley Y
For up to date information on the service provided by Bromley Y please click here
Let us know what you think
We’d like to hear from you about what you would like to see in this newsletter.
So, if you know if anything locally that’s relevant to special needs and disabilities for children and young people, that other parents/carers and young people would like to hear about which includes local events, please let us know.
Just email us at localoffer@bromley.gov.uk
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