ESPCF Newsletters

A little later than planned, but our winter 2024/25 newsletter is here!

Read about…

• Our fab engagement team getting out to 27 schools in East Sussex and working in partnership to create parent carer groups.
• The results of our survey about mental health support in schools for children with mild to moderate mental health needs.
• What happened at our parent carer focus group exploring ideas to support young people with SEND who are facing the often mind-boggling post-16 work options.
• What has been happening since the change of government last year in relation to potential reforms to the SEND system.
• Upcoming events, including the next CAMHS participation parent carer group and our monthly coffee morning for parent carers in Bexhill.
• News about a new group in Eastbourne for dads and male carers.
• And a final call for responses to our temperature check and speech and language polls.

Our summer newsletter is out now! It includes two important reports:

• The results of our parent carer survey 2023-24
• The results of our poll on communication while on a waiting list for autism, ADHD, and mental health support

Also:

• Articles on two new projects which centre around improving school experiences for neurodivergent children
• An introduction to one of our steering group members
• Tell us if you think we’re doing a good job representing your voice to decision-makers
• Have a look at a new document which is being trialled to support conversations between families and schools
• See what’s on offer from East Sussex providers over the summer holidays
• A few photos of where we’ve been out and about in East Sussex over the last few weeks

Part two of our winter edition is available now. Lots of news and information to share, including:

• Our report on the difficulties faced by families with SEND children or young people when they are trying to access mental health and social care support via the Single Point of Advice (SPoA) service.
• News about East Sussex’s involvement in trialling the potential reforms set out in the government’s National SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.
• The first in our series of ‘key theme questions’ in preparation for the Ofsted inspection – this one is asking about CAMHS communication.
• News on workstreams including: access to early years settings for SEND children; emotionally-based school avoidance; annual health checks for young people with learning disabilities; request for parent carer input on which SEND people and groups should we be speaking to ahead of the Ofsted inspection.
• A summary of our recent meeting with directors from East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust after hearing from parent carers about their concerns around changes being made at the short stay paediatric unit at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

Please do have a read and share with East Sussex SEND families.