Our latest newsletter, with news, events, resources and more!
Cumberland Newsletter header
Cumberland SEND Partnership Newsletter
* Welcome to our newsletter! [ #link_2 ]
* News
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* Events and things to do [ #link_3 ]
* SEND Resources [ #link_4 ]
* Local Offer Spotlight [ #link_6 ]
* And finally... [ #link_5 ]
Welcome to our newsletter!
*Welcome to our latest Cumberland SEND Partnership newsletter! It feels like Spring might finally be in the air!*
In this newsletter we have news including changes to our Facebook page, which will be updated next week. We are excited to move forward with these changes! We also have a short-form EHCP (Educational Health and Care Plan) application and panel survey, and news on the Holiday Food and Activities (HAF) Programme, which is returning for the Easter holidays to provide fun days out!
In our events section we have a lot of sessions coming up with both SENDAC and the Autism Pathway Navigators. SENDAC have seen a great turn out at their recent Coffee and Chat sessions; a huge thank you to them for offering such supportive and informative sessions! We have also received great feedback from parents and carers attending the Autism Pathway Navigator sessions, who can offer support and guidance to families who may be unsure of their next step, or just want some support. We have also included Cumberland Council's Family Wellbeing survey, which offers a chance to win a £100 Amazon gift card if completed, and an exciting opportunity to join the Autism Education Trust's Autistic Young Experts Panel.
Our resources section in this edition includes information on ARFID (Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), an eating disorder which is becoming more prevalent, particularly among neurodivergent communities. The eating disorder charity, Beat, have provided some great information and resources, and BEE Unique are also offering a support and information session in the local area, hosted with Owl Blue. We also have links to NHS hospital passports, an important and useful resources for any individuals who are autistic and/ or have learning disabilities to have when visiting hospital. Information on why they are so useful is below!
Finally, we have our Local Offer spotlight with a focus on what the Local Offer is and how to use it, and some resources on women and girls with autism from the National Autistic Society for International Women's Day. A reminder that if you have any stories for our newsletter, any information or resources you found useful, or upcoming events you'd like to share, you can get in touch with our Communications and Engagement Officer to share them.
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News
Changes to our Facebook page
*Please note that from Friday 15 March, the Cumbria SEND Partnership Facebook page will become the Cumberland SEND Partnership page, with a separate Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership page now in place.*
The page will have a new name (Cumberland SEND Partnership) and profile picture.
Cumberland SEND Partnership
The page is used to share news, information, events, resources, and stories from the local area and wider that may be of interest to young people with SEND and /or their families. You can find the page here (please note that prior to 15 March, the page will still be branded as the Cumbria SEND Partnership). [
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The page will continue to post relevant county-wide posts until the new Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership page has an established following.
This change is happening following the Cumbria SEND Partnership recently splitting into two new local area partnerships, after Local Government Reorganisation took place in Cumbria. The two new SEND Partnerships (Cumberland SEND Partnership and Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership) will continue to work with colleagues from their relevant councils (either Cumberland or Westmorland and Furness), NHS and Health colleagues, and parent and carer forums.
The decision to rebrand this page to the Cumberland SEND Partnership came from where the majority of the page audience live, based on available data from Facebook.
If you would like to keep up with Westmorland and Furness SEND Partnership, you can follow/like the page here. [
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Give us your feedback on the EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan) application process and panel
*Thank you to everyone who filled in our recent short form survey on Targeted Short Breaks - the feedback has now been sent to the Short Breaks team who will be using it to inform a consultation opening later this year. *
Give us your feedback on the EHCP application process and panel
We are now collecting feedback related to the EHCP (Educational Health Care Plan) application process and panel. This feedback will be used to guide us with producing more resources and support for parents and carers navigating the process.
The survey only consists of three questions and will take no longer than 5 minutes to fill in. We would encourage parents and carers to please tell us about your experiences, including if your child was declined issue of an EHCP. We are also particularly interested to hear parents and carers experiences of the panel process, and what resources would be helpful for families about to experience this.
The survey will be open until Friday, 22 March.
*Fill in the short survey on the EHCP application process and panel* [
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Holiday Activities and Food Programme
*The Holiday Activities and Food Progamme is back for the Easter holidays. *
Holiday Activities and Food Programme
The Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) programme provides free, fun activities during the Easter, summer and winter holidays funded by the Department for Education. The activities are for school-aged children (between 4 and 18).
Children of families supported by benefits-related free school meals and other children in particular circumstances can access up to four days of funded activities during Easter and winter holidays and sixteen days during the summer holidays. Some providers are also provided free SEND spaces for children and young people - just check with the provider if this is the case!
You can find HAF activities by following the link below. When contacting providers to book spaces, we ask that you please quote either of the following codes (depending on your situation) so funding can be allocated correctly:
HAF 2 if a child is SEND/EHCP and receives benefit related free school meals
HAF 4 if a child is SEND/EHCP and does not receive benefit related free school meals
You can contact the HAF team at HAF@Cumberland.gov.uk if you have any questions about eligibility, or the programme.
*Find and book HAF events near you* [
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Events and things to do
Provide your feedback in the Family Wellbeing survey
*Complete the Cumberland Council Family Wellbeing survey for the chance to win a £100 Amazon Gift Voucher!*
Family Wellbeing survey
"The Family Wellbeing Programme will transform the support services provided to families and children aged 0-19, with an emphasis on a preventative approach to issues. At the heart of this transformation is the needs of our families and young people and partners. We want to co-design our future services with the people who are closest to them; our families, our staff and our partners."
The survey asks about your experiences of services including the Health Visiting service, Family Hubs, Child and Family support service (including SEND support groups), Targeted Family Support, Targeted Therapeutic Services, Targeted Short Break Services, Overnight Short Break Services, Targeted Youth Support, Early Help etc.
This is an opportunity to have your say on how accessible services are, where they do well and what they could improve, and what services you'd like to see more of.
The survey is anonymous, but if you would like to enter the prize draw to win a £100 Amazon voucher, you will be asked to provide your email address. Please remember to follow the survey until the end and click 'submit' for your answers to be submitted! The survey will close on Friday 15 March.
*Complete the Family Wellbeing survey on the Cumberland Council website* [
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Upcoming coffee mornings with SENDAC, the parent carer forum for Cumbria!
Parent Coffee and Chat SENDAC
*SENDAC, the parent carer forum for Cumbria, will be running coffee and chat sessions throughout the Cumberland and Westmorland areas in the upcoming months.*
For more information about the sessions, and to receive email reminders, you can visit the SENDAC website. [
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*All sessions in the Cumberland area are listed below:*
Harraby Community Centre, CA1 3SN: CARLISLE, 10:00am- 11:00am
* Friday 22 March
* Friday 3 May
* Friday 14 June
* Friday 26 July - exclusive session with activities for SEND children
Mirehouse Community centre, CA28 9SW: WHITEHAVEN, 10:30 am - 11:30 am
* Tuesday 26 March
* Tuesday 14 May
* Tuesday 25 June
* Tuesday 6 August - exclusive session with activities for SEND children!
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Autism Pathway-Navigators Drop In sessions
*Is your child undergoing assessment for autism? Do you have any questions or would you like some support? Would you like to meet other parents and carers also going through the process?*
Pathway Navigator Drop in Coffee and Biscuit
The Autism Pathway- Navigators Drop In sessions will be attended by professionals, including an Autism Pathway- Navigator, a Health Visitor, a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist.
This drop in is for parents and carers of:
* Children who have been seen by the paediatrician
* Children who are on the ‘multi agency assessment team’ (MAAT) pathway
* Children who have not yet received a diagnosis
Sessions will take place on the following dates:
*Thursday 21 March, 1.00 - 3.00pm - Carlisle Library, CA3 8NX*
*Thursday 25 April, 1.00 - 3.00pm - Workington Library, CA14 2ND*
*Thursday 16 May, 1.00 - 3.00pm - Carlisle Library, *CA3 8NX**
For further details, you can contact our Autism Pathway Navigator at NorthCumbriaChildrensMAAT@ncic.nhs.uk
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Opportunity to join Autism Education Trust's Autistic Young Experts Panel
*The Autism Education Trust (AET) is a partnership set up by two national charities; the National Autistic Society and Ambitious About Autism. It is partly funded by the Department for Education. *
Their mission is to empower the education workforce and support them in securing a positive education that supports wellbeing for all autistic children and young people.
Autism Education Trust
The AET Autistic Young Experts is a group of autistic 16-25-year-olds, who meet
online on the last Monday of every month at 5:15pm-6:45pm. The group contribute to AET projects through sharing their experiences and ideas, and input into the strategy of the AET.
In addition to the monthly meetings, other opportunities may arise that the panel can work on as a group or individually. There are currently seven vacancies on the Autistic Young Experts panel; this is an exciting opportunity to join the group! Previously, the panel have been involved in activities such as speaking at events, co-delivering training, sharing their experiences with professionals in film and contributing to national consultations and research projects.
Your child or young person must be aged 16 - 25, and the application form closes on March 18, 2024. You can find out more about the Autism Education Trust (AET) on their website [
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*Find out more and apply for the Autistic Young Experts Panel* [
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SEND Resources
NHS Hospital Passports for those with learning disabilities and/or autism
*The NHS Care Boards for the local area are promoting hospital passports for those with learning difficulties and/or autism. There are two types of passports; one for those with learning difficulties, and one for autistic individuals. *
These passports are designed to support staff, individuals and families when someone with learning difficulties and/or autism visits or is admitted to hospital. They include information on the individual, such as emergency contacts, living situations, and medical history. They also include information such as how best to communicate with the person, their likes and dislikes, any sensory issues, and how they may behave when they are upset or uncomfortable.
This information is designed to support staff to make your child/ young person feel more comfortable in hospital where they can, as well as provide a helpful background on your child/young person to save repeating information.
It may be useful for you and your child/young person to complete one of these passports, should they ever need to visit hospital. You can read more information about hospital passports on the Local Offer website [
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*View Hospital Passports and fill in a digital version in on the NHS website* [
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Information and resources on Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) - Eating Disorders Awareness Week
*Eating Disorder Awareness Week took place this year from 26 February - 3 March. This year Beat, the Eating Disorder Awareness charity, are shining a light on Avoidant/ Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). *
Beat Eating Disorders logo
Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID, is a condition that is often displayed through avoiding certain foods or types of food, having restricted intake in terms of overall amount eaten, or both.
One of the common reasons a person can develop ARFID includes sensory issues surrounding foods, including avoiding certain foods due to their smell, texture, or taste. For this reason, ARFID can be more common among autistic and/or neurodivergent individuals. Other reasons it may develop can include anxiety around food or consequences of eating food (such as becoming unwell, or choking), or having a general low interest in eating, not enjoying eating, or seeing it as a chore.
People with ARFID may restrict their intake to what they see as 'safe' foods. These foods may include food that they know they like and will not cause any sensory distress. This can cause some issues for people with ARFID and their families, and can create anxiety if they go somewhere where 'safe' foods may not be available.
You can find out more about ARFID and access resources and support by visiting the Beat website below.
*Read more about ARFID on the Beat website* [
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Bee Unique ARFID session hosted by Owl Blue
*Bee Unique, a charity based in west Cumbria, will be running a ARFID session in March. *
The session will be hosted by Owl Blue, another charity association based in west Cumbria, who work with families of those with hidden disabilities. Bee Unique aim to embrace, educate and entertain those diagnosed with autism and their families. You can visit each of the charity's websites below:
*Visit the Bee Unique website [
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*Visit the Owl Blue website [
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Bee Unique ARFID session
The session will be run at Keekle Village Hall, Cleator Moor, CA25 5RQ.
The session is on Wednesday 20 March, between 12 - 2.00pm. The session will cost £5 per person, and refreshments will be provided by Bee Unique.
The session will aim to provide an insight into what ARFID is and offer some support. You can book a place on the session below:
*Book a place on Bee Unique's ARFID session* [
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Exams and reasonable adjustments: Support and guidance from IPSEA
*Ahead of exam season, IPSEA have published support and guidance related to exams and reasonable adjustments. *
IPSEA Support and Guidance Exams
The guidance contains information on how who qualifies for reasonable adjustments or extra support in exams, what support an individual can get, how to apply, application deadlines, and what to do if support and reasonable adjustments are refused.
The advice also includes information on exam support arrangements for those not currently in school or an education setting.
*View IPSEA's Exam and reasonable adjustments: Support and guidance on their website* [
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Local Offer Spotlight
*In this newsletter, we are spotlighting our introduction to the Local Offer page.*
Introduction to the Local Offer
The Local Offer is a statutory requirement for all local authorities. In this tile, we introduce the Local Offer, what you can expect to find on the Local Offer website.
This tile also includes information on local support groups, crisis support, and the Cumberland SEND structure chart with information about the council staff team.
This tile is a great place to start to become familiar with the Local Offer. Did you know the Local Offer also has a directory of available activities and groups in the local area? [
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*View the 'Introduction to SEND and the Local Offer' tile on the Local Offer website* [
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And finally...
International Women's Day: Autistic women and girls
*This International Women's Day (Friday 8 March), the National Autistic Society have been highlighting the importance of autistic women and girls receiving a diagnosis. *
The National Autistic Society acknowledge that receiving a diagnosis can be more difficult for women and girls; this may be because autistic characteristics can present differently in women and girls than in men and boys. They state this may also be due to more women and girls 'masking' their autistic traits. Masking is where an autistic person, either consciously or unconsciously, may try to appear non-autistic in order to blend in and be more accepted. It can occur more frequently in social settings, such as school and work.
You can read more from the National Autistic Society about the importance of women and girls receiving an autism diagnosis by following the link below. This includes stories from autistic women about receiving their diagnosis, as well as facts and statistic around autism in women and girls.
*Read more about autism in women and girls on the National Autistic Society website* [
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You can read more about International Women's Day by clicking the image below. This year's theme is Inspire Inclusion!
International Women's Day [
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'Happy International Women's Day #InspireInclusion' is written surrounded by cartoon images of women holding their hands in a heart shape.
The National Autistic Society also have information and resources about 'Masking'; you can read this by clicking the image below.
National Autistic Society [
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National Autistic Society Logo
*Cumberland Council's Local Offer website [
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*Follow our Facebook page to keep up to date! [
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Cumberland SEND Partnership footer
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