Improving support for neurodivergent children
The new school year is under way, bringing changes for many children and families. This week, our teams are supporting parent carers, listening to your experiences and working with local services. A big focus is making sure children get useful support based on their needs, including while they are waiting for an assessment. We are meeting Autism Central and joining Bristol’s Neurodiversity Transformation Strategic Programme Board to ask how Bristol’s plans will work for families in real life.
Making sure Bristol’s SEND plans work for families
We are also helping to shape Bristol’s work on school attendance, home-to-school travel, community health services and the city’s wider SEND plans. These areas may sound separate, but they are closely linked. Children are more likely to feel safe and able to attend when their needs are understood and the right support is in place. We want Bristol’s attendance campaign to understand the barriers faced by children with SEND and avoid blaming families. Going to meetings is only the first step, so we will keep asking what has changed and what still needs to happen.
Tell us about transitions
Our Parent Voice topic for Term 1 is transitions. This could mean moving to a new class or school, starting college, preparing for adulthood or moving between services. Good planning and clear information can make these changes easier, but we know this does not always happen. We want to hear what helped your child and what made things harder. We bring together what families tell us and share the main themes with education, health and social care services without naming anyone.
Tell us about your experience in our transitions survey.
There are no Let’s Talk sessions this week, but the next one will be in Hartcliffe and Withywood on 15 September. See all upcoming Let’s Talk sessions.
Find support and information
Come and meet our Peer Support Team at the SEND and You Drop-in on Thursday 10 September, from 12.30pm to 2pm, at The Symes Resource Centre in Hartcliffe. It is a friendly place to meet other parent carers, talk about what is happening for your family and find useful information.
The team can help you understand support at school, including your school’s SEND Information Report and how the graduated approach should work. SEND and You will also be there. Book your free place.
Other BPC events this week include an online volunteer information session on Tuesday 8 September and an online session about EHCP phase transfers on Thursday 10 September.
Three inclusive things to do
If you are looking for something inclusive to do, Rainbows stay and play is at Avonmouth Children’s Centre on Tuesday morning. SEND stay and play is at Imperial Sports Ground on Wednesday afternoon, and Sense is running an inclusive Sensory Sport session on Wednesday evening.
Please check the Bristol inclusive-events calendar before travelling, as details can change.
Whether you attend an event, complete our survey or talk to us about your experience, what you share helps us understand what is happening for families across Bristol and what needs to improve.