SEND LIVED EXPERIENCE - OUTCOMES
IT'S GOOD TO TALK...
Bexley Voice are offering a number of sessions over the coming year, which we hope will enable parent/carers to talk with those supporting SEND families in Bexley, to help them gain a clearer picture of families lived experiences with SEND children - enabling them to build on good practice and improve the journey for families in the future.
Bexley Voice are offering a number of sessions over the coming year, which we hope will enable parent/carers to talk with those supporting SEND families in Bexley, to help them gain a clearer picture of families lived experiences with SEND children - enabling them to build on good practice and improve the journey for families in the future.
OUTCOMES FROM OUR SESSIONS:
- Session 1: Noticing there were differences in my child's development - Monday 25 April ‘22
Top Tips for each other, for the community around us , for professionals working with us and supporting our child:
- Initial, bespoke support is key!
- Raising awareness of different special educational needs across the wider community is essential & everyone's responsibility.
- Meeting others in a similar situation is really helpful
- Signposting and advice should be available without overloading parents.
- Trust your instincts and expertise as the parent. You are the expert when it comes to your child!
- Knowing that you are not alone and not the only one experiencing this is reassuring for parents.
- Walk in support sessions can be really beneficial.
- Support pre and post-diagnosis is important and then maybe one year later a ‘check in’.
- Awareness session for parents and carers by schools, advising on support ordinarily available to a child with SEN would be helpful.
- More training for teachers in order to be able to identify children’s earlier and timelier.
- Private tours at schools/settings for parents who may feel overwhelmed.
- You are allowed to grieve and get to know the ‘unexpected’ child.
HOW WILL YOUR FEEDBACK BE USED?
Your feedback will be shared with relevant partners and providers as well the local area’s SEN board, so that this can inform the practice across services, as well as raising awareness of how certain situations and experiences have made you feel. Practitioners will benefit from hearing about your experiences and you will be influencing how we work with each other in a collaborative and respectful way in the future.
Your feedback will be shared with relevant partners and providers as well the local area’s SEN board, so that this can inform the practice across services, as well as raising awareness of how certain situations and experiences have made you feel. Practitioners will benefit from hearing about your experiences and you will be influencing how we work with each other in a collaborative and respectful way in the future.