Latest site updates:
The Isle of Wight Short Breaks Services Statement can be found via the News section of our website.
New Consultation
The Isle of Wight Council have launched a SEN Alternative Provision Consultation.
For more information on this, including a link to the Council's online survey can be found by visiting Views Sought On Special And Additional Educational Needs Services at VentnorBlog.com.
Alternatively you can view a copy of the consultation document here, and a copy of the survey here.
The closing day for comments is Thursday 21st June 2012.
New
Big Step Forward 2012 - The Rainbow Club Down’s Syndrome and Special Needs Support Group, will take place on Sunday 10th June. For more details please see Events.
Newsletter
To view the Contact a Family - e-Newsletter (May 2012) please visit here.
Update
Isle of Wight Inclusives Football Club - all disabilities welcome.
Thursday evenings NOW at Rew Valley Sports Centre – 5 – 6.00 pm
Wednesday evenings at Carisbrooke high School – 5 – 6 pm
Cost £2 per session. Find out more here.
Activity
Nettlecombe Farm are delighted that they can continue to offer regular fishing lessons through the Short Breaks Programme. They will be holding six sessions over the next 6 months. See the poster for more details.
Activity
Bodster are having another EAQ fun day from 10am-3pm on Tuesday 5th June in Spring Half Term. Please see the flyer for more details.
Event
The Autism Show is being held on 15th - 16th June 2012, ExCeL London. To find out more please visit here.
The National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi) has been commissioned to write a report by the end of July 2012 showing how to 'clarify and embed into practice reasonable adjustments for people with autism and people with learning disabilities in mainstream mental health services.’ To find out more please visit their website.
The Short Break Caravan is designed to offer families a short break and the opportunity for lots of fun at a fantastic holiday park at Lower Hyde, Shanklin. Close to the beach and town centre, transport links and local entertainment. The caravan is large and wheelchair accessible. It can sleep up to six people. For more information please visit the WightChYPS website.
Symbols Making Sense. This unique reading scheme of more than 40 books is aimed at children and people who need additional support to develop their reading skills. All text is supported by Makaton symbols. Suitable for a wide range of key stages and learning needs. Please visit www.just-special-marketing.co.uk for more information.
Activity Guide
The Spring Activity 2012 guide for children and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities, together with the FIZ Spring Holiday Activity Guide 2012 are now available on the WightChYPS website.
If you would like help to find an appropriate group or activity for your child or young person to attend, please contact Lesley Forde, Information Officer Learning Difficulties & Disabilities, Family Information Zone, 11 Orchard Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1JZ. Tel: 01983 821999, Fax: 01983 530308, Email: Lesley.Forde@iow.gov.uk
WightChYPS now has a webpage with specific and open groups for children & young people with additional needs here.
Volunteer opportunities
Parent Partnerships - Independent Parental Supporters
Are you a good listener?
Do you have some free time?
Could you offer support to parents/carers who have children with special educational needs (SEN)?
Please see the attached flyer for more information. Please contact Dorothy Harrington at Parent Partnership Service on 01983 825548 or email parentpartnership@iow.gov.uk for further details and an application pack.
Activity
A new Zumba dance class for children with special needs will be starting on Friday 20th April 2012 at Binstead Community Hall at 4pm. It will be run by Lizzie Robinson, a qualified instructor on a weekly basis and will cost £4 per child. For further information, please call Amanda on 07814213688.
Newsletter
The KIDS National Inclusive Practice Network March 2012 edition of their ebulletin is now available. It contains a wide variety of items which may be of interest. You can view the ebulletin here.
Event
The Transition Event is the one day guide for parents, professionals and young people to explore the move to adulthood. Incorporating a series of main presentations, workshops and interactive sessions. Thursday 24th May 9.30am - 4.30pm at The National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham (Coventry Road, Solihull, B92 0EJ). For more information please visit the Progress Magazine website.
Activity
Dance with A Difference Various classes are now available around the Island, please visit www.theislanddance.co.uk and go onto the Dance with A Difference page for all the up to date information.
Activity
Special Children's Day welcomes children with special needs and their families to ZSL London Zoo on Saturday 19th May 2012. To find out more please visit here.
Consultation now ended
The Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum have been tasked with creating a set of health service outcomes for child health and addressing longstanding system issues that prevent children from accessing universal and specialist healthcare.
To find out more please visit the Council for Disabled Children's website. All feedback is due into the Department of Health by 30 April 2012.
Consultation
The IW LINk’s Mental Health Workplan Group will be taking a look at community-based mental health services. A survey will be carried out this spring. People who have used community mental health services since April 2011 are invited to contact them if they would like to take part at isleofwightlink@makesachange.org.uk or ring 0300 111 0102 (Local Rate).
IPSEA's new On-line Information Service is launched. Please see News for more information.
Consultation now ended
The IW Council is currently consultating on their Equality Objectives. You can take part in their online survey here. This consulation closes on 23rd March 2012.
Consultation
Simon Dear - Local Authority Commissioner for Longer Term Interventions, is in the process of reviewing and planning the Short Break activities for 2012. He would like to hear your views and comments. Now is your chance to have your say and help to make a difference. See Short Breaks for more details.
To view the February 2012 e-Newsletter from Contact a Family please visit here. Includes how to take part in their "Counting the Costs" survey (ends 11th March 2012), and news about their guide to the new Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claim form for children, being rolled out across the country.
KIDS National Inclusive Practice Network January 2012 newsletter, full of news, info and futher links is now available by visiting here.
National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) & Contact a Family - Parent Carer Participation Bulletin - January/February 2012 is now available. You can view this latest update by visiting here.
To mark their 50th birthday, the National Autistic Society (NAS) are conducting their largest ever survey of people with autism and carers of people with autism, so they can get the most comprehensive picture yet of the lives of people affected by autism in the UK. You can take part in the survey here.
The latest information on activities available through the Short Break programme from FIZ (Family Information Zone) is available here.
Face 2 Face is a new one to one befriending service on the Island developed by parents for parents to help deal with the emotions parents feel when they discover their child has a disability. If you have a disabled child and are interested in becoming a volunteer befriender to help other parents please see the flyer for more details.
Bournemouth AFC and The Rainbow Club would like to invite you to a new and exciting inclusive sports club for all children with a disability/additional needs, their parents/carers and siblings, which is being held on the third Saturday of each month. Please see Clubs for more details.
View the National Network of Parent Carer Forums December 2011 Communication Bulletin here.
Carers are being invited to take part in Citizen Advice Bureau Workshops which are being run over the next few months. Please see the invitation for more details.
Feedback wanted
Liz Morris from Nettlecombe Farm is asking for feedback from parents and carers regarding a potential regular fishing club. To find out more please visit our Local Consultations section.
Bodster Equine Assisted Learning Centre through a grant from Short breaks/Aiming High has spaces available in their sessions for children and young people. Please see our Activities section.
E-campaigning group No Barriers To Disability (Isle of Wight) have launched an iPetition titled "The Isle of Wight Needs Changing Places toilets". If you would like to support this iPetition please use this web-link.
The Department of Education responds to the consultation on changes to the School Admissions Framework. To find out more please visit the Department of Education website.
As part of their work with Special Educational Consortium (SEC), the National Autistic Society has successfully persuaded the Government to revise an amendment to the Education Bill relating to direct payments. To find out more please visit NAS Education Update.
Ambitious about Autism has launched a new campaign, Finished at School, which aims to secure more and better educational options for all young people with autism aged 16 – 25 to enable them to develop skills, gain employment, live more independently and ultimately live the life they choose. To find out more please visit their website.
The results of a Holiday Childcare survey developed by KIDS in partnership with Mencap and parents of disabled children in September 2011 is available on the KIDS website.
The first of three NICE guidelines has been published. "Autism spectrum disorders in children and young people: recognition, referral and diagnosis". You can download a copy of the guidelines at www.nice.org.uk/CG128 .
IW Assn for Cricketers with Disabilities are holding sessions for young people with all physical and learning disabilities. Find out more in our Activities section.
Do you have any suggestions for suitable venues for Changing Places toilets on the Isle of Wight? Please see our Local Consultation section.
IPSEA has launched a survey to find out more about what is happening as schools become academies. To find out more please visit our National Consultations section or visit www.ipsea.org.uk.
For the latest information on local Short Break activities, including news and updates please visit our Newsletter section.
Welcome to the all new Isle of Wight Parents Voice website, run by parents for parents.
Through this website we hope to reach many more parents of children with special educational needs;
•providing an opportunity for parents to have their voice heard and influence decisions that directly affect them and their children by informing parents when their ideas and input are needed, by who and how to get involved.
•providing information on a wide variety of subjects, related to special educational needs, from local support groups and activities to national consultations and events.
•providing parents with the latest news on activities and services for special needs children on the Isle of Wight that may affect or be of interest to them and their family.
We aren't professionals and all our time is given voluntarily but we will do our best to provide as much information as possible in a timely fashion.
If you find any problems with the website i.e broken links or inaccurate information please don't hesitate to contact us at webmaster@parentsvoiceiw.co.uk (please "CC" parentsvoice@hotmail.co.uk).
Please also let us know if there is anything you would like to see on these pages that would be of help to you as a parent. We can't promise to cover everything but if we can we will.
We hope you enjoy our website but above all we hope you find it useful and informative.
If you would like the opportunity to become more involved with Parents Voice and help us in influencing the future of services for children and young people with additional needs on the Isle of Wight, please Contact Us.