Somerset Council are looking for people aged 18+ to help them design Technology Enabled Care (TEC)
services in Somerset. Involving people in the design of services is often called co-design.
Technology Enabled Care (TEC) can be used to help people live longer, healthier and more
independent lives. This could include helping manage health conditions, reducing the risk of
falls or making daily living tasks easier.
You can take part in the co-design sessions in person or online. You will get to try different types of
technology and talk to us about how people could use these services in the future. We particularly
want to hear from you if you currently use care services or if you support someone who does (carers).
For those taking part in person, refreshments will be provided along with reasonable travel expenses.
The co-design sessions will be held at our Independent Living Centres which are fully accessible with
free parking close to the venues. Please let us know if you have any particular requirements we
need to consider so you can attend.
You will play a key part in designing the TEC service and how it will be used in Somerset. We will listen
to your views and ideas, and make sure that your experience of being involved is clear,
interesting and respectful.
Blog
Education, Health and Care plans Families Experience
Today we publish the report into the Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) experience of families in Somerset. This report is a snapshot of the current experiences and was formed using responses to a poll, over 25 hours’ worth of conversations with parent carers and feedback we have received by email and social media. You can view the full report here.
Launch of Chill and Chat get togethers for parent carers in Somerset
Following discussions and feedback via a poll on our support groups, we have looked at your responses and are pleased to let you know we are now launching get together for parent carers in 3 new locations.
All parent carers in Somerset are welcome to attend our get togethers, which provide a space for you to meet other parent carers, get useful information and have some me time. If you are nervous about coming along, give us a call on 01458 259384 and we can talk you through what to expect and arrange to meet you beforehand.
Don’t forget to check out our events section for more information and to find out about other events we are running.
Statement from the Directors in response to the Report from OFSTED and CQC – 1st February 2023
Between 28th November and 1st December 2022, Ofsted and CQC revisited Somerset to review the work that has been undertaken since the original inspection in March 2020. The revisit was focused on the 9 areas of weakness identified during the original inspection.
The inspectors met with the parent carer forum, and we arranged a focus group with the leads of support groups across Somerset. Over 680 parents completed the OFSTED survey, and families also sent individual emails. Inspectors met with the Unstoppables and spoke to children and their parents during school visits. We are pleased that during the revisit the inspection team heard from lots of parents, and we want to thank you for getting involved.
The report acknowledges the work that has taken place and the commitment to improving how services work with families, which we welcome and look forward to working with teams across the area to develop further, ensuring this becomes common practice.
While the report shows progress across 7 areas, it clearly identifies there is still much to do to ensure families feel the impact of the work that has been done. Ofsted and CQC have identified 2 areas which were deemed not to have made sufficient progress.
- Poor assessment and meeting of need caused by inconsistent practice, leading to poor outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
- Too many children and young people not accessing education because of the disproportionate use of exclusion and poor inclusive practices across the area.
These areas impact on a lot of our families and are areas that need to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Families need to see real changes and improvement for their children and young people.
The letter identifies that the next steps will be to meet with NHS England and the Department of Education advisors. Representatives from Somerset Parent Carer Forum will be at the meeting, and we will work to ensure your views and experiences help to shape any action plans that are created following this.
We know there is much work to do moving forward and we are committed to making your voice heard and provide opportunities for you to work directly with those delivering services. If you would like to know more about how you can get involved, please contact us at getinvolved@somersetparentcarerforum.org.uk or ring us on 01458 259384.
February Newsletter Now Available
This months newsletter is now here with important information about the Schools white paper and SEND consultation, other consultations happening in somerset, and opportunities for you can have your experiences heard.
November Newsletter Now available
This months Newsletter is now available with some very important information on upcoming events including new locations.
June Newsletter Now Available
This months Newsletter is now available with some very important information about Inspections in Somerset. Please read carefully so you may have an opportunity to share your views/ have your voice heard.
New Format Newsletter
We are launching our new look newsletter. The aim is to bring you a shorter burst of updates and information, but more regularly.
You can access it here to either read on the page or download for yourself.
Appreciating Differences in our Neurodiverse children and young people
An exciting opportunity for Parent Carers, School staff and Professionals across Education, Care and Health to attend a 3-hour webinar working collaboratively to support neurodivergent children and young people focussing on how the SCERTS framework can be useful for a common language, particularly around provision of support.
- 13 January 2025 – 1pm – 4pm (UK Time)
- 30 April 2025 – 1pm – 4pm (UK Time)
- 4 June 2025 – 1pm – 4pm (UK Time)
Social Communication; Emotional Regulation; and Transactional Supports SCERTS is an evidence-based framework that provides guidelines for helping an individual confidently and competently connect to others in ways that are meaningful to them. Its focus is to create a positive environment for young people who are autistic or have social, emotional and mental health differences.
The model is designed to provide guidance for helping children to progress and provide families and schools with help to feel successful in supporting the child.
SCERTS helps families together with colleagues in Education, Health and Care to collaborate in a carefully coordinated manner.
This training is FREE to the Somerset parent carers, workforce and education settings. It is delivered virtually by Emily Rubin, one of the co-founders of this model and/or Amy Laurent.
Talking with children & young people about substance use
The summer break marks the end of the academic year in the UK and gives children and young people a substantial respite before the new academic year. Unfortunately for some, the summer break also provides an opportunity to experiment with alcohol and drugs.
Somerset Council, Public Health have developed the information pack providing guidance and support for parents, carers and families to start talking about substance use; helping children and young people understand the risks and support them to make safe and healthy choices.
SEND Tribunals – Have you say.
Join us at our office in Yeovil to meet with Ben McGrail from ITV who wants to hear your experiences of going through the appeal process for Education, Health and Care assessments/plans.
The session will be on Monday 10th June 10-12 and Ben will be here with his crew to listen to your experience and to film for his upcoming report on this subject.
More details are below. There is no need to book but it would be helpful if you can text us to let us know you will be attending on 07543 680365, so we can ensure there is enough space for everyone.
WISE up workshops
Over the course of this year we have been running a series of workshop to support families.
Being a parent carer of a child or young person with additional needs can bring extra situations which are challenging to know how to handle. To help support parent carers navigate these we created a range of workshops based on the subjects you have told us would be helpful.
We are delighted to announce the NHS Somerset (Integrated Care Board) have provided funding so the sessions can continue next academic year.
We want your help to decide on what subjects to cover next year so will be running 2 sessions as part of the Let’s Talk SEND and Inclusion Event. You can find out more here.
Alternatively you can email your ideas to getinvolved@somersetparentcarerforum.org.uk or text us on 07359 611454.
Have your say on support for children and young people to understand their feelings and Mental Health
We want to know what has helped children and young people with understanding their feelings and mental health. CAMHS, Healthwatch, NHS Somerset ICB, Somerset Council, Somerset Parent Carer Forum and Spark have worked together to create this survey to get your views.
This survey has been designed to help us understand the support available for children and young people and what would be helpful. The survey will be used to help us decide how we do things in Somerset, with the view to making things better for children and young people trying to access support.
The survey will take about 5-10 minutes to complete. The survey is open for children and young people, parents, and practitioners in Somerset. The closing date is Sunday for 16th June.
If you require any help to complete or would like a paper version, please contact us on 01458 259384 or email getinvolved@somersetparentcarerforum.org.uk.
To access the survey please visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/cypmentalhealth or scan the QR code on the poster.
Chill and Chat
Somerset Parent Carer Forum run a range of coffee session across the county for families to get together.
All parent carers are welcome to join us and you don’t need to book on, just turn up.
These are relaxed session to have a chat and a catch up with other parent carers and to get information from our representative.
Our current locations are:
- Wells
- Taunton
- Shepton Mallett
- Minehead
- Yeovil
- Street/Glastonbury
- Bridgwater
- Henstridge
- Langport
Visit our events section of the website to find out more.