Welcome to the PINS Project 2025-2026.

Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a national programme which brings together health and education workforces and expert parent carers into mainstream primary schools to:

•                     Help shape whole school SEND provision.

•                     Provide early interventions at a school level.

•                     Upskill school staff.

•                     Support strengthening of partnerships between schools and parent carers.

In the overall aim to improve positive outcomes for neurodivergent children, supporting them to achieve and thrive.

Neurodiversity describes the population as a whole and recognises the diversity of different brains.

Neurotypical describes most of the population, the majority group that experiences and processes the world in the same way.

Neurodivergent describes the minority group that experiences and processes the world in a different way. This may include Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dyspraxia to name a few. 

The PINS Project in Enfield will run until March 2026. It will be delivered in 10 Primary Schools in Enfield, as well as continuing with support in the 5 Primary Schools that took part in the 2024-2025 PINS programme.

Our Voice is supporting the delivery of PINS at a strategic level in the local area, through involvement in the local partnership and support to the project delivery team. We are also responsible for delivery of the parent carer engagement activity in all the participating schools. 

During the project, we will be:

•        Running coffee mornings at all participating schools;
•        Offering training and webinars on topics that parent carers have highlighted they need to know about;
•        Newsletters, letting parent carers know about what is happening in the project, events and opportunities that they and their families can get involved in;
•       Running Peer Disability Training for schools. 

      What support should my child receive in school webinar

O   On 12th November 25 we ran a webinar on what support children with additional needs should recieve in school, as part of what is known as 'Ordinarily Available Provision'. You can see the information from this session on this news page. 

Our Parent Carers Survey.

For the 6 participating schools, we really want to hear from all the parents about their experience with their school. There will be two surveys in the project. One which we are conducting at the beginning of the project and one at the end. 

If you know your school is participating in PINS, please feel free to take part in our survey at https://forms.gle/g9vPyhATGoxzEEDS9 

Get Involved

If you want to get involved in the PINS project, please check out our PINS Get Involved Flyer.

We are hard at work planning events, training and webinars for you, so please come back to check in.

If you would like to receive updates straight to your inbox or phone, you can sign up for the Our Voice mailing list, PINS mailing list (specifically an update about the project and events) and our PINS WhatsApp group. Please email us at PINS.OV.Enfield@outlook.com 

2024-2025 PINS Project

Newsletter 1 

Newsletter 2 (final) 

NHS Waiting Room is a comprehensive digital platform that connects you to safe and trusted resources to support your mental health and wellbeing. The website includes clear and detailed information about local mental health support, self-help tools, community services, and more. Waiting Room supports anyone living in North Central London, from young people to adults to parents.  Making a free account allows you to create a personalised wellbeing plan, which you can use to journal, track your goals, and support your wellbeing journey.

https://londonwaitingroom.nhs.uk/

NHS Waiting Room – Autism and ADHD site

The new Autism and ADHD site is for children and young people, their families, and professionals in North Central London. This site was co-produced with young people, parent/carers, and professionals across the five North London boroughs, and is a dedicated platform that offers tailored resources, guidance, and support around autism and ADHD. Young people can search for organisations suitable to their needs, and parent/carers can access our live online calendar to look for local events and training sessions.

https://londonwaitingroom.nhs.uk/autism-adhd-support-ncl

Last week’s budget statement included a number of announcements involving changes in the rules for working age benefits. We have included a short summary of some key points (provided by Contact, the Charity for the families of disabled children) and you can read more on Contact’s website here. 

Two-child limit scrapped

The biggest change is the scrapping of the two-child limit for Universal Credit claimants from April 26.

If you claim Universal Credit, you get an additional amount – a “child element” – for each dependent child. However, families haven’t received the element for a third or subsequent child who was born after 6 April 2017. This is the two-child limit. From next April, families will start to receive the child element for their third and subsequent children.

This is a very welcome announcement, which should have a major impact on reducing child poverty within larger families. The government predicts that it could help raise as many as 450,000 children out of poverty.

However, there are concerns that families on Universal Credit with a transitional element may not see any gains in the short term. This is because the extra child payments they get may be deducted from the transitional protection they currently receive.

Universal Credit childcare help

If you get Universal Credit and you work and pay for registered childcare costs, you could receive an extra allowance – a “childcare element” – covering some of your childcare costs. 

The government is increasing the maximum amount of childcare costs that can be reimbursed when more than two children are in childcare. The current maximum amount payable for two or more children (£1768.94 per month) will increase by £736.06 per month for each additional child.   

Motability tax relief reform

From July 2026, vehicles leased through the Motability Scheme, or equivalent qualifying schemes, will be subject to VAT on any top-up “advance payment” for a more expensive vehicle. Insurance Premium Tax will also apply to vehicles leased through the scheme for the first time.

These changes are likely to make it more expensive for some to lease a Motability vehicle. However, they won’t apply to vehicles designed for, or substantially and permanently adapted for, wheelchair or stretcher users.

Some “premium” car brands are also being removed from the scheme. 

Benefits uprating and National Minimum Wage increase

Most working-age benefits will be uprated in line with the September CPI inflation of 3.8% from April 26.  The standard element of Universal Credit will be increased by 6%.

The Chancellor also announced that the National Minimum Wage will increase to £12.71 per hour from April. This should also lead to a rise in the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit at the same time. 

Health and disability assessments

The Chancellor announced a package of measures to start in April 2026.

These include increasing the DWP’s capacity to carry out Work Capability Assessment (WCA) re-assessments. More Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and work capability assessments will take place face-to-face, but there will be fewer people called for PIP reassessments where there has been no change in their function. 

Supported or Temporary Accommodation

The earnings rules will be changed for Housing Benefit and Universal Credit claimants in either supported or temporary accommodation from Autumn 2026. Tenants in these types of tenancy will have more of their earnings disregarded for benefits purposes. 

Overview

Children's Social Care is changing. 

What is happening:

• The Government wants to make children's social care better:  Supporting families earlier, before problems get worse
• Creating stronger multi-agency teams that work together to keep children safe. 

Why is this changing?

• To give every child a safe and secure start in life
• Better chances to achieve and thrive.

What will change in Enfield?

• A new Family Help Service will be created using existing universal and community-based early help offer.
•  Early help professionals and social workers will work together in one team.
• One single family assessment and one plan instead of multiple referrals.

New Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs)

• These teams will include: social workers, police, health professionals, education professionals.
• Work together to investigate statutory child protection and interventions
• Make joint decisions quickly and fairly
• Provide local expert support.

 Support for Parents and Families

• Families will have meetings early on to help plan what changes are needed
• Parents will be offered an independent advocate to explain things and support them at the point of an investigation being initiated.

Benefits for Children and Families

•  Help will come earlier and feel less stressful.
• Professionals like social workers, mental health workers, and domestic abuse experts will work together to support and address the diverse needs of families
• One lead worker will support each family
• Fewer handovers between different services.
• Families will understand the process better with the help of an advocate.
• Families will help create and agree their own support plan.
• Stronger relationships between lead workers and families. 

This information is explained in an Easy-Read format in 'Children's Services are Changing: Easy-Read' 

Event for Parents: Children's Social Care: How does it help our Children: Monday 15th December

Our Voice will be running an event for parents on Monday, 15th December, in conjunction with the Local Authority, which will explore the issues around Social Care for children and young people with additional needs. 

For more information see our event flyer here and our conference information booklet here. All places must be booked via Eventbrite here.  

Have your say

You can have your say by completing this simple survey about how the Local Authority can improve services. The information gathered from this survey will help to design service delivery throughout this transformative year. 

You can also email: StrategicSocialCare@Enfield.gov.uk 

Further information and Background 

The Government is proposing to transform children’s social care to rebalance the system towards early intervention through family help and strengthened multi-agency child protection.

The aim is to offer every child the best start in life with safety, security, and opportunities to achieve and thrive.  This means over the next 12 to 18 months, Enfield’s Children's Social Care will change how they operate and deliver services to local children and families. Key components of this reform include building on the strengths of the existing universal and community-based early help offer, to create an integrated family help service, with early help practitioners and social workers in the same team working to a single assessment and plan. In addition, child protection reform will be introduced by establishing local Multi-Agency Child Protection Teams (MACPTs). These multi-disciplinary teams will include a minimum of social care, police, health, and education professionals making decisions about statutory child protection investigations and interventions, offering a local and accessible centre of expertise. A focus on supporting families through family group decision-making will also be embedded and parents who are undergoing child protection investigations will be offered advocacy.

The Local Authority says that the benefits for children, parents and carers will be:

• Interventions will be more timely and non-stigmatising without the need for multiple referrals or assessments with one family assessment and plan.
• Professionals from various disciplines, including social workers, alternatively qualified practitioners’, mental health specialists, and domestic abuse experts, will collaborate more to address the diverse needs of families.
• One lead practitioner will work with the family, transfer points between teams and services will reduce.
• Families will understand more fully the child protection process through independent advocacy service offered at the point of an investigation being initiated.
• Families will be integral to creating and owning the plan for change through early family decision making meetings at the point of referral.
• Improved parental engagement and positive relationships with lead practitioners.

Further information can be found by reading the government statement Keeping Children Safe, Helping Families Thrive, DfE, November 2024. Your experience and insights are essential in helping shape the future of family services in Enfield. You can share your views and ideas by emailing the Local Authority at: StrategicSocialCare@enfield.gov.uk

The Local Authority and the Department for Education have produced some Easy-Read materials to explain what is happening:

• 'Children's Services are Changing: Easy-Read' 
• Children's Social Care National Framework: Easy-Read
• An Illustrated Guide to the Children's Social Care National Framework
• Families First Reforms - Transforming Practice: What will change and what will stay the same

Additional useful information: 

The Children's Society has a useful explanation of what Children's Social Care means

Positive Behaviour Support information and resources

Following our successful Positive Behaviour Support project last year, Our Voice ran an additional Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop on 2nd October 25.  

The Cheviots Team (part of the Joint Service for Disabled Children) are continuing to run monthly Behaviour Support Drop-in sessions for families, giving you an opportunity to discuss individual questions regarding your child/young person's behaviour. 

The next session will be on Friday, 5th December at Cheviots Children's Centre, 10 am to 12 noon. You do not need to book, but if you would like Cheviots to provide creche facilities and/or a translator for the session, please email them to confirm clare.redrupp@enfield.gov.uk, giving as much notice as possible. You can see more information on the flyer here. 

You can see the slides for the Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop here, along with the 'Capable Environments reflection tool' that we use in the session. 

Links for services referred to in the session, and additional useful resources: 

• Enfield Advisory Service for Autism - Home
• What do we mean by quality of life? factsheet from BILD
• Managing Anxiety factsheet from BILD 
• The Impact of the Environment factsheet from BILD 
• https://eric.org.uk/advice-for-children-with-constipation
• Information sheet on spitting

• The National Autistic Society website has a useful section on Behaviour which includes: Information about distressed behaviour, Anger Management, Meltdowns, and Dealing with Change.

• The Educational Psychology Service offers a telephone support helpline  which you can use to book a call to discuss concerns or issues relating to your child
• You might also like to have a look at this video - on Supporting Children's Behaviour at Home. 

The 24-25 Positive Behaviour Support Project 

Our Voice ran a joint Positive Behaviour Support Project from April 24 to April 25, as part of the Empowering Families and Networks in Enfield Project, delivered jointly with the Joint Service for Disabled Children (Cheviots team): 

• We ran six Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshops - you can see the presentation from these sessions here. 

• We co-delivered Positive Behaviour support drop-in sessions, giving parents a chance to discuss individual questions relating to their child/young person's behaviour. All the joint sessions between Our Voice and the JSDC have now been completed. 

Carers Rights Day for 2025 is on 20th November.

Carers UK established Carers Rights Day to raise awareness of the rights and entitlements of unpaid carers, ensuring they receive the recognition and support they deserve.

This year’s theme, “Know Your Rights, Use Your Rights,” focuses on empowering carers to understand the support available to them and to feel confident in exercising their rights — whether in health, social care, employment, or financial wellbeing.

This year, Carers UK has published two new reports:

• Caring About Equality – Carers Week Report, Released during Carers Week (9–15 June 2025). Report explores inequalities faced by unpaid carers, including health and financial disadvantages and highlights that 11.9 million people are currently providing unpaid care in the UK.
• State of Caring 2025, supported by TSB Bank, explores how carers are navigating work, caring responsibilities, and financial pressures one year after the introduction of the Carer’s Leave Act. The findings underline the importance of ensuring carers can access and use their rights effectively.

Did you know that, across England, as an unpaid carer you have:

• The right to unpaid Carer’s Leave
• The right to request flexible working
• The right to ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer
• The right (and choice) to request a free flu jab
• Protection against discrimination or harassment
• The right to a carer’s assessment
• The right to be consulted when the person you care for is discharged from hospital

Find out more about Carers Rights Day 2025 here: Carers Rights Day | Carers UK 

SEN sports day this Saturday, 22nd November 1-3 pm at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre. 

Including dance, games, relay races, scooter boards, football, jumping and more. 

Your child can join in at their own pace.  

More information at www.sen-sports.com or see the full details on the flyer. 

Our Voice held a webinar on Wednesday 12th November, looking at school support for children with additional needs, within mainstream schools. 

The session looked at:

• What does school support look like?
• Understand what Ordinarily Available Provision (OAP) is
• Looking at the Ordinarily Available Provision Guidance for parents and explaining how you can use this document. 

You can see the presentation from the webinar here and you can access a recording of the session here: OAPEdited.mp4. If you have any difficulties accessing the recording please , contact us at pins.ov.enfield@outlook.com. 

The Ordinarily Available Provision guidance for parents was published last year by the Local Authority (Schools Improvement Service) with input from Our Voice. It sits alongside ‘Ordinarily Available Provision’ guidance for mainstream schools and SENCOs, which sets out what they are meant to do to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

The guidance gives important information about how schools should identify and support young people with SEND, how you can raise concerns as a parent and what you should do if you think your child is not getting the support they need.

IPSEA (a leading charity in the field of SEND Law in England) has a useful webinar on the topic of Annual Reviews coming up on 21st November, 12.30 to 1.30 pm. 

Annual reviews - the process and your rights, will look at key aspects of the annual review process, including:

• When annual reviews and phase transfer reviews should take place, and what the process is.
• What rights parents, carers, and young people have.
• What action you can take if the process is not followed. 

Details and booking link at https://www.ipsea.org.uk/join-our-free-webinar-annual-reviews-the-process-and-your-rights 

The session will be recorded, so if you cannot make it at this time, you can request a recording. 

Our Voice was pleased to be featured in the local newsletter 'The Enfield Dispatch' this month. You can read the article at Dispatch-86.pdf