Our Voice

Please see this week's update here for information regarding:

o   Page 1: Our coffee mornings give parents an opportunity to talk to members of the Our Voice team, and other parent carers, and to hear from relevant guest speakers, in an informal and supportive environment. Our next coffee morning at the Ponders End Family Hub will be tomorrow, Wednesday 6^th November and will be an informal cuppa and chat session – more information here.

o   Page 1 – Save the date for our Christmas party on Sunday 1^st December 2.30 -4.30 pm – details to follow soon (all places must be pre-booked)

o   Page 2 – information about changes to benefits following last week’s budget – more information here.

o   Page 2 – ‘Rising to Reception’ support for parents of children with communication difficulties starting primary school next September. First sessions on 8^th Nov – Enfield Admissions Team with tips on applying for a reception place and 15^th November Our Voice will share their strategies for supporting your child with the transition to school. More information here

o   Page 3 – Play and Leisure – relaxed sessions at the Science Museum 23^rd Nov and 8^th Jan.

o   Page 3 – Coffee morning in Cockfosters this Friday 9.30 – 11 am – see update for details.

o   Page 4 – Independent travel training for young adults and adults, with learning disabilities to become confident using public transport. More information here.

o   Page 4 – Open evening for the Pre-internship and Supported Internship programme on 27^th Nov. An opportunity to find out about this scheme to support young people aged 16-24, with an EHCP who want to find employment but need help to get started. More information here.  

o   Page 5 to 6 – a reminder of all our events coming up over the next two months: (see also our events page here)

·       Our ‘Emotional Wellbeing and your Child’ event on Tuesday 19^th November with the Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and the My Young Minds Enfield team (an early intervention service which is part of CAMHS). See our events page here, (including the flyer) and book your place here.

·       ‘Choosing a Primary School’ online workshops on Tuesday 26^th Nov (afternoon) or Wednesday 27^th Nov (morning) to talk about the process (whether or not your child has an EHCP) and what to think about when making your decision. More information on our events page here.

·       Our last Coffee Morning at the Ponders End Family Hub for 2024 will be a short breaks update and Q&A with Miri Dhamo, Head of the Joint Service for Disabled Children, on Wednesday 4^th December – more information here.

·       Wills and Trusts Online workshops with Estate Planning Solutions, looking at how best to protect your vulnerable dependants in the long term will take place on 13^th November (evening session 7.30 to 9 pm) see here and 26^th November (morning session 10 -11.30 am see here.

·       Positive Behaviour Support – our next drop in behaviour support session held jointly with Cheviots Children’s Centre, will take place this Friday 8^th November – see our events page here. This is an opportunity for you to discuss specific questions and concerns relating to your child’s behaviour.

·       Our next Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop is on Thursday 21^st November – details here and book here.

Please note - this covering note is intended to give you a brief overview of the content so you can quickly decide what is relevant to you. For detailed information please open the attachment here. 

If you have a child with communication difficulties who is due to start school in September 2025, the Enfield Communication Advisory Support Service (ECASS) service and partners will be running the series of Rising to Reception sessions throughout the year to help prepare your child for starting school.

Children with communication difficulties can find transitions to new settings challenging, so ECASS have teamed up with colleagues and volunteers across Enfield to put together a series of online information sessions to prepare you for the big day next September.

You can see the whole programme of events and the link to register your interest in the brochure here. 

If you have any queries, please contact the ECASS team at: RisingtoReception@enfield.gov.uk

Please see this week's attached update for information regarding:

o   Page 1- We’re delighted to announce that booking is now open for our ‘Emotional Wellbeing and your Child event’ which will be held on Tuesday 19^th November with the Educational Psychology Service (EPS) and the My Young Minds Enfield team (an early intervention service which is part of CAMHS). See also the attached flyer and our events page here, and book your place here.

o   Page 2- If you have a child with additional needs who is due to start primary school next September (or in future years and you are thinking ahead) please join us for one of our two ‘Choosing a Primary School’ online workshops on Tuesday 26^th Nov (afternoon) or Wednesday 27^th Nov (morning) to talk about the process (whether or not your child has an EHCP) and what to think about when making your decision. More information on our flyer here and our events page here.

o   Page 3 – Our coffee mornings give parents an opportunity to talk to members of the Our Voice team, and other parent carers, and to hear from relevant guest speakers, in an informal and supportive environment. Our next coffee morning at the Ponders End Family Hub will be on Wednesday 6^th November and will be an informal cuppa and chat session – more information here. Following this, our last session for 2024 will be a short breaks update and Q&A with Miri Dhamo, Head of the Joint Service for Disabled Children, on Wednesday 4^th December – more information here.

o   Page 3  - reminder that we are holding two Wills and Trusts Online workshops with Estate Planning Solutions, looking at how best to protect your vulnerable dependants in the long term. The two sessions will be on 13^th November (evening session 7.30 to 9 pm) see here  and 26^th November (morning session 10 -11.30 am see here.

o   Page 4 – Positive Behaviour Support – our next drop in behaviour support session held jointly with Cheviots Children’s Centre, will take place on 8^th November – see our events page here. This is an opportunity for you to discuss specific questions and concerns relating to your child’s behaviour. Plus you can book now for our next Introduction to Positive Behaviour Support workshop on Thursday 21^st November – details here and book here.

o   Page 5 – Support for families of Autistic Children and Young People – Enfield Advisory Service for Autism ‘Time to Play’ session for ages 18 months to 3 years on Thursday 7^th November, and Cuppa and Chat sessions on 14^th November (Early Years and Primary Age – Behaviour as Communication) and 21^st November secondary and post 16 children and young people – exams and revision.

o   Page 6 to 7 – Play and Leisure – accessible Zoo visits, and a play session for autistic children  

Please note - this covering note is intended to give you a brief overview of the content so you can quickly decide what is relevant to you. For detailed information please open the attachment.

Enfield's Educational Psychology Service is running a two-part workshop (with either online or face-to-face options) for parents and carers of children and young people who find it hard to attend school for emotional reasons.

The sessions are on Tuesday 12th November and Tuesday 3rd December from 1.30 to 2.30 pm. 

See the flyer here for more details and the link to sign up. 

For any queries please Email eps@enfield.gov.uk

Please see this week's attached update for information regarding:

Please note - this covering note is intended to give you a brief overview of the content so you can quickly decide what is relevant to you. For detailed information please open the attachment.

o   We are holding two Wills and Trusts Online workshops with Estate Planning Solutions on 13^th November (evening session 7.30 to 9 pm) and 26^th November (morning session 10 -11.30 am).  See page 1 of the update for full details.

·       For more information re 13^th November see here and book here.

·       For more information re 26^th November see here and book here.

o   Choosing a Secondary School – our second workshop will be on Wednesday 23^rd October. This session is aimed at parents of children who do not have an EHCP or who are in years 4 or 5 (or below). See page 2 of the update and our website here and book here.

o   Learning Disabilities and Autism Support group at the Enfield Carers Centre on Friday 1^st November – with speakers from Cheviots and the Enfield Advisory Service for Autism. See page 3

o   Opportunity to record an interview with the BILD as part of the development of their training programme - £30 if you take part. Details on page 3.

o   Does your child find it difficult to attend school for emotional reasons? The Educational Psychology service will be running two workshops for parents on Tuesday 12^th November and Tuesday 3^rd December – see page 4 for details and the flyer here.

o   Preparing for Adulthood – Understanding Welfare benefits and council tax discounts event Friday 8^th Nov 10.30 am to 12.30 pm (repeated on the evening of 21^st November) See page 5 for details and our website here. 

A reminder that tomorrow will be the first session of our videoconference on choosing a secondary school for your child with additional needs. 

See the details on our flyer here and book your place here. 

There will be a second session on 23rd October, but please note that this will be after the deadline for submitting your preferences for a child with an EHCP (which is 18th October) so this session will be more useful if you have a child without an EHCP or who is currently in year 5 or below. Details on the flyer and booking for this session here. 

SEN Services attended our drop-in coffee morning session at the Ponders End Youth and Family hub yesterday.

You can see a copy of their presentation here. 

We are hoping to run another session with SEN Services in Spring 25, with an update and Q&A and opportunities to book a 1:1 appointment to discuss individual issues. The date will be confirmed shortly. 

Owing to a technical fault, some members of our mailing list may not have received the mailing that we sent out on 8th October 

You can see our update here. 

There is a short summary  of the key points below - but please note you need to click onto the actual update for full details. 

• Meet SEN Services at our Coffee meeting on 9th October p1
• Choosing a Secondary school workshops on 15th and 23rd October (flyer here) p2
• Save the Date for Our Voice Presents:Get to Know the Educational Psychology Service 19th Nov and Wills and Trusts 13th Nov (evening) and 21st Nov (morning) p3
• Preparing for Adulthood events p4
• ADHD Resources and events p5
• New reports from the Disabled Children's Partnership p5

Black History Month is an annual celebration, marked every October in the UK, that's dedicated to exploring, and honouring the achievements of people of African and Caribbean heritage.

Black History Month is a significant period for reflection, celebration, and education about the diverse history and contributions of Black individuals. Black History Month is marked in a huge variety of different ways and in the UK, it is frequently celebrated through events, such as musical or literary performances, live talks and discussions, Black history exhibitions, documentary or movie screenings - or even markets and festivals that celebrate the food, jewellery, clothing, art and more of African and Caribbean cultures.

The theme this year is 'Reclaiming the narrative', which is about taking control of narratives, honouring heroes, and challenging the stories that have often overlooked the contributions and achievements of Black individuals in the UK and globally and looking at how we can shape and mould our truths and challenge misconceptions and to educate all those within our society and in our communities.

Disability Rights UK has a great article here highlighting the links between Black History Month and disability rights and also featuring some important black disabled activists and figures 

You can see information about Black History Month events in the Enfield area here.

We have also gathered together some information about just a few of the many disabled black role models which you can see here - including links to some interesting interviews.