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Support for parents and young people

Parents have told us that meeting other parents provides them with invaluable support and a way they can access really useful information.

Camden has a number of organisations that can help put you in touch with other parents who also have children with a special educational need and or disability as well as provide you with information and advice. These include:

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Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)

SENDIASS (previously Camden Parent Partnership) provides impartial information, advice and support to parents / carers of children and young people with SEND, and young people themselves.

The service provides legally based, impartial, confidential and accessible information, advice and support and will be able to offer face to face, telephone and electronic information and advice as well as casework and representation when needed.

The service will often work with parents / carers and children/young people together but will also provide a service directly and separately to children and to young people aged 16-25.

The service has a forum for children and young people aged 16-25 which helps to shape the type and range of support suitable for their needs. A support group meets regularly allowing children and young people to meet for mutual support and friendship.

You can have a look at their website by visiting http://www.sendiasscamden.co.uk/

The address for SENDIASS is:

Kentish Town Community Centre
17 Busby Place
London, NW5 2SP

The telephone number is 020 7974 6264.

The email address is sendiass@camden.gov.uk

SENDIASS for young people

If you are a 16-25 year old who has Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities SENDIASS can give you impartial and confidential information, advice, and support with any issues around your special educational needs or disabilities.

Contact SENDIASS by calling 020 7974 6264 or by emailing sendiass@camden.gov.uk.

You can have a look at the SENDIASS website by visiting http://www.sendiasscamden.co.uk/

Camden Special Parents Forum

The forum is open to all parents with a child with special needs.

The Forum runs workshops and offers training opportunities such as:

  • Creative Writing workshops
  • Wellbeing workshops
  • Writing a good plan
  • Person centred planning
  • Adolescent therapy group
  • ASD forum and the Transition forum.

The link on the right side of the page takes you to a newsletter with information about the support available.

See the Calendar at the bottom of the Local Offer homepage to find out dates, time and venues of these events. 

Contact Name

Rachel Dixon

Contact Position

Parent Participation Team

Telephone

020 7359 3635

E-mail

rachel.dixon@kids.org.uk

 

Website

www.facebook.com/camdenspecialparentsforum

www.kids.org.uk/camden-special-parents-forum1

 

Alternative Contact

maria.schultz@kids.org.uk

Where is the service located and what areas does it cover?

Meetings are held at various community venues such as The Pirate Castle, Oval Road, Camden, NW1 7EA.

Who does your service provide for?

The Special Parents Forum is open to all parents and carers in Camden with a child/young person with special needs

How can a child or young person start using the service?

Join us on Facebook for regular updates https://www.facebook.com/CamdenSpecialParentsForum or phone Kids 020 7359 3635 and add yourself to the mailing list. No referrals needed.

How do you communicate with service users and how are they involved in decision making/planning?

 To keep in touch just ‘like’ our Facebook page Camden Special Parents Forum or Contact KIDS on 0207 359 3635 to be added to the mailing list for regular updates.

Is your service fully accessible?

Meetings are held at various community venues. Please contact us to check about accessibility. We can arrange interpreters if needed.

What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had/or will be they be getting?

Both members of the Parent Participation Team, Rachel and Maria, are parents of young people with special educational needs and disabilities and have a great deal of first-hand experience. They attend regular workshops, national conferences and have experience of person centred planning.

Who can a parent carer/young person contact for further information?

Please contact KIDS on 0207 359 3635 to be added to the mailing list or ‘like’ on Facebook for regular reminders. Or contact the Parent Participation Team : Rachel Dixon mobile: 07711 767258 or email: rachel.dixon@kids.org.uk or maria.schultz@kids.org.uk

KIDS

KIDS provides a range of services including Short Breaks.

Kids Camden provides the following services to families with a Disabled child:

  • Short breaks at home and in the community
  • Siblings groups twice a year
  • Home Learning for Under 5’s
  • Family Information and Support Advice sessions
  • Specialist Under 5 Drop-In sessions
  • Mediation Service
  • Specialist parent forum and parent participation service
  • Key worker service and Independent support workers around EHC plans

Telephone: 020 7358 3635

E-mail: julie.tucker@kids.org.uk

Website: http://www.kids.org.uk/

Camden Parent/Carer Support Group

The Parent / Carer Support Group welcomes parents/carers of children and young people who have, or may have, a special educational need or disability or, who are concerned about their child’s development/progress.

If you are interested in joining the group or would like further information please contact us.

Eddie Edwards
Highgate Newtown Community Centre
25 Bertram Street
London N19 5DQ

Telephone: 020 7974 6264
Email: parentcarergroup@outlook.com

Contact a family

Contact a Family is a national charity for families with disabled children.

They provide information, advice and support. They bring families together so they can support each other. They campaign to improve their circumstances, and for their right to be included and equal in society.

Advocacy

Advocacy means having someone who will speak up on your behalf. An advocate can help express your views and wishes, secure your rights and represent your interests.

If you are a young person or a parent and you are finding it hard to get your point across, advocacy might be an option.

To find out more, visit the advocacy page.

General advice and legal

If you need general information or advice, or some basic legal advice to help with an issue. There’s lots of local help available.

Camden Advice Partnership

  • The Camden Advice Partnership is a group of independent advice agencies in Camden providing free, confidential, unbiased advice and information on a range of issues affecting people.
  • This may include issues such as welfare benefits, housing, employment and debt and money management.

Alternatively, some of the members of the Camden Advice Partnership are listed below:

Legal Advice

  • It's important to get good, independent legal advice before making a decision.
  • You can search the Law Society website to find a local solicitor. There may be charges so do remember to ask before.

Search the Law Society register to find a local solicitor

General money advice

If you are struggling with money problems, with debts and bills, there is help available. There are a number of local services and agencies who can help by giving you advice and support on how to address your problems.

Camden Advice Partnership

  • The Camden Advice Partnership is a group of local organisations who provide advice on a range of issues including money management, debt and bills.
  • You can visit their website for more information, or contact the organisations below directly.

Where can I go for advice on money management, debt and bills?

             Tel: 0300 330 0646
          Address:  Kentish Town: 242 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AB
          Address: Camden CAB at Albany: 141a Robert Street, NW1 3QT

             Tel: 0207 284 6510
          Address: 2 Prince of Wales Road, Kentish Town, NW5 3LQ

             Tel: 020 7831 7079
          Address: 10 Great Turnstile, Holborn, WC1V 7JU

Other Local and National Resources

The Money Advice Service

  • Help people manage their money by giving free and impartial advice on all money matters. For more information visit their website or call 0300 500 5000.
  • The Money Advice Service also provide free money advice sessions once a month at 5 Pancras Square, N1C 4AG. If you would like to book an appointment or find out more, please email moneyadvice@camden.gov.uk.

The Money Charity

  • Helps people better manage money as well as to develop skills to make money last longer. For more information, visit their website.

If we can't agree

In Camden we aim to work closely with parents / carers and plan together the support a child or young person needs. We try to make sure that resources are shared so that all children who need it receive the support and services they need. For some services we have to set eligibility criteria so that it is clear how we make decisions on which children can access these resources.

Sometimes families do not agree with the decisions we make. When that happens we do try to do everything we can to resolve the disagreement first through discussion.

There are lots of ways to resolve the disagreement in the first place and we really want to do this together with you. Children and young people's needs change over time and we want to make sure that families don't struggle if disagreements about the support being provided to your child arises. If you have a concern about a decision then please do discuss with the service provider.

If you need support to do this you can contact SENDIASS and someone can support you. KIDS can also provide support to parents and carers.

If discussion does not resolve the disagreement we offer independent mediation.

For further details about independent advice, complaints, disagreement resolution, mediation and your right of appeal, please click here.

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