Our latest newsletter for Spring 2024 is out now - see a copy here. 

All the latest information on what Our Voice have been doing and our plans for the next year, plus updates from many of the Local Authority and Health Services. 

We're delighted to announce that booking is now open for our first-ever event for young people with additional needs aged 14 – 25.

You have been telling us for some time that whilst you love our family parties for younger children, some of your teenagers/young adults, would really welcome an event just for them.

We are planning our event on Saturday 17th February 6 -8 pm at the Ponders End Youth Club.

See the poster here. 

Numbers are very strictly limited and all places must be pre-booked via Eventbrite.

Parents/carers will be expected to remain in the building but will be in a separate area to the young people so everyone can relax!

We have lots of fun activities planned for the young people including a disco, photobooth, popcorn and candyfloss machines, slushies and pizza.

Coffee, tea and biscuits for parents and carers, and a chance to chat with other parents and some of the Our Voice team.

Book here.

Following the 'Our Voice Presents:Get to Know SEN Services' event on 31st Jan 24, please see below key resources from this event. 

Additional information will follow shortly. 

• Presentation from SEN Services 
• Q and A (provided by SEN Services)
• Presentation from the EHCP and Annual Reviews workshop 
• Useful information and resources (including those referred to in the EHCP workshop) 
• Presentation from the workshop on 'What support should mainstream schools provide at SEN Support?' 
• Structure chart for SEN Services 

Our latest What's on this February Half-Term guide has information on a variety of SEND-specific and accessible events, activities and over-the-school February half-term holidays. 

Don't forget to also have a look at our general 'What's on- Play and Leisure in and around Enfield' Guide here which is regularly updated with ongoing SEND-specific and inclusive events (please note that some of these are term-time only, so if you are planning to go along to anything, please check first). 

The information in the booklet is correct (to the best of our knowledge) at the time of writing, but please do check with the individual venues and schemes, and please bear in mind that many activities and events must be pre-booked. 

The Local Authority's most recent booklet on playschemes for the school holidays is here and there is additional information about the playschemes on the Local Offer here. 

Our regular drop-in service is now running at the Ponders End Youth and Family Hub. Members of the Our Voice team will be on hand once every two weeks (alternating between a 10 am to 1 pm session on Wednesdays and a 12 – 2 pm session on Tuesdays) to listen to your questions and issues and point you in the right direction to resolve the issues you are facing. Or you can just take the opportunity to offload and have a chat with other parents who experience some of the same challenges as you.

See our booklet here for more information, including details of what the hubs are, what support they offer and what events are coming up.

The dates coming up in January and February will be:

The venue is the Ponders End Youth and Family Hub, 129 South Street, Enfield, EN3 4PX (next to the Oasis Hadley Academy)

More information about our regular drop-in sessions is on our flyer here. 

Last chance to give your views and enter our prize draw. The closing date for entry to the prize draw will be Wednesday 31st January

We would really like to hear about your experiences when looking at either primary or secondary schools, for your child with additional needs. 

We know that all schools are meant to be inclusive for children with Disabilities and Special Needs – but is that the reality? If you visited schools in Autumn 2023, did you feel that your child would be welcomed and supported at the schools you visited and spoke to, or were you discouraged (whether actively or more subtly) from sending your child to that school?

Please let us know about your experiences (both good and bad) by completing the short survey

Secondary School survey here 

Primary School survey here

It should only take around 5 minutes to do. You can do a separate survey for any school you visited - good or bad!

To thank you for your time we will randomly select 3 survey entries from each of the two surveys to receive a £20 Amazon voucher (see survey pages for details). The closing date for entry to the draw will be Wednesday 31st January. 

Thank you! 

A core part of our work at Our Voice is our regular engagement with the Local Authority and Health services as they develop strategies and services. As part of this work, we often respond to local consultations, but it is also really important for more parents and carers, and young people, to have their say on local developments that affect children and young people with additional needs. This news item looks at how you can give your view on some important current consultations that impact children and young people with additional needs and their families.

See also our news item here about proposals to change the Council Tax Support Scheme which will affect anyone in receipt of a carers discount for a young person aged under 18. Closing date 21st Jan.  

You can see details of all the Local Authority’s current consultations here.

If you have any queries about any of these consultations or need help with sharing your views, please email  haveyoursay@enfield.gov.uk.

Adult Social Care Travel Assistance

The new draft Adult Travel Assistance Policy sets out how Enfield Council propose to provide and fund travel assistance for adults with assessed eligible needs. Service users and their parents/carers are invited to give their views.

The Adult Travel Assistance policy applies to individuals who :

o    Are aged 18 and over

o    Need travel assistance to meet eligible need under the Care Act 2014

o    Are an ordinary resident in Enfield. 

Please note: This policy does not apply to young adults (aged up to 25) who have special educational needs and are in education (for example in school or college) or training. 

However, Our Voice feel it is important that you fill in the 'CARERS' version of this questionnaire, even if your child or young person hasn't transitioned to Adult Services, and thus, isn't receiving 'Travel Assistance support’ from the council yet. This is because this policy could affect your child or young person in the future, if, when they are assessed (at 18), they are eligible for Travel Assistance.

There is also an Easy Read version of the policy, case studies, and an accessible survey 

This consultation will close on 9^th January 2024

Enfield Autism Strategy

The draft Autism Strategy (PDF) sets out how we will work together as a partnership to improve the lives of autistic people, their families and carers in Enfield.

This document includes autistic people of all ages and shows how the National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026, will be delivered in Enfield. To identify local needs, people with lived experiences and partners in education, health, social care and the voluntary sector (including Our Voice) have already been engaged with.

This has resulted in identifying 7 priority areas;

o  Celebrate and value the positive aspects of autism and the achievements of autistic people

o  Provide needs-based support

o  Enable fair access to education

o  Support more autistic people into employment

o  Recognise and combat isolation and loneliness

o  Provide inclusive mental health and wellbeing support

o  Improve support within the criminal and youth justice system

Anyone with an interest in the issue (including parents and carers and young people) is now invited to give their views on the draft Strategy.

You can share your views by completing the questionnaire. Alternatively, if you have difficulties completing this, you can instead fill in the easy-read version of the questionnaire (PDF).

The Closing date is 14 January 2024 (11.59 pm).

Health and Wellbeing strategy

The Health and Wellbeing Board is developing a draft Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy to replace the current Strategy. The new draft strategy (PDF) sets out their vision: to empower every Enfield resident to live healthier for longer.

In Enfield, the long-term ambition is for every resident to Start Well, Live Well and Age Well. This means:

o    Support every child to have the best start in life and to thrive from conception to the age of 19 or 25 for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) - Start Well

o    Support our communities to live active, healthy lives and work with partners to provide high-quality and accessible health services - Live Well

o    Support people to maintain good health and independence well into older age, ensuring every stage of life is valued and spent in the best possible health - Age Well

The Strategy brings together a series of 12 priorities for the next 6 years, based on these important stages of our lives.

The Health and Wellbeing Board would like to hear your views on the draft Strategy. You can share your views by completing the standard questionnaire. Alternatively, you can complete the easy-read version      The consultation will close on 29 January 2024 (10 am)

The Enfield Psychology Service (EPS) offers a telephone support line which gives parents and carers an opportunity to talk to a member of the EPS team about any concerns they might have in relation to their child. 

See the flyer at https://www.enfield.gov.uk/educationalpsychologyservice/telephone-support-line-for-parents-and-carers

You can either request a call using the link on the flyer, or by phoning 0208 379 2000.

‘Me & My Baby’ is a group to support the parents of babies with additional needs (aged up to 18 months), which offers you a safe space to meet with other parents in a similar situation and share, learn, support and talk together.

The group will run from 24^th January to 6^th March (excluding half term week) from 9.30 am to 11 am at Bay Tree House,  Christchurch Close, EN2 6NZ.

See the attached booklet for full details.

Do you currently receive Council Tax Support (which used to be called Council Tax Reduction Scheme / Council Tax Benefit Scheme)?

Are you currently paying either no council tax, or reduced council tax because you are on certain benefits or on low income, and hence, currently eligible for council tax support?

If the answer to both the above questions is yes, then it's important for you to read this information, and fill in the consultation, as the proposed changes to the council tax support scheme could affect you.

Additionally, as everyone's circumstances are unique, if you are a Council Tax Support claimant, and want to know how the proposals could potentially have an impact on your household, the council are offering one-to-one sessions. To book a one-to-one session (for this Council Tax Support consultation only), please email them at ctsconsultation@enfield.gov.uk.

Please read the attached document here which gives a brief overview of what Council Tax Support is, as well as the main principles of the proposals.

You can have your say about the proposals with this questionnaire

There is also easy-ready information available here.

This consultation will close on 21st January.