20-08-2023 Meet the SEND Heads Parents Conference 22nd June 23
Thank you to everyone who came along to the Our Voice 'Meet the SEND Heads' Parents' Conference on 22nd June 23- the seventh annual conference we have held.
We heard from the Heads of services supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in a Q&A session and ran a workshop on support for the mental health of children and young people with SEND, and there were opportunities for parents to book one to one appointments with professionals and to meet representatives of Our Voice, the Enfield Carers Centre, SENDIASS and ENAS (the Enfield Branch of the National Autistic Society) as well as other parents.
Feedback from the Conference
This report from the conference sets out a summary of:
- The key issues identified within the conference which Our Voice is now discussing with the relevant teams within the LA and Health.
- Feedback from participants at the event.
Resources and information
Ahead of the conference, we asked all the panellists involved in our 'Meet the SEND Heads' panel Q&A session, to provide us with a short update about recent developments in their areas. You can see their responses in our Parents' Conference Service Areas Update Pack.
Question and Answer Session:
We have collated the questions asked before and during and after the session, and have asked the relevant services to give their responses. The Q&A from the session can be found here.
Additional resources referenced in the Q&A:
- The Autism Education Trust's guidance on emotionally based school non-attendance.
- Leaflet regarding the LEAP communication booster programme.
If you'd like to look back at the Q&As and other information from our last 'Meet the SEND Heads' Parents Conference in March 22, you can see this information here.
Mental Health Workshop
Our afternoon workshop explored supporting the Mental Health of our Children and young people. You can see all the presentations from the workshop here:
NCL Waiting Room (an NHS-backed website providing a range of resources)
Wellbeing Connect Services (a local mental health charity offering holistic support to families experiencing mental health issues)
My Time Counselling Service (EPC) - counselling service for 5-18 year olds including those with additional needs
MIND Parent Support programme - for parents/carers of children and young people on the CAMHS waiting list
Mental Health Support teams in schools
Additional information and resources are currently being finalised before being added to this page, including other resources on supporting your child's mental health.
