Trafford’s annual SEND Week of Action will take place from 17-21 November, with a week of information sessions and activities for families with children with special needs and disabilities (SEND).
The aim of the week is to bring to life Trafford’s ‘SEND Local Offer’ – a wide range of support and services available to families with children with SEND – and help parent carers to understand how to access all the help on offer to meet their child’s needs.
Parent carers and professionals working with children with SEND are invited to a free Marketplace event on Tuesday 18 November at Sale West Community Centre from 11.30am to 3pm. This will be an opportunity to meet and talk face to face with a range of professionals including Trafford’s EHCP Team, Short Breaks Service, Virtual School, Trafford Sleep Service, Transition to Adult Team, Therapists, Speech & Language Service, Educational Psychologists, Family Hubs and more.
In addition, there will be online information sessions throughout the week providing an opportunity to learn more about Trafford Sleep Service, SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service) and the support available for children who are struggling to attend school due to mental health challenges.
Families will also have the chance to join some fun activities aimed specifically at children with SEND, including story and rhyme times, swim and Lego sessions.
Read the full programme online.
Cllr Karina Carter, Trafford’s Executive Member for Babies, Children and Young People said:
“We understand that for families with children with special needs or disabilities it can sometimes be a challenge to understand exactly what support is available and how to access it. Often a child’s condition will be complex and the support a family needs will come via multiple services, and we want to ensure families are aware of all the assistance on offer.
“We do of course support families all year round, but our SEND Week of Action is a welcome opportunity to put the spotlight on all the excellent services and organisations in Trafford that work together to make life easier for children with SEND. We want families in Trafford to know that help is here for them, and there are many things on offer that can make a big difference to the challenges they face. This could be anything from specialist therapy to educational support to Short Breaks that provide fun time out of the home for children and respite for parents.
“We hope parent carers and children will find this a useful and informative initiative and our teams look forward to meeting many of them at the events through the week.”
More information about Trafford’s SEND Local Offer can be found on the Trafford Directory.