The SEND Information Advice Support Service (SENDIASS) is expanding its service in Fenland and East Cambridgeshire. This service is available to provide support to parents/carers of young people with special education needs and disabilities. This support is currently available via telephone or Skype drop ins.
For more information and to contact the team see the Fenland & East Cambs Opportunity Area website
Caring Together, a charity supporting carers, are offering a free online course for parents and carers of children with autism – the Hope programme.
The Hope Programme is a six-week online group peer-support course based on positive psychology, mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy originally developed by Coventry University. It covers topics such as mindfulness, goal setting, anxiety, fatigue and stress management, healthy eating, physical activity and working with health care teams.
For more information on the Hope programme and how to book see the Caring Together website
Fathima Kodakkadan at Anglia Ruskin University is carrying out a study comparing the factors influencing the stress and resilience among the British Indian parents of children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC).
If you are interested in taking part there is more information and contact details here. There is a chance for you to WIN £50 for participating in this survey.
Is lockdown having a negative effect on your child? Or are you a young person struggling with high levels of anxiety and mental distress during lockdown?
Not sure how to access help? Two local sources of support are:
CHUMS Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Service is for children & young people experiencing poor mental health. They are currently offering a phoneline service to replace their drop-ins.
KeepYourHead is Cambridgeshire & Peterborough’s Children & Young People’s mental health services site. It includes lots of information about mental health, things you can do to help yourself, and where to go to for more support.
IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) have online webinars available on a range of topics in Special Education Needs & Disability law, including Education, Health & Care plans, school exclusions, school/college transport and tribunals. These cost £9 each and include presentation slides to download and keep.
The NAS Adult Autism Support Service will be moving to Cambridgeshire County Council from 1st June. Here is a message from Joseph Simon:
“We are writing to everyone who has used or worked with the Cambridgeshire Adult Autism Support Service to let you know that there will be a change from 1 June. The service we provide will not change, but the service is being taken in house by Cambridgeshire County Council, as the National Autistic Society has decided not to continue to manage the service when the current contract ends on 31 May.
We, Anna Thomas and Dr Joseph Simon, the current Autism Support Managers, will continue to provide the service as our posts are being transferred to the council. Once all the new arrangements are in place, the service will be reviewed to make sure it’s working as effectively as possible to support autistic adults, but the council do not expect there to be significant changes.
The details for contacting the service will change from 1 June. After that date, please check the following sources for the new details:
We are very pleased that we will continue to provide this essential service to autistic adults in the county. “
Everything you need to know during the coronavirus outbreak including resources & tips for families, benefits and employment, going out, health & wellbeing, social care, education, shopping and working from home:
We have a new public facebook page in addition to our existing facebook group. We will be posting useful information, fun things and when lockdown eases, notifications of our groups and activities.
You can like us on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/CambridgeNAS
If you also choose See first under Following or Follow settings this makes sure facebook will always show you our posts.
After questions were raised about the effect of the Coronavirus lockdown on people with autism the Government has issued some new guidance which will hopefully bring some reassurance to our members. For more details see the post on the National Autistic Society website:
