FREE FAMILY TRAINING - PARENT WORKSHOPS

Open to families of children on the autistic spectrum.  Charge of £5 per person per session to cover lunches and refreshments provided at each workshop.

• Wednesday 26th November 2008 - Understanding and Managing Behaviour
• Wednesday 3rd December 2008 - Issues Around Growing Up
• Wednesday 10th December 2008 - Managing Stress

All workshops 10.00-14.00 (9.30 arrival) - The Hub Hazelwell, 318 Vicarage Road, Kings Heath, B14 7NH

For more information contact: Tamara Blom, autism.west midlands, 18 Highfield Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 3DU, 0121 450 7574 - tamarab@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

PACC OPEN EVENT FOR PARENTS & CARERS AND AGM

28th November 2008 - 9.30am - 2.30pm

The Lantern Community Hall, Shrewsbury

Parents and carers are invited to PACC open event and AGM which will include a main address from Sarah Lee who is the regional Parent Participation Adviser for Contact a Family.  Also attending is Kath Robinson, Head of Shropshire Disabled Childrens Team and a few of her staff who will discuss local developments in Children's Services.  After lunch, small groups will discuss issues relevant to parents and carers of children with additional needs.

For more information, contact Sarah Thomas (Secretary) on 01939 290855 or e-mail s.e.t@btopenworld.com

CHILDREN'S CENTRE SERVICES

Under 5's Speech and Language Drop-Ins

The Drop-Ins for November - December 2008 in the Oswestry, Wem and Ellesmere areas are as follows:

Friday 12th December

9.00 am-11.00 am

Criftins Primary School, Dudleston Heath, Nr Ellesmere

Wednesday 3rd December

12.00 noon - 1.00 pm

Oak Tree Family Centre, Woodside Primary School, Gittin Street, Oswestry - please note that there is no parking on the Woodside School site

Monday 8th December

1.00 pm - 2.30 pm

Oswestry Methodist Toddler Group, Castle Street, Oswestry - please note that you do not have to pay for the toddler group session if you say you have come to see the Speech and Language Therapist

Further Drop-Ins are being run which are not detailed above.  For these dates, or more information on the above Drop-Ins, please contact Sharon Garforth on 01691 624086 - Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday.

FOR PARENTS OF PUPILS WITH MORE COMPLEX SPECIAL NEEDS (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY)

On the first Wednesday of every month at the Haughton School, Queen Street, Madeley, Telford from 2.00pm-4.00pm.

An opportunity to meet Joy and Margaret, outreach teachers for Telford & Wrekin. 

Visiting professionals will chat informally and give advice.

October meeting with include Dr Dave Allen, Clinical Psychologist and Julie Davenport, Chair of Parent & Carers Council for Shropshire.  This should prove to be a particular interesting meeting for parents.

For more information, contact Joy or Margaret on 01952 387551/2.  Please note that between 2.45pm-3.15pm access to and from the car park can be difficult.

KUMON -A JAPANESE LEARNING METHOD

Young people in Telford who want to brush up on their Maths and English skills can attend lessons which use Kumon - a Japanese system of learning through repetition and practice.  The young people will spend a small amount of time each day working on exercises to improve their skills.  Gina Plant, Instructor, said that they are given a booklet to complete in the lessons and are then given another booklet as homework to complete by the next lesson.  Each of the children stay for about 20 minutes and an instructor helps them move forward.

Classes take part every Tuesday and Thursday from 3.30 pm - 5.30pm.

For more information, telephone 01694 722787.

SHREWSBURY DYSLEXIA WORKSHOP (Affiliated to Shropshire Dyslexia Association)

for children with Specific Learning Difficulties.

• Trained Specialist Teachers .
• Individually designed tuition.

St Giles Fellowship Room, Wenlock Road, Shrewsbury.

Saturday mornings during school terms: cost per session £16.00 - 1:1.

For more information contact Alison Harris - 01743 362923.

NEW WORKSHOP OPENING AT CHURCH STRETTON

Therapy Room, Mayfair Centre, Church Stretton.

Thursday afternoon 4.30 - 7.30.

For more information contact Karen Fidler - 07766 473 930.

SHROPSHIRE, TELFORD & WREKIN HEALTH REVIEW - CHILDREN'S PATHWAY DEVELOPMENT GROUP

Making NHS services better for Children and Young People.

Parents in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin are being asked to look at current health services and explore ways to make the NHS better.

There are 8 groups called 'Pathway Development Groups'.  Each group is looking at a different aspect of the NHS.  One of these, the Children's Pathway Development Group, is looking at children's services and is keen to ensure that the views of parents and carers are taken into account when looking at issues and possible solutions.

When looking for solutions, there are 2 rules (guiding principles) which apply. A solution must:

• make sense clinically (mjust make practical/medical sense).
• make sense to the communities of Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Some of the issues so far have included:

• Rising numbers of children with disabilities and/or complex needs.
• Transition from paediatric to adult services for children with long term conditions.
• Poor facilities for children's outpatients at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

This is not the place to be airing individual complaints but if you have experienced difficulties with a service and have suggestions about how it could have been improved, this is your opportunity.  The aim of the group is to make sure that no option is excluded and that improved health services are available to all children within Shropshire County and Telford & Wrekin.

To find out more see www.sath.nhs/ournhs or contact Vicky Brain (project support) vicky.brain@nhs.net or 07717 541366.