New SEND training modules for professionals in the NHS, LA and educational settings DESIGNED by parents and carers!
About the training modules:
Have you ever had that ONE story/experience with professionals/ education settings that you’ve been through as a parent to a child with additional needs, that you want the world to know? Whether that’s a negative or positive experience.
A time when something has significantly impacted your family’s life and you want to tell everyone about it? Whether it’s an amazing paediatrician appointment or an awful experience at school.
Imagine being able to turn THAT experience, into training videos, which will be used as a powerful tool for training in professional settings, so professionals can hear directly from families who are interacting with them or accessing their services. They can learn from best practise, and past mistakes.
Well that is exactly what we’re doing! But we need your experiences to do it!
1. You tell us your positive or negative experience of Any SEND services, this can either be a video of yourself telling your story or we can come and video you! (this can also be used as a voice-over if you prefer), a voice recording, or even an email/letter letting us know about your experience. Children/young people can get involved too, whether that’s a voice recording, video, writing a letter or drawing a picture! when we are creating the videos, your experiences can either be anonymised or not- it is completely up to you!
2. We then use your videos, voice recordings, emails and pictures together to create a powerful series of impact training videos.
3. These videos will then be used as powerful tools for training professionals in various settings. Professionals will hear about your experience and how much they can truly have an effect on your life, if the support you and your children receive isn’t good and the difference it can make when it is.
Imagine the impact of your experiences. Your real on-the-ground experience, speaking about the impact services have made in yours and your Child’s life. Professionals hearing directly from families, who have been through these experiences.
What experiences do you need?
We are seeking both positive and negative experiences that show the impact on young people and their families in a variety of situations and settings, such as:
– interactions you have had with professionals such as school staff, GPs, hospital staff, therapists etc.
– your experience of using services, such as short breaks, therapies, school transport, direct payments etc
– use of reasonable adjustments/where reasonable adjustments weren’t made
– impact of different environments e.g. impact of quiet or sensory spaces in schools, airports etc, and also impact of noisy, busy environments with no ‘safe space’
– Experiences in educational settings such as school, nursery or colleges e.g. when needs have been met and haven’t been met, experience of the EHCP proccess, experience of support being put in place etc.
How do you get involved?
To tell us your experience you have a couple of options:
Option 1– Get in touch with Steph Campbell, the SEND communication and engagement officer, who we work closely with via this form here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx… or email steph at stephanie.campbell@cumbria.gov.uk
Option 2– Although we will ensure that all experiences will be anonymised during the creation of the training videos, for those who want their experiences to be anonymised.
We do also have an option to fill out this anonymous survey, where you can give anonymous feedback about your experience to us directly. However, this will mean we cannot get in touch with you regarding the project, nor can you be involved in voice recordings, or videos etc. But still a great way to share your experience. Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/G2Y7KH8
We are really excited about this project and the impact it will make! Without your experiences, this won’t be possible and we think, this will make a huge difference to SEND services, so please try and get involved, in any way you can!
What will this achieve:
Your negative experiences will help by:
- letting Professionals learn from past mistakes and stop history from repeating itself
- Understand the impact it has had on you directly and your children
- help professionals realise the effect their choices and practise makes.
- learn what’s not best practise
- create a platform for professionals to hear powerful and probably emotional videos that will give them a different perspective in situations other than their own
- you can let professionals no what could have been done better during those situations to improve your experience.
- Overall, Improve SEND services in Cumbria for our children and young people with additional needs.
Your positive experiences will help by:
- Share best practise with professionals
- professionals can hear directly from you what works well for families, and therefore can continue this good work
- Professionals working with you and your children will be able to see the impact best practice has on you and your children’s/ young peoples lives
- Opportunity for professionals to learn from one another.
- Create a platform for professionals to hear powerful and probably emotional videos that really hit home.
- Understand the impact it has had on you directly and your children
We hope you can share your experiences and we can embark on this project together!