To receive a verbal report on the activity undertaken by the SEND Youth Forum.
Minutes:
One young person who had been unable to attend the meeting had asked that Members be made aware that the equipment in playparks in Wokingham, and in Woodley in particular, were not accessible to wheelchair users. She had a twin sister who could use the equipment and she found it hard to just watch her.
Members were surprised with this information and agreed to investigate it further.
One young person stated that it was very important to have a choice in education and to be able to find the right place to meet one’s needs. He would like to go to Berkshire College of Agriculture (BCA).
A point was made that the closest school was not necessarily the school of choice or the right school for some young people; individual needs should be taken into account. It was also important for young people to know where they were going to go, uncertainty created anxiety.
One young person wanted to make Members aware of the lack of mental health support, nationally and in the borough. She had had a bad experience with lack of support and wrong advice at a school she had attended four years ago. She had subsequently moved to another school where she had received appropriate support. However, she pointed out that waiting lists for assessments and support meant that young people had to wait too long to receive the support they needed.
Members were of the opinion that good SEND support should be available in every school in the borough. It was necessary to have more mental health training for school staff and more inclusion areas.
Ramona Bridgman added that sometimes small adjustments could be really helpful, for example the use of fidget toys to help concentration.
One young person asked about the provision of housing for young people when living college. His mother explained that he was 21 years old and working towards independence. She had concerns about the support available for transition into adulthood. She believed that the Council should provide semi-independent houses for young people with additional needs, in a similar way to the semi-independent living arrangements currently provided for Care Leavers.
It was pointed out that supporting young people to stay in mainstream education and within their community decreased the cost of their education to the Council. It was essential to have good Early Years intervention.
One young person suggested that more funding for sports participation would be a good way to promote good mental health.
One young person stated that there was a lack of understanding by teachers in relation to young people’s needs in the classroom; such as the use of fidget toys and the need to move around.
A parent stated that there was insufficient provision of speech therapy, and staff at schools were not qualified to undertake speech therapy. Also, she stated that her daughter would be able to speak better now if she had been provided with more Early Years intervention.
Councillor Bray informed that one of WBC’s councillors used a fidget toy to help with concentration, so she understood the message being delivered.
The Chairman, on behalf of the Committee, thanked the SEND Youth Forum and all of those people supporting them for their attendance and contribution to the meeting. It had provided much information for Members to consider.
The Chairman proposed that the SEND Youth Council be invited to attend the CSO&S every year for a review of the services being provided to them. The SEND Youth Council agreed with this proposal.
A parent urged Members to be very careful and spend the SEND Budget wisely.
Helen Watson, Director for Children’s Services stated that the comments made during the meeting were very important and would be taken into account by the decision makers at the Council. The SEND Strategy and Budget were currently being reviewed, and the ambition was to improve and get it right. She asked the SEND Youth Council to work with the Council.
RESOLVED That:
1) The verbal update be noted; and
2) The SEND Youth Council be invited to attend CSO&S annually to review the services being provided to them.