Welcome to the Hillingdon Parents Carers Forum – a site for parents and carers of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs, living in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

Who are we?

A small, but growing group of parents and carers of children and young people with learning difficulties, disabilities or additional needs and are currently known as the Hillingdon Parent Participation Forum.

Our Aims

To represent the views of parents and carers in discussions with the local authority and, through this, to influence the way local services are delivered. We will inform the local authority of occasions when their experience of practice does not match current policy. We also want to play a more active part in service design and development by ensuring that the needs and wishes of our children and families are heard, and placed at the centre of these processes.

We are supported by the Parent Partnership Team Manager, whose remit is to increase, consolidate and co-ordinate parent/carer participation in the borough by working with us and with statutory and voluntary agencies and community groups to establish a sustainable, representative and effective parent/carer forum. 

Parent Participation is beneficial for parents and for professionals involved with children and families. Professionals need to know what they are doing well and where they could be doing things better. Parents can assist with the planning and development of services, providing evidence for this with their expert knowledge. In consultation with parents who are using services, it is hoped that parental influence and input into service design will deliver better services for all children and families. Increasing the number of parents participating will ensure: More parents are involved in the decision making process so that it becomes more representative Services reflect the influence of parents All parents and carers who wish to participate will feel welcome Parents and carers will feel more empowered

We do have a few parents who work hard to ensure that the views of families are at the forefront of service development. These parents can support as well as challenge decision makers and offer invaluable input all the way to strategic level. We have 3 parents who sit on, and actively contribute to, the Disabled Children’s Strategy Operational Group. In preparation of attending the Operational Group we meet as a focus group to discuss parental concerns/issues. We met on 17th July 2009 and will take main points for discussion to Operational meeting on 29th July 2009. Notes of meeting are as follows: no criteria had been set for short breaks yet because of a court case in Islington. All local authorities are awaiting the outcome of this case and it is hoped that there will be guidance from Together for Disabled Children. Eveleen, (parent), had carried out an exercise as a ‘secret shopper’ and tried to apply for respite under the existing criteria. The exercise highlighted difficulties parents can face and the length of time to get any response. She reported that initially they look at the paperwork and then you find out if you are eligible for an assessment. need to determine if there was a connection between eligibility for assessment and eligibility for Direct Payments. all criteria used to measure eligibility for services should be freely available. This could be on a website or hard copy sent in response to a telephone or written request. this should be supported with a flowchart type of information for parents e.g. If YES, do this – If NO – then what, signposting to what else could be of support for this family critical eligibility criteria is predominantly health issues and should be funded by them. who sit on panel for short breaks – what teams, areas are represented? the whole family situation should be assessed and not just the child in question – ‘Think Family’ carers assessment could also be helpful Colin, (parent), told us about ID cards for young people to prove that they are 18. Colin will find out more. agreed Transition milestones and a timeline of likely events/changes would be helpful for parents. This needs further investigation by the group.

The parents that sit on this group are part of the committee who put together the Annual Parent Participation Conference and they often sit on interview panels for senior positions within Children’s Services. There is also another parent sitting and contributing to the Inclusion Strategy Steering Group. This is too big an area to leave to a handful of very committed people who are also parents of children with disabilities – they can’t possibly do it all - they need your help.

On the back page see details of how you can be involved and have your voice heard too

Important Information

The SEN Parent Forum committee members agreed to change the name of the forum to Parent Participation SEN/Additional Needs Forum. This was to encompass all families living with children/young people with additional needs. The annual conference has been booked for Tuesday 24th November 2009 so please put in your diaries. Following feedback from last year, this year the event will start later and run into early evening, enabling parents/carers that work an opportunity to come along. More information about the day will soon be available and sent directly to some of you, to schools, nurseries, pre schools, libraries, children’s centres etc.

You can make a difference

Have your say

Remember how important your voice is

If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person with additional needs, perhaps you would like to be involved in one (or more) of the following ways:

Forum Member – meeting 3 times per year Focus Group Member – small meetings to discuss particular issues/topics Sit on interview panels for Local Authority/Health Authority Contribute to /Edit Participation Forum Page of Parent Partnership Newsletter Take part in consultation

Training will be provided to enable parents to take part in these activities and expenses will be paid (Travel, childcare etc). If you would like to become an active member of the Forum or would like more information, please contact Isobel Callaby, icallaby@hillingdon.gov.uk or Linda Dines ldines@hillingdon.gov.uk or complete the attached form and return to Parent Partnership, Civic Centre 4E/08, High St., Uxbridge, UB8 1UW