Essex Family Forum Newsletter - Issue 10

Welcome to our newsletter,

bringing you SEND news from across Essex

Two people pushing together two jigsaw pieces.

Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) - Year 2

We’re excited to announce that Essex will be participating in the second year of the Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) Pilot within primary schools.

In collaboration with our partners, we are currently identifying schools to be invited to express interest in joining this year’s project. Priority will be given to schools with:

High levels of SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)
Elevated suspension or exclusion rates
Those on the waiting list from last year’s pilot

This year’s programme will work with a smaller cohort of new PINS schools, allowing us to embed and build on the positive foundations in previous PINS schools.

EFF will once again lead the parent carer engagement strand, working through our dedicated representatives within PINS schools. Together, we aim to strengthen co-production and enhance communication between families and schools.

To learn more about the PINS Pilot, please visit our website using the link below.

Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) project | Essex Family Forum

Essex Shortbreaks Community Capital Inclusion Fund

This year, Claire joined the evaluation panel for the Essex Shortbreaks Community Capital Inclusion Fund. Each year, community organisations across Essex are invited to apply for capital funding aimed at improving access to clubs and activities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in mainstream settings.

Eligible funding can support a range of initiatives, including:

Facility adaptations
Procurement of specialist equipment
Staff training to enhance skills and confidence

This year, the panel reviewed and scored 23 applications against an agreed set of criteria. The process was really interesting but also challenging due to the high quality of submissions, all focused on inclusive and meaningful adaptations for SEND children and young people. Regrettably, the fund is limited and can only support a select number of successful applicants.

The following organisations were awarded funding for 2025:

Rochford District Council- for publicly accessible Changing Places Facilities in Clements Hall Leisure Centre and the Mill Arts and Events Centre.
Mistley Kids Club- To purchase and install a new accessible kitchen space
KTM Care LTD- To convert their existing caravan into an accessible setting to provide day provision and to purchase a 9-seater minibus.
Silverbirch Animal Therapy- To install multipurpose all-weather pathways across their site to improve disabled access.
All Hands on Deck- Hamford PTA - To upgrade and expand the services offered at The Ark, an Autism Hub at Hamford Primary Academy. Funding will be used to equip their existing sensory room with specialist equipment, for new play equipment in their outdoor spaces, replacement of outdoor floor surfacing and a covered area for year-round use.

As a result, five additional mainstream clubs and activities in Essex will be able to offer more inclusive environments for well-deserving children and young people.

To see which organisations have received funding since 2021, please refer to the link below. If you believe your club or activity could benefit from future funding opportunities, the next round is expected to launch in March 2026 for the 2026/2027 financial year.

Capital Grants and Inclusion Funding

Images of three line drawings showing a sad face, indifferent face and a happy fac.

Summer term Roadshow June 2025 - Summary

MID Essex @ POP Essex, Braintree on 17th June

Our FC volunteer Debbie Chambers was there to help, who was fabulous! 39 people signed in, of those 30 had never attended a roadshow before. A higher number than usual of parent/carers brought along their child/young person, some were known to POP, as already access their home Ed group.

Main themes:

· Long wait times for appointments with paediatricians

· Long wait times for EHCP’s – Not enough support while waiting

· Not enough information with what happens next for the Post 16 age group.

South Essex @ Greensward Academy community hub, Hockley on 19th June

26 people signed in, of those 23 had never attended a roadshow before. There were a lot of teenagers in attendance with their parents, who were looking for support and next steps, as unable to attend school. The new stress toys and sticky notes went down well!

Main themes:
· Challenges with secondary/post 16 transitions and lack of support for children out of school

· Inadequate & inconsistent Mental Health Services for Neurodivergent children and young people.

· Need for better understanding of masking and early interventions

· Inconsistent terminology, documentation, and practices across Essex

· Parents questioning their own neurodivergence and how best to support their children

North East Essex @ Tiptree community centre, Tiptree on 24th June

29 people signed in, of those 25 had never attended a roadshow before.

Main Themes:

· Long wait times for assessments

· Wanting advice on Preparing for Adulthood

· Found roadshow useful for gathering information

· Positive feedback about our "Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child" resource packs

West Essex @ Zinc arts, chipping Ongar on 26th June

11 people signed in, all of which had never attended a roadshow before. As there were not many parent/carers, we was able to have in depth chats with parent/carers. One who would like to join us as a volunteer!

Main Themes:

· Long wait times for assessments

· Long wait times for EHCP’s

· Lack of funding, support and provision.

· Lots of positive feedback regarding all the advice and support received from the roadshow

Come and work for Essex Family Forum!

Would you like to work with Essex Family Forum? Do you want to do something that makes a real difference, is flexible and family-friendly?

Look no further!

We will be advertising for paid roles, contractor roles, and voluntary roles within Essex Family Forum very shortly. All roles will be open for applications over the summer holidays, with shortlisting and interviews planned for September.

Keep an eye on our Facebook Page for opportunities. Click here to find us on Facebook.

Image of front cover of the Family Impact Survey. Text on image reads "Essex Family Forum, Family Impact Survey 2024, Report on Mental Health Support. Date of Report March 2025. Survey Conducted 1st February to 17th March 2024.

Healthier Habits Hubs

We've been attending Healthier Habits Hub events across Essex, which are community-based gatherings that promote wellbeing and connection. These events have provided a great opportunity to engage with parents, carers, young adults, and professionals—listening to their experiences, offering support, and sharing useful resources. Importantly, they have allowed us to connect with families who may not typically attend traditional SEND roadshows or events, ensuring they receive signposting to services and charities they may not have been aware of for additional support.

We've distributed many copies of our Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child resource pack, gathered valuable feedback on a wide range of topics, and built meaningful connections with other services and charities at these events too.

Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child Resource Pack

We are pleased to announce our resource packs "Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child" written with MyOTAS and Send the Right Message have received a further 2 years funding. The writing team will be working hard over the Summer on any updates to the packs.

If you would like to receive a hard copy or access the digital version, please visit our website or click here.

Please do provide any feedback and suggestions on the the resource pack, or anything else SEND related via our 'Graffiti Wall' on our website or by clicking here.

Picture of the Essex Local Offer Website.

SNAP’s Summer Survival Guide

We wanted to take this opportunity to share SNAP’s annual Summer Survival Guide which contains information, ideas and strategy suggestions for a fun and enjoyable summer with your family. You can access the guide via their website (www.snapcharity.org) or by clicking here.

Click here to share your feedback via our 'Graffiti Wall'

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County Hall,
Market Road
Chelmsford
Essex
CM1 1QH
United Kingdom