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Local Offer for young people

Shout Out Young People’s Group

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The Shout Out Young People’s Group provides an opportunity for young people to have their voice heard and to influence the decisions in Telford and Wrekin. If you are a young person with special education needs and/or a disability you are invited to join the Shout Out group. This is your opportunity to share your own experiences about support for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, to have your voice heard and influence decisions in the local area.  

What will you need to do?

You will have the opportunity to talk to people from Telford & Wrekin Council and from Health Services to share your experiences and make a difference for other young people in Telford & Wrekin!

When will the group be held?
The next group will be on:
Thursday 27 April 2023 at 4.15pm—6pm.

Don’t worry there will be a break to have a drink and biscuits!

Join us at the Family Zone
Hazeldine House, Central Square, Telford Centre,
Telford, TF3 4JL

If you would like to join us at the next group, please contact SEND IASS on 01952 457176 or email: info@iass.org.uk.

Coffee and tea will be available for parents, carers and support workers or, the Town Centre will still be open for shopping!

Shout out yp panel poster

 

Download Poster 

School Councils & School Parliaments

The group is interested in working collaboratively with schools and post 16 settings. They would like the opportunity to visit school councils and/or parliaments to share information about the group and discuss how they can work together to encourage young people to share their views.

If your school or setting would like to request a visit to find out more please contact us via email: localoffer@telford.gov.uk.

Shout Out Facebook Page:

We understand that not all young people are able to join the group but we would still like to hear their views on services and share ideas, so we, in partnership with IASS, have created a closed Facebook site for the SOS group. If you are a young person or know a young person who would like to join tell them to search for ‘Shout Out for SEND’ on Facebook and request to ‘Add Group’ (young people will need to be over the age of 13 to access this Facebook Group).

You Said, We are doing

Take a look at the feedback from the Shout Out Group and see how the group is ‘Making a Difference’ in Telford & Wrekin
If you would like to add to the feedback below, or would like to share your experience, please contact us by email: localoffer@telford.gov.uk or talk to your trusted person who can support you to share your views.

Shout Out Young Persons Group: You Said, We Are Doing

You Said

We Are Doing

Progress

16 February 2023

Bullying

All the young people mentioned they had been affected by bullying at some point in their school life. Often with concerns about getting the blame for what others told them to do, their reactions to being bullied and teachers not listening when they tried to report threats.

Information about bulling and SEND was provided back in 2019 for schools at the annual SEND Conference. This needs to be revisited and further training for schools investigated.

We will look into how we can support schools to prevent bullying and the offers from organisations such as:

  • NSPCC
  • Anti-Bullying Alliance
  • Scope

Keep a lookout for more information – we will provide an update when we have finished out research and let you know what has been organised.

Working together to make improvements.

Raising Awareness of SEND

Young people felt that there should be more awareness of SEND for all staff working in schools, this included how to provide resources and work in the right format, reasonable adjustments, attendance, dealing with anxiety.

Raising awareness of SEND is a high priority for all the teams working in Education support services. The last Director Briefing for all staff working in Education had a focus on special educational needs and disabilities.

Your feedback has been shared with all the Teams that support children and young people in schools. Further training and support will be provided for schools.

Working together to make improvements.

Isolation

Young people raised concerns around being put into Isolation, detentions and exclusions.

New guidance is being created for school, called Rarely Exclusion. The purpose is to encourage schools to reduce suspensions and exclusions.

Schools are encouraged to rarely use suspensions or exclusions, it includes a checklist of when a suspension should be used and information about a support ‘Hotline’ so young people and their school can be provided with advice and support before an exclusion takes place.

Would a young person’s guide: Know your rights – Exclusions be useful?

This will be added to the agenda for the next Shout Out group as an area for discussion.

Working together to make improvements.

Mental Health

Greater understanding is needed around mental health support from teachers. Support services not explaining reasons for medication and not being able to access support.

This information has been shared with our partners in Health.

Keep a lookout for more information – we will provide an update.

We are working on it – look out for an update!

Sensory Overload

Increased awareness of sensory overload and how this can be avoided by teachers, not having situations escalated because they are already stressed.

This information has been shared with the Educational Psychology Team, they will look into how support can be provided for schools and provide further training.

 

Keep a lookout for more information – we will provide an update.

 

We are working on it – look out for an update!

Treated with Respect

Young people felt that if they were treated with respect it would help situations not to escalate, greater understanding of how they may reach. Treat others how you would like to be treated, should work both ways.

Your feedback will be shared with schools and settings.

Your comments will be included in our next SENCo Network Meeting, this is attended by SENCo’s working in schools, early years settings and colleges across Telford & Wrekin.

Working together to make improvements.

Raising Awareness of SEND in the Community

More education for people in the community around SEN and disabilities.

We are working with our parent carer forum PODS (Parents Opening Doors) to raise awareness of SEND in the community.

Working together to make improvements.