Nov 22 2006
Successful SEN Meeting calls on Government to take action
I must say that I was rather apprehensive, but thankfully last night’s meeting was attended by fifty people. There was an excellent spread of expertise, enabling parents to gain access to information and support that was needed. After an initial address by yours truly, we divided up into four groups, enabling everyone to participate. There will be another meeting in the Spring, and I am extremely hopeful that this will become a regular event.
The meeting unanimously endorsed a motion calling upon the Government to implement a new national SEN framework, with an element of local flexibility that was truly accountable to parents and users.
This campaign has only just begun. As I said last night, it will be too late to look back in thirty years and see another generation of children failed by the system. Please add comments to the website or contact me on 07885 304713.
9 responses so far
we look forward to a Majority Dinner blog par excellence.
Hoare
Hi Robert, thanks for inviting me to the first meeting.
I’ve been ‘on the fringes’ of special educational needs for many years, my Mother dedicated the last 25 years of her working life to teaching at Locketts Bridge school in Newbury, and my wife Rachael is a senior ‘outreach’ worker for West Berkshire and is similarly dedicated.
I am really proud of both of them, but watching them using their skills, and experience, to benefit those with special educational needs has, until now, left me feeling somewhat ineffective. I wanted to help, but did not know how.
Until you called the meeting.
It was immediately apparent to me that many parents felt, not only let down by ‘the system’, but also quite isolated within it.
Many parents seemed hugely knowledgeable in how to get the best for their children, whilst others didn’t, and for me this indicated a massive communications ‘gap’, i.e parents aren’t getting enough access to the information, support and peer group experience that they so desperately need.
I’m not suggesting that support groups, information points and dedicated organisations don’t exist, (far from it), but I do believe SSENN, (Swindon Special Educational Needs Network) will benefit from easier access to all of them and their knowledge.
I believe SSENN will quickly become a cohesive, effective, vocal and self-supporting community of parents working towards multiple, and beneficial objectives.
Unfortunately, I also think that SSENN’s progress will be slowed by the relatively long periods between large scale meetings.
Thankfully, modern internet technology allows us to ‘meet’, en-masse, in an on-line environment 24hrs a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year. Indeed, if you are reading this, you are already using the technology to do exactly that !, which leads me neatly into why I think I can help SSENN.
I already run a web forum called ‘Talkswindon.org’ which was created to allow the people of Swindon to voice their opinions, discuss, debate and ponder over issues which affect them, and Swindon. It has proved extremely successful, and has become something of a conduit between ‘ordinary folk’ and organisations like Swindon Borough Council members, several of whom are active members there.
Because Talkswindon was created to provide local interest groups with an on-line venue, I originally intended offering SSENN, (meaning all of you !), a dedicated forum there.
However, after thinking carefully about it since the first meeting of SSENN, I think Talkswindon is not the best possible venue for it
Talkswindon is good, but we can do better for SSENN..
In short, I think you deserve your own dedicated forum and, subject to yours and Roberts approval, I would like to create, supply, and maintain it for your use.
Anyway, that’s enough of me rattling on, so I would just like to say it was a pleasure meeting many of you at the meeting, and that it was immensely gratifying to see parents sharing experiences, knowledge, advice and support in the short time they had together, and I imagine many of them left the meeting with a raised sense of hopefulness for the future.
I know I did.
Geoff Reid
Geoff,
Many thanks indeed for this – I think that such a facility would be of real use for the Network. As you know, Talkswindon.org is already linked to my blog, but a separate website would be ideal. I will talk to Deirdre Holland about this – let’s see if we can meet up soon and get things going.
Rob,
By sheer co-incidence, Emma had organised a seminar in Swnindon last week to advise people of their rights and possible action against LEAs.
Some mentioned your talk and said that both were very worthwhile.
Emma does this kind of thing all around the country. Let me know if she can do anything to help
Hi Alun,
I should have put two and two together when I was told about the Sinclairs meeting. I know of quite a few people who went along. I am babysitting tonight, otherwise I would be at a public meeting to discuss the possible closure of a special school in North Wilts. I would be delighted if Emma could help. Our meetings will be quarterly, with the next one in March. Would be delighted if she could be a guest speaker.
We have also set up a website at swindon-senn.org, to allow parents and others to exchange views and information.
Quick Correction….
The forum address is: http://www.swindon-senn.net
The forum is fully operational although not populated with members or messages yet…and I haven’t added any extra message boards yet, apart from ‘Coffee Talk’.
….so why not be amongst theh first to register and post ? !!!
Even better, if you would like to see a ‘board’ for a specific subject, e.g, ‘Statements – What are they and does my child need one ?’ then by all means make some suggestions !.
Geoff Reid
Thanks for the correction – I think we could run a few boards containing basic info on education law relating to SEN. I will speak to Emma Cairns about this.
Having just got round to reading the write up of the meeting of the on the 22nd November can I ask that the paragraph following my name and details be separated from them. Everything past the bit describing me as an SEN governor were general comments made by our group and not by me personally. The present layout makes it seem that these were my views being expressed.
Dear Sir/Madam,
I need to contact Mr.Buckland for an urgent legal inquiry that might need to be put forward to be dealt with by The Parliamentary Ombudsman!
But before that, I need Mr.Buckland’s opinion about this?
Would you kindly help me finding his contact details?
Kind Regards
Dr.Ali Al-Hassany