Parents UpdateFor families of children with disabilities and special educational needs

February 2014 Issue 42 Registered charity no. 299889

Views expressed in this newsletter are those of the contributors and may not represent the views of Centre 404 or the London Borough of Islington.

Produced byCentre 404404 Camden RoadIslingtonLondonN7 0SJ020 7697 1325

www.centre404.org.ukfamily@centre404.org.uk

Visit our website at www.centre404.org.ukFind us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/centre404

Follow us on twitter: @centre_404

Centre 404 would like to wish all our parents a happy new year! After all the excitement of the fantastic kids festive party last year we hope you’ve all managed to have a well earned rest. 112 children in over 50 families came to the fabulous event. Faces were painted, dance moves were shown off by the kids (and adults!) on the dance floor, pass the parcel was played and festive cards were made! Santa even made an appearance in our beautiful grotto and gave out presents to all the boys and girls. Judging by the smiles on everyone’s faces (and these lovely photos), we think the party went rather well! If you didn’t get a chance to come this year we will see you in December 2014!

To see all the photos from the day, visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Centre404

Looking Forward to the Year

Ahead!

CONTENTS

p.3:Parent Involvement

p.4-6:Islington News

p.7:National News

p.8-9:Notice Board

p.10:Training and Workshops

p.11:Handy Numbers

p.12:Dates for Your Diary

2

A Festive Thank YouOne of the major highlights for the children at our festive party was visiting Santa and getting to open their present.This was all made possible because of the generosity of many companies, shops and individuals who supported the event. On behalf of the Supporting Families team, we would like to say a massive ‘Thank You’ to : Hachette Publishers, Flair, John Adams, Hasbro, Cath Kidston, Disney, Lego Playmobil, Arsenal FC, Lorraine Kelly, local M&S and Morrison’s stores as well as Nivea for their generous donations for the grotto, silent auction and raffle.

A big thank you to:• L’Oreal and Elizabeth Arden for donating a number of beauty products which we auctioned and raised £134!• One of our family carers Marianne Hill who made a big effort to get donations and to everyone else who donated items.

It was wonderful to see so many happy, smiling children and the feedback from parent carers was that they all really had a lovely day and were very grateful for the presents their children received.

Welcome, Lydia!Hello, I’m Lydia and I’ve just joined Centre 404 as the Supporting Parents Project Manager in the Supporting Families Team.

I’ll be managing the team that support parents of children with Special Educational Needs and disabilities, as well as representing Centre 404 at meetings across Islington.

Some of you might have met me in my previous role with the National Autistic Society, where I spent 12 years supporting people with autism and their families. I’m really excited to join the team here at Centre 404 and look forward to meeting you all throughout the next few weeks.

To get in contact with me email lydiah@centre404.org.uk or call 020 7697 1325.

Meet the Politicians Deciding the Future of IslingtonAs you might already know, every 4 years local councils have to hold elections to re-elect their councillors. This year it is taking place on the 22nd May.

Ahead of the elections, Centre 404 will be holding a meeting where politicians from all the major political parties will attend to answer your questions. It’s your opportunity to ask what they are planning to do for families with special educational needs or disabilities in Islington.

When: 8th May 201410:30am-2pm

Where: Centre 404, 404 Camden Road, N7 0SJLight refreshments will be provided

It is completely free to attend the meeting. For more information please call 020 7697 1336 or email family@centre404.org.uk.

Carers’ Festive Lunch 2013If you managed to come down to the Carers’ Festive Lunch held at St Luke’s Church (Hillmarton Rd) on 17th December, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! We catered to 75 people who enjoyed a traditional turkey lunch, with the option of a halal or vegetarian menu. There was a real mix of family carers and it was a great opportunity to meet old friends and make new ones.

We had a lot of positive feedback on the day. Carers’ comments included:

“Fantastic food & company’’“We had a fabulous time’’

“It was my first time. I felt that what I am going through I am not alone, there are others like me’’

“I made a new friend. I liked everything about today’’

We are very interested to hear directly from carers regarding what activities you would like the Supporting Families Team to put on for you. If you have any ideas please do get in touch either through email family@centre404.org.uk or call a member of the team on 020 7697 1325/36.

To see the photos from the day, visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/Centre404

Parent Involvement

3

If you missed Talking Shop in November 2013, here’s a quick summary of what was covered:

1. Pathways to Employment: Family Led Jobs Project

• Family Led Jobs: A project called ‘Family Led Jobs’ is being implemented in Islington in early 2014. It will help young people with disabilities into a job in an area that interests them by working together with their family. Young people will be given 3 days of personalised training and will be helped to make a CV. For more information or to take part in the programme please contact Gary Hamilton, Programme Manager, on 0207 527 5208 or gary.hamilton@islington.gov.uk

• Access to Work Grants are available to young people with learning disabilities to help them start working, stay in work or start a business. How much they receive depends on their circumstances. The money doesn’t have to be paid back and will not affect other benefits.

2. Welfare Benefit Changes

• Benefit Cap: There is a limit on the total amount of benefits that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. This is £500 a week for couples (with or without children living with them), £500 a week for single parents whose children live with them and £350 a week for single adults who don’t have children who live with them. This does not apply if anyone in your household receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP). However, you might be affected if you have a grown-up child who lives with you and they qualify for DLA/PIP, because they won’t normally count as part of your household.

• From 8th April 2013 Personal Independence Payments (PIP) started to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to 64. The council expect everyone on DLA (who qualifies) to have transferred to PIP by 2018. People who currently have an indefinite award of DLA won’t be reassessed until 2017.

• Bedroom Tax: does not apply to disabled children if they need a separate bedroom to their sibling. If you are being affected by this you can appeal to the housing department.

Sylvia tells us why she likes coming to Talking ShopTalking Shop is very informative and always ahead in terms of the topics covered. It’s nice to meet new faces and I like going for the great package of informative materials and amazing speakers. Other parents often ask questions I may never have thought of asking, so it’s great to get another perspective.

I went to the last Talking Shop because it was about therapies in education. My child has a therapist so it was good to see who’s behind it and to see the changes that are happening.

I would definitely recommend Talking Shop to other parents - keep up the good work!

If you live in Islington and care for a child or young person with a disability or special educational needs Talking Shop is for you!

Come along and get information on what’s going on in Islington and discuss matters that are relevant to you. This important meeting takes place every two months. It enables you to have your say in the development of Islington’s Specialist Services and participate in consultations.The next meeting takes place:

Tuesday 11th MarchAt Centre 404

10am-12:30pm with light lunchThe topics will include an update on how the special educational needs and disabilities reforms are being implemented nationally, information about free sporting activities for children with disabilities, and information about services for children with hearing impairments and visual impairments.

Islington Update

4

Preparing to Work in Catering3-5 sessions

Dates and times to be confirmed

Preparing to Work in Customer Service5 week course

Mondays 12:30pm-3pm

Universal Jobmatch Website - Search Skills

3 week courseFridays 9:30am-12:30pm

Interview Skills3 week course

Fridays 9:30am-12:30pm

Starts 24th February

Starts 28th February

Starts 21st March

TBC

Book on to FREE coursesThe Arsenal Red Zone Learning Centre are offering a range of FREE courses for Islington residents aged 19 or over and who receive income related benefits. The courses are all great ways to give you new skills to make you more employable and improve your CV.

Their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) course has already started this month (January 2014) but if you have a reasonable level of computer skills then you may still be able to book on if there are spaces left.

To find out if you are eligible for a course and for information on how to enrol on a course, please call 020 7704 4500. All training takes place at Arsenal Red Zone Lifelong Learning Centre, Ashburton Triangle, Emirates Stadium N7 7AF. For details of all future courses see right.

Short Breaks NewsThe Short Breaks Team have written to all Islington children identified as eligible for Short Breaks with information on activities for the coming year. They have asked families to choose how they would like to use their Short Breaks allocation, running from April 2014 to March 2015, and to make their requests by 28th February 2014.

The activities on offer in 2014-15 will remain much the same as last year and as usual, families can make their requests by post, phone or email. In addition, the Short Breaks team will be available Thursdays and Fridays until the 28th February for a drop in service at 222 Upper Street for any families wanting extra help to plan their Short Breaks allocation for the year. Please contact Ian McDonald if you would like to arrange a time on 020 7527 8611 or short.breaks@islington.gov.uk

The Islington Short Breaks statement has been reviewed and was included in the February information pack. A copy can also be requested by contacting the Short Breaks Team on 020 7527 8611 / short.breaks@islington.gov.uk

Further information on Short Breaks is available on the Islington website: www.islington.gov.uk/services/social-care-health/disabled-people/parents-of-disabled-children/life-leisure/leisure-actvities/short-breaks

What’s On in Islington?Candoco Youth DanceCandoco offers weekly youth dance classes for disabled and non-disabled dancers aged 13-25. No experience needed. Just commitment and enthusiasm!! £5 per class.Where: The Place, 17 Dukes RoadContact: Phone 020 7704 6845

DSC Community Club Islington2 hour weekly sports session for disabled people aged 11-25. Includes Paralympic sports and competitions. £3 per session.Where: Sobell Leisure Centre, Hornsey Rd, London N7 7NYContact: Phone 020 7021 0973 or email alan@disabilitysportscoach.co.uk

Inclusive Zone BasketballThis is wheelchair basketball combined with the running game, for children aged 11+ and it is FREE.Where: Sobell Leisure Centre, Hornsey Rd, London N7 7NYContact: Email michael.bishop@aquaterra.org or phone 020 7686 8812

Multi-Sports Club for 7-11 year oldsA range of different FREE sports activities for disabled people of different ages.Where: Sobell Leisure Centre, Hornsey Rd, London N7 7NYContact: Email michael.bishop@aquaterra.org or phone 020 7686 8812

Multi-Sports Club for 7-11 year olds

Islington Update

Brush up on your computer skills in IslingtonAs part of Islington Libraries, the Islington Computer Skills Centre is running free computer skills training for Islington residents. If you struggle using computers, need help getting online or would like to improve your job prospects then these courses may be ideal for you.

Qualification classes at levels one and two are being offered to Islington residents of working age who are currently unemployed and/or on income related benefits. These classes are held on weekdays; one 2½ hour session per week.

All classes are taught by a qualified tutor in a relaxed and friendly environment. Each student has sole use of a computer and class sizes are kept small, with a maximum of 12 students per session. There is wheelchair access to all services and a disabled toilet.

For details on enrolment days, course start dates and for more information contact the Islington Computer Skills Centre via phone on 020 7527 7002 or email info@icskills.co.uk Visit the website - http://www.islington.gov.uk/services/libraries/librarylearningcentres

Have your say in Islington’s health servicesWe all need to be included in the conversation about health and social care services, and how they can be developed to better meet people’s needs. Local people who actually use the services are best placed to observe what works well and what doesn’t. Healthwatch Islington’s role is to gather that insight and to make sure that those messages are carried back to the committees and boards that take decisions on how our health and social care services will look in the future.

Let Healthwatch Islington know what you think of the services you useThis year we are especially interested in hearing from people with long term health conditions. We would like to learn about the experiences of young people with learning difficulties who also suffer from conditions such as asthma, or diabetes. We would also like to hear from carers for example coping with depression, or managing heart and lung conditions. We want to find out whether enough support is being provided for long term conditions by GP’s in the borough.

Call Emma Whitby on 020 7832 5814 to give us your views on long term health conditions or to comment on local health and social care services in general. You can also make a comment via our website www.healthwatchislington.co.uk

You can get help getting access to informationFinding out about everything that is available for your needs or the needs of people you care for is not always easy.Healthwatch Islington can give you information about local health, social care and well-being services. Maria Gonzalez and Sarah Lee are our staff members providing this information service. Phone them on 020 7832 5828.

5

Sarah and Maria, Healthwatch Islington’s signposting officers

Keep warm and save money this winterThis winter the government is promoting a Warm Home Discount which offers £135 off annual fuel bills. The money isn’t paid to you, it’s a one-off discount on your electricity bill credited by the end of March. You can also qualify for the discount if you use a pre-payment meter.

Up to 5000 vulnerable Islington residents, including people on disability benefits and low income families with young children and certain are eligible to apply.

The Warm Home Discount is paid by the following major energy companies:

• British Gas• N Power• Scottish power• SSE (Inc Southern Electric)• First Utility• EDF

Please note that energy giant E.ON has closed its Warm Home Discount scheme and others are following suit in early 2014. The criteria are slightly different for each energy company, so to check if you qualify and to register please call the Energy Advice Team on 0800 953 1221 or 020 7527 2121.

The energy companies have to find a minimum number of people to register and often close registration once this has been met so please call as soon as possible if you think you may be eligible.

SOURCE: Islington Council

6

The Supporting Families team would like to say a massive THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped in the mailing out of the last Parents Update newsletter and who gave up their time for the Carers Festive Lunch and Kids Festive Party. We couldn’t have done it without them. They are all STARS!

Do you need advice?

Do you need help filling out a

form?

Call our Open Access office

for all queries and information

on 020 7316 1930

New ‘Raising Our Sights’

GroupThis is a new group for family carers who have

children and adults with high needs and multiple

disabilities.

We share information, ideas, and give each other

tips and we meet every two months. The second

half of the meeting is for “Hot Topics” chosen by

the group and we invite guest speakers to talk with

us. We aim to ensure everyone listens to each

other‘s point of view and find good ways of working

together.

Next meeting dates:

4th March and 1st May 1pm-3pm at Centre 404. Call

020 7697 1336 for more information.

Notice Board

Parent/carer

7

Prefer to receive the newsletter by email? Or perhaps you receive the newsletter twice in the post? All you have to do is email daphneh@centre404.org.uk or call me on 020 7697 1325 and I will make a note.

Have something to say?The Supporting Families notice board in the hall at Centre 404 is a place for you to post news you think others would find useful so please go ahead and use it!

For all the latest Centre 404 news, benefits updates and top tips follow us on Twitter @Centre_404 and Facebook www.facebook.com/Centre404 For help on how to access them, please see p.7 & 8 for computer skills training.

Jargon-buster!The confusing language of special needs is explained here:

TAC (team around the child) meeting - A meeting of all professionals involved in helping your child.Person-centred planning - fitting a service to the child rather than the other way around

Personal budget - usually council money given to someone, based on their assessed needs. Respite - sometimes called ‘short breaks’, this is a service that gives carers a rest from caring. It could be a support worker coming to take over caring for an afternoon or a weekend, or it could be the child being cared for going to a respite centre for a short time.

Occupational Therapist (OT) - The person who will work with your child to develop their skills and confidence in everyday life - including work, social and leisure activities and personal care.

Is your DLA due for renewal? Remember to tell us as soon as you receive the renewal letter. If we don’t know in advance then we might not have enough time to help you fill out the form. Ring us on 020 7319 1930 to book an appointment.

Notice Board

Images produced by Carers UK 2013 for Carers Week 2013

8

Free NHS health checks for carersCamden and Islington are offering FREE health checks to people living in the boroughs if:

• You are between 34-75 years old.• You are registered to an Islington or Camden GP or an

Islington or Camden resident not registered to a GP.• You have not had an NHS Health Check within the last 5

years.• You have not been diagnosed or not taking medication

for >Heart disease or heart failure > Stroke or TIA (mini stroke) > High blood pressure > Atrial Fibrillation > High cholesterol > Kidney disease > Heart attack > Arterial disease

The health check only takes 20 minutes and will help you identify your risks of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and kidney disease. The test includes a blood pressure test, blood glucose and cholesterol assessment along with a body mass index (BMI) calculation. All this is put into a personalised report and you are given the results straight away. To check if you are eligible and you live in:

Islington - call 020 3282 7886 or visit http://bookings.smartgp.com/Islington

Camden - call 020 3317 3681 or visit www.myhealthcheckcamden.co.uk or contact Camden Carers Service on 020 7428 8955 or info@camdencs.org.uk

School Based SupportThe Bridge Special School’s Outreach Team (based in Islington) supports the inclusion of pupils aged 5 – 19 with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD) or Profound & Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD) in mainstream settings.

They are staffed by teachers and teaching assistants, all of whom have experience and expertise in working with pupils with ASD/SLD/PMLD.

They visit schools in Islington and observe students in the school setting. The outreach team support staff in developing their understanding of ASD, SLD and PMLD and their skills in meeting the needs of pupils with SEN in mainstream settings.

Their support includes the development of:• Inclusive classroom practice• Curriculum access / differentiation • Appropriate approaches and strategies• Materials and resources• Managing behaviour• Developing communication and social skills• Induction and transition

They also offer bespoke training during the school day or after school meetings / twilights.

Following research, they have extended their Disability Awareness programme for children in mainstream settings and also developed an Autism Awareness package.

For more information contact outreach@thebridge.islington.sch.uk or 020 7619 1012/11

Are you getting all the benefits you’re entitled to?Islington Council’s Income Maximisation Service can help make sure you are receiving all the benefits that you are able to claim. The service is for all Islington residents and some non-residents such as carers of disabled people living in Islington. The team advises and gives support with all benefit and tax credit issues and helps with making claims for benefits, including help with completion of forms. They can visit you in your home if you are unable to go to their office. They also help to challenge benefit decisions and provide representation at appeal tribunals.

The Income Maximisation Team give advice and support with benefit changes such as the bedroom tax, the benefit cap and the personal independence payment.

You can contact them on freephone (from landlines) 0800 731 8081 available Monday-Friday between 9.30am-4.30pm and via email: claimit@islington.gov.uk

The Government offers a benefits check calculator on their website which can be found here: www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

Islington Update

9

National News

Bedroom Tax UpdateGovernment admits policy mistakeThe government’s “spare room subsidy removal” (SRSR) policy or the “bedroom tax” as it is called by many, was introduced last April. It taxes tenants in social housing financially if they are assessed as “under-occupying” their homes.

Earlier this year in January the government made an announcement about the bedroom tax. They admitted that they had made a mistake when writing the policy. They confirmed that anyone who has continuously claimed housing benefit on the same property since before 1st January 1996 should never have been taxed by the SRSR. This still applies to anyone who has had a break in receiving housing benefit for up to 4 weeks within that time. Proof will need to be given to the local authority as evidence of this.

The government has claimed that this would affect fewer than 5,000 people but this number has been challenged by disability campaigners to be as high as 40,000.

Once Local Authorities have identified someone as having been wrongfully hit by the bedroom tax, they will be made exempt from it until they are re-assessed. This means that any housing benefit owed to them from 1st April 2013 would be paid back until the date of reassessment.

At the time of going to press, the government has said that it will introduce new rules in March that will close this ‘loophole’. Once that happens tenants in above circumstances are likely to find that the bedroom tax applies to them regardless of the length of their tenancy.

For more information on this visit www.cafamily.org.ukSOURCE: Benefits & Work and Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

£30 million for New Special Educational Needs ChampionsEarlier this year, the Children and Families Minister Edward Timpson announced new government plans to fund more than 1800 ‘independent supporters’ to help parents navigate the new special educational needs process. The government is pledging more than £30 million to recruit and train a group of these independent supporters to help the families of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) through the new process due to start in September 2014. The independent supporters will be drawn from independent voluntary, community and private organisations and will give independent support and advice to families who will be affected by the changes.

The government has not said when the independent supporters will begin supporting families, but they expect that their training will start this Spring.

SOURCE: www.gov.uk and www.cafamily.org.uk

Major Change to the Children and Families BillThe children and families Bill for England has now been amended to include all disabled children and young people within its scope.

The bill which will become law in England this year, will make major changes to the way children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) are supported. However, around 25 per cent of disabled children do not have special educational needs and would have been at risk of not benefitting from some of the elements in the Bill such as the local offer.

SOURCE: Every Disabled Child Matters www.edcm.org.uk

Free money adviceThe Money Advice Service is a free, unbiased and independent service set up by the government to help people make the most of their money. They give money advice to everyone across the UK online, on webchat, over the phone, in printed guides and face to face.

The website features several helpful articles and tools like the budget planner which helps you to work out how much money you have coming in and how much you’re spending. Their money health check helps you assess your money priorities and gives you a personalised action plan with clear goals. The service also has many tips and tricks to save money by shopping around, using vouchers, coupons and cashback to get the best deals.

For more information call 0300 500 500 Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-1pm or visit www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk

SOURCE: Money Advice Service

Training and Workshops

To avoid disappointment please book your place in advance by ringing Centre 404 on 020 7697 1325

or email emmaw@centre404.org.ukPlease also contact Emma Watson if you have any questions or ideas for

workshops you would like us to run

All training takes place at Centre 404, 404 Camden Road, N7 0SJ (unless otherwise stated)

Autism Support Group: ASD for TeaThis is an opportunity for you to meet other parents/carers of a child with autism. It is

a place to support one another to share information and advice.

Tuesday 25th March 201410am-12pmASD for tea

10

Disability Law - Children and Families BillSteve Broach, a barrister specialising in the law in relation to disabled children, will speak on the upcoming reforms in the Children and Families Bill and how this will

impact on your family. Thursday 24th April 2014

10am-3pm (Light lunch will be provided)

Speech and Language Therapy WorkshopThis workshop will be delivered by a speech and language therapist. It will cover

how language and communication develops and how you can support your child in developing speech, language and communication skills at home

Wednesday 26th March 201410:00am - 12:30pm

11

Cut out and keep!

Handy NumbersAction for Kids 020 8347 8111ADDISS (ADD & ADHD) 020 8952 2800Afasic (speech & language) 0845 355 55 77Alliance for Inclusive Education 020 7737 6030Benefits Advice Line 0800 88 22 00Carers Allowance 0845 608 4321Centre 404 Open Access 020 3316 1930Centre 404 Learning & Leisure (Clubs) 020 7697 1323Centre 404 Supporting Families Team 020 7697 1325Challenging Behaviour Foundation 0845 602 7885Child Brain Injury Trust 0303 303 2248Childline 0800 11 11Children’s Centres: Ambler 020 7359 7628 Archway 020 7527 4827 Bemerton 020 7527 4806 Conewood Street 020 7527 4440 Golden Lane 020 7786 4800 Goodinge 020 7607 5850 Hornsey Road 020 7527 2005 Hungerford 020 7619 9149 Kate Greenaway 020 7527 4850 Margaret McMillan 020 7281 2745 Moreland & King Square 020 7253 5133 New North Community 020 7704 3903 New River Green 020 7527 4813 North Islington 020 7527 4844 Packington 020 7359 3302 Paradise Park 020 7697 7330 The Factory 020 7923 9879 Willow 020 7527 1990Child Law Advice Line 0808 802 0008Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) 020 7288 7676Contact-a-Family Helpline 0808 808 3555Cry-sis (crying babies) 0845 122 8669DLA Helpline and form request 0845 7123 456Disability Law Service 020 7791 9800Dyslexia Support Group 020 7272 7064Dyspraxia Foundation 01462 454 986Equality & Human Rights Commission 0808 800 0082ERIC (enuresis, bedwetting) 0845 370 8008Families First 020 7527 4343Family Fund 08449 744 099Family Information Service (Islington) 020 7527 5959 Family Lives (formerly ParentlinePlus) 0808 800 2222 Hayward’s Adventure Playground 020 7607 0033Health Centres: City Road 020 3316 8570 Elizabeth Avenue 020 7226 6363 Finsbury 020 7530 4200 Goodinge 020 7619 6670 Highbury Grange 020 7226 2462 Hornsey Rise 020 7530 2473 Killick Street 020 7833 9939

Northern 020 3316 1800 Ritchie Street 020 7837 1663 River Place 020 3316 8444 Roman Way 020 7607 7502 St John’s Way 020 7272 1585 St Paul’s Road 020 7226 6333 St Peter’s 020 7288 9320Healthwatch Islington 020 7832 5814Hospitals: Whittington 020 7272 3070 UCLH 0845 1555 000 Royal Free 020 7794 0500I CAN Helpline (speech & lang) 020 7843 2544IPSEA (education advice) 0800 018 4016Islington Carers Hub 0800 085 1141Islington Council “Ask Islington” 020 7527 2000Islington Law Centre 020 7288 7630Islington People’s Rights 020 7561 3685Islington Welfare Rights (IMAX) 0800 731 8081KEEN London 07858 899066Kidscape (bullying, sex abuse) 08451 205 204Lone Parents Helpline 0808 802 0925Mencap (learning disability) 0808 808 1111Motability (car scheme) 0845 456 4566 National Autistic Society helpline 0808 800 4104National Blind Children’s Society 01278 764 770National Deaf Children’s Society 0808 800 8880PALACE for All 020 7561 1689Parents for Inclusion helpline 0800 652 3145Scope Response 0808 800 3333Shelter (housing advice) 080 8800 4444Sibs Org 01535 645453Social Services: Self Directed Support Team 020 7527 7263 Short Breaks 020 7527 8611SWAN UK syndrome without a name 020 7704 3141Tax Credit Helpline 0345 300 3900Whittington Health 020 3316 1111Working Families legal advice line 0300 012 0312Young Minds (mental health) 0808 802 5544

CALL CHARGES:

Landlines: 0800 free 0808 free 0845 local call rate 0870 national call rate Mobile phones: check with service provider

12

For more information about events, training and workshops, call us on

020 7697 1325

Dates For Your Diary

Friday MattersMeet other parents and carers of disabled children at this weekly

social event. Share information and advice. Come join us for a coffee -

donation of £1 per person.

Every Friday 10:30am-12:30pm

term time only

Raise your issues with an Islington Borough Councillor

Wednesday 19th MarchWednesday 16th April

10:30am-12pmby appointment only

Ring 020 7697 1325 to book

Councillors Surgery

The Bridge Partnership Parent carer support worker

providing support and information for carers of children

who attend The Bridge School.

Monday-Thursday 9am-3pmring 020 7619 1000 or 020 7697 1336 for an

appointment

Disability & SEN Parents Forum‘Do nothing about us without us’

This group provides an opportunity for parents of disabled children to be involved in making decisions about changes to disability services. This is currently

very important as there are reforms happening in this area. We meet every 6 weeks and always welcome new members! For more information contact Emma Watson

on 02076971325 or emmaw@centre404.org.uk

Wednesday 19th March 10am-12:30pm

Open access for informationIf you have any questions or would like any assistance,

contact our ‘Open Access Service’ at:Northern Health Centre

580 Holloway RoadN7 6LB

Tel: 020 3316 1930 Come to the drop-in sessions:

Monday-Thursday 9:30am-12pm No appointment necessary

Talking ShopNext topics to include services for

children with visual impairments and hearing impairments, and an update on SEND reforms in Islington. Takes place

at Centre 404 on

Tuesday 11th March10am-12:30pm