Dear Parent and Carers

We hope you all had a lovely half term break.

We have an early November newsletter, as there is a lot going on this month.

LPCF have our next coffee morning on Thursday 28th November Costa Coffee (the big one) in Rushey Green. 10am to 11.30am.  Representatives from the Lewisham Family Hubs will come along and talk about what they are offering families.

Please do come along to our new SEND 16 plus drop in, parents, carers and young people all welcome.  See details below.

If you want any information please do contact us.

Best wishes
LPCF Team

Please come along to our new

SEND 16 PLUS ARE US - DROP IN
Organised by Lewisham Parent and Carer’s Forum
For young people aged 16 to 30 plus their parents/carers
PLEASE LOOK OUT FOR WHO IS ATTENDING EACH SESSION
We welcome any requests for organisations to attend

PLEASE ENCOURAGE YOUR YOUNG PERSON TO COME WITH YOU

Our next session will be Thursday 7th November 10am to 1pm

We will have refreshments, a light lunch, activites and a first time goodie bag for you.

Attending this week will be:

Lewisham Autism Hub
Lewisham Speaking Up – covering advocacy
DFCG – Downs Syndrome Group
LPCF – Family Support Worker
Toucan Employment
Signal Family Support (Autism)
Barclays Bank – support for young people
Lewisham Wellbeing Hub - Together

Come and talk to Lewisham services  – Activities and refreshments available for all

When - THURSDAYS ON THESE DATES – 10am to 1pm – come any time
7^th November 2024
21^st November 2024
12^th December 2024
16^th January 2025
30^th January 2025
13th February 2025 
27^th February 2025 
20^th March 2025 


Where
LEEMORE CENTRE -MAIN HALL
Bonfield Road, Lewisham SE13 5EU (side green gate)
Phone 07534568020 – email info@lewishamparentcarer.org.uk

LEWISHAM PARENT AND CARER'S FORUM
LEWISHAM GIRLS GROUP
COOKING SESSIONS run by Nalan Salih, our resident chef

As part of the Autism Girls Group programme (ages 10 to 18), LPCF will be running cooking sessions for the girls as follows:

VENUE: The Leemore Centre, Bonfield Road, SE 13 5EU - Front entrance – call 07534568020 -  6pm to 8pm

Thursday 14th November - Banana Bread
Thursday 28th November - Pasta Bake - Tuna or Plain
Thursday 12th December - Christmas Biscuits

6 girls per session.
We will run 4 more sessions after Christmas.

Please pick a date that you would like to attend, it can be more than one date, and we will make sure everyone gets the opportunity to cook.

All parents to be in attendance
Please let us know in advance if you cannot make it so we can offer it to someone else.
If your child has any allergies please let us know.

Contact: sue@lewishamparentcarer.org.uk or text 07534568020 TO LET US KNOW YOU ARE COMING

LEWISHAM FAMILY HUBS

About Lewisham Family Hubs

A Family Hub is a place where children, young people and their families can go when in need of help and support.

Our mission is to help all families in Lewisham to connect, grow and thrive.

Family Hubs will offer the right help, in the right place, at the right time by offering services and support for all families with children aged 0 – 19 (or 25 with SEND) and extra support is available for families during pregnancy and in your baby’s first years.   We have now integrated our Children and Family Centres into our Family Hub offer. 

https://lewishamfamilyhubs.org.uk/

LEWISHAM LOCAL AUTHORITY will be resuming the refresh of the SEND Partnership Strategy for the years 2025-2028.  You may remember that LPCF ran sessions earlier this year to gain parent/carer feedback.

Your voices are important in shaping our partnership priorities for children and young people with SEND and their families.
 
How you can get involved
 
Register your interest by scanning the QR code in the leaflet or complete the online registration form.  
 
In-person: Friday 15 November, 10am-12pm at Civic Suite, Catford Road, SE6 4RU
 
Online: Thursday 21 November, 6pm-8pm




 

Welcome to the Early Years Alliance Lewisham Services Website

SEND Support

SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It’s a term used to describe children and young people who have a learning difficulty or disability that makes it harder for them to learn than others of the same age. 

Children with SEND may need additional or different support to help them reach their full potential.

EXPLORERS PLUS

Explorers Plus was developed in 2022 by Early Years Alliance (EYA) to support families who have a young child with SEND.

EYA and Lewisham Inclusion Team, Portage and Lewisham Family Hubs are now jointly supporting Explorers Plus stay and play sessions for families with a child aged 0-5 years with SEND. You don’t need a diagnosis to attend, and you don’t need to book, just turn up on the day – you will be made very welcome by the team.

WEBSITE LINK

Jumpstart to Success programme

Supporting young people into education, employment or training

The jumpstart to success is a free programme for young people aged 16-24 who are currently not in education, employment, or training. Through one-to-one mentoring we aim to help you gain the skills and confidence you need to take your next steps towards achieving your future career goals.

Jumpstart to success is a three-month programme that provides:-

• Weekly mentoring and 1:1 coaching sessions 
• Confidence building and life skills workshops
• Help with developing a work plan
• Access to live vacancies, work placements and apprenticeship opportunities 
• Information about careers in rapidly growing sectors such as creative, green, and digital skills
• Opportunities to meet employers from the creative, sports, dance, construction, gaming, music and hospitality industries and more!

GO TO WEBSITE AND REGISTER HERE

Second Wave Youth Arts 

Ages 14 to 25 years

Second Wave empowers young people's creativity and activism through engaging young people as performers, writers, lyricists and technicians - developing new productions and youth-led creative outreach projects in the community.
A registered charity, Second Wave has been working with young people and developing new plays for young audiences since 1982. The company has developed the careers of many young writers, performers and educators.
As an independent charity, Second Wave raises income to support an ongoing programme of work with young people.

First Floor, Deptford Mission Building
1 Creek Road
Deptford, SE8 3BT
Phone: 020 8694 2444
Email: info@secondwave.org.uk
Registered charity number: 1024836
Company number: 2841537

Lewisham Council - Lewisham SEND Local Offer

Explore our local offer for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.

LINK TO WEBSITE

HELPING UNPAID CARERS ACESS THE SUPPORT THEY NEED

Maximising Wellbeing of Unpaid Carers is a new service through Imago providing support and opportunities for unpaid Adult Carers (18+), Young Adult Carers (18-25) and Young Carers (4-18).

We help Unpaid Carers get the support they need to maintain their own health, wellbeing and independence, and to care safely and confidently. The range of support available includes:

• Single point of access
• Named Wellbeing Co-ordinator
• Support with Statutory Carers Assessments
• Information, advice and guidance
• Access to financial support and advice
• Individual tailored support plans
• Emotional and practical support
• Quarterly Carers newsletter
• Contingency planning
• Unpaid Carers Groups
• Peer Support
• Free training courses
• Unpaid Carer Passport

To find out more, call our team on 0300 373 5769 or email ucwellbeing@imago.community
Currently based at The Glass Mill in Lewisham

Website:  IMAGO

Lewisham Works is a free service to support unemployed residents in to good jobs.

We work closely with training partners and businesses to provide pathways into a range of jobs in various sectors.

LINK IS HERE

Residents can also book an appointment with an advisor directly through this link: https://www.jrni.com/book-an-appointment-with-us/.

KOOTH TALKS WEBINARS

Our free webinars offer valuable insights for professionals and parents. They help ease the pressure by providing practical guidance on key mental health topics.
 
Helping young people stay safe on their new smartphone
With over a third of parents and carers feeling uneasy about their child having their first smartphone, we've put together this session to explore supporting a child's mental wellbeing whilst using the device plus information on UK law and social media usage and online safety tips. We are also offering a KoothKlass live stream morning assembly session for Year 7 students on staying safe on your new smartphone. 

• KoothTalks for families: please share this link to book
• KoothKlass for Year 7 students: book your place here

Meeting the needs of neurodivergent and Special Education Needs & Disabilities (SEND) young people
Children and young people waiting for an assessment or navigating a diagnosis may need additional emotional support. We’re offering a webinar this month exploring how our platform meets the needs of neurodiverse and SEND young people. 

• KoothTalks for professionals: book your place here
• KoothTalks for families: please share this link with parents and carers

Emotionally Based School Avoidance 
Our October webinars focus on helping you understand a little more about Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), hear from a young person’s perspective, and explore support strategies with Kooth’s Senior Clinical Psychologist.
Parents and carers may also be seeking support for their anxious child avoiding school. They’re often juggling work and caregiving, feeling deeply worried while their child remains at home. So we’re also offering a webinar for families.

• KoothTalks training for professionals:  book your place here

KoothTalks for families: please share this link with affected families.

 
Kooth has launched the Kooth Future Council, a competition to find our first-ever youth-powered content team. Winners will collaborate with social media stars and Ravensbourne University, participating in masterclasses to create mental well-being content. This unique opportunity initiative will equip participants with valuable skills in video editing, content creation, and leadership, enhancing their future college and job prospects.
Students aged 15-18 can submit original artwork, photography, video, or writing that answers the question: "How do you overcome negative emotions?" 
Students can submit their entries at www.kooth.com/future-council until the closing date of Friday, 15th November.
Further information about the competition for schools and colleges can be found here.
 

The Autism Project A two-year supported employability project for young autistic adults, aged 18 – 25

The Autism Project is an immersive employment programme for young autistic adults, who would like to be employed but need support and experience to take the next step. Learners spend the majority of their time in work experience placements in real working environments. They also attend sessions in Skill Up (skills for work), Functional Skills (up to Level 2), job searching and applications and tutorials (independence skills & travel training). The project runs for 36 weeks per year and learners attend for a minimum of 3 days per week.
 
TAP is based in Southwark London and we work with many employers across London who host work placements for our learners. We are an Ofsted ‘Good’ provider and are proud of our excellent outcomes for our graduates (see image below).

Annual Report 2021-2022 
 
TAP is a part of https://care-trade.org/CareTrade, a charity that delivers employment-focused projects which support autistic people to gain and sustain employment. We believe that employment is the biggest single factor that will transform the life of an autistic person.
  
On-going support service at CareTrade
 
CareTrade is able to offer all TAP graduates that gain employment in-work support through Access to Work. We also offer graduates who don’t gain employment at the end of the project, a job club programme for up to 6 months after the project ends. Job club provides support with continued job searching and applications, as well as support at interviews if needed.
 
Find out more
 
TAP runs online information sessions on the last Friday of every month 3-4 pm. Please click here to find out how to join the session and feel free to share with any families, young people, and colleagues. We are currently recruiting for September 2023 start.

For further information and to discuss admissions please contact us on:
Email: TAP@caretradeuk.org Phone: 07432 570 350 Website:www.care-trade.org

Resources for Autism are excited to share with you our exciting puppet workshop for adults! Used recycled materials to make fabulous creatures and learn how to manipulate puppets and create stories to share! Sign up now - only a few spots remain! 

Time: 4pm to 6pm
Dates:  8^th November, 15^th November, 22nd November
Address: Lewisham Autism Hub, Second Floor, The Fellowship Inn, Randlesdown Road, Bellingham, SE6 3BT. 
To register, use the QR code in the flyer attached or this link: 

We hope to see you there! 


 

Welcome to Pulse Social. My name is Coach Marlon and I am the founder of Pulse Social. 
 
Club Bromley's next multi - sports session will take place on Tuesday 5th November 2024 at 5pm - 6pm - Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley, BR1 3NS.  For children and young people aged 8 - 17. 
 
Please find attached to this email Club Bromley's promotional leaflet. 
 
Remaining Session Dates For 2024

• Tuesday 5^th November 2024 - 5pm to 6pm 
• Tuesday 12^th November 2024 - 5pm to 6pm 
• Tuesday 19th November 2024 - 5pm to 6pm 
• Tuesday 26^th November 2024 - 5pm to 6pm 
• Tuesday 5^th December 2024 - 5pm to 6pm