Bowdon
Church School
Useful Links & Resources
Stronger Together Empowering Parents STEP
They provide emotional and practical support and advice for parents/carers of children and young people with SEND in Trafford. They also have a team of trained volunteers who can act as mentors for parent carers. They pair mentors according to the skills and experience they have and match them accordingly with parents/carers who could benefit the most from their support.
Trafford Educational Psychology Services
The service offers 30-minute phone call slots via their Facebook page for parents/carers to chat with them about any concerns they may have.
Trafford SENDIASS Trafford SEND Information Advice and Support Service
Provides impartial information, advice and support to children and young people aged 0-25 with SEND, as well as their parents and carers.
They can also support with:
- The law around SEND.
- Education health care plans (EHCP)
- Resolving any disagreements
- Health and social care in relation to special educational needs provision.
- Transition post 16 - Preparing for adulthood.
- Personal budgets
Trafford SEND Parent Carers Chatty Café
Supporting Trafford parents who have children and young people with SEN, disability and/or additional needs. They are a source of help, advice, and support for parents, offering anything from a cup of coffee to the opportunity to meet other parents, leaflets, and information to invitations to training events and conferences.
Families with a child or young person 0 to 25 years.
Telephone - 0161 912 1053
E-mail - sarah.bradley@trafford.gov.uk
The Counselling & Family Centre - Starting Strong (free course for families with SEND children aged 5+)
Support and Guidance for parents and Carers of children aged 5+ displaying SEND behaviours who are not already accessing family support. Telephone - 0161 941 7754
E-mail - altrincham@thecfc.org.uk
Website - The Counselling & Family Centre | Courses | SEND Parents
Facebook - CFCALTY Facebook
Twitter - @CFC_Alty / X (twitter.com)
Sport Works Saturday sessions for children aged 5-11 with additional needs - Short Breaks
Supported by Trafford Council and delivered in partnership with Gorse Hill Studios. These are fun, relaxed and totally inclusive sessions designed to increase social skills, healthy habits and give children new experiences.
Sport Works provides engaging and stimulating sessions of mixed activities, some developing skills in leadership, group work, communication and organisation. Examples of activities are target hoops, basketball, boccia, dodgeball, tag rugby, hockey, cricket, gymnastics, Danish cricket, tag rounders, street dance, cheerleading, non-contact martial arts, rock climbing, volleyball, new age Curling, bean bag ball and many more.
At the same sessions, Gorse Hill Studios provides mixed sessions based around creative arts and expressions. As such, young people have a complete choice of what to do at each visit.
Gorse Hill Studios implements a rolling programme of innovative arts (Drama, Dance, Media, Visual Arts and Music) and youth work techniques to create and provide opportunities, empower participants, increase wellbeing and potential. The group explores and identifies a theme for each session that culminates in a series of skills sharing and show back events.
At the end of the day, it is about 2 things; making children enjoy themselves and to offer parents/carers a short break!
These sessions also run during the school holidays throughout the week.
Telephone - 07539 851326
E-mail - jon@sportworksltd.co.uk
Website - Sportworks website
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/swmcrandcheshire/
Support for Families, Children & Young People – Non-Commissioned Services
Spectrum Gaming
Spectrum Gaming is an online community for autistic young people which has three main intended outcomes, building friendships, increasing self-acceptance and advocacy.
Website - About Us | Spectrum Gaming
Autism Understood
A WEBSITE ABOUT AUTISM, FOR AUTISTIC YOUNG PEOPLE
Spectrum Gaming have made a website so that everyone can gain a better understanding of what autism is, since most people they meet seem a little confused about what autism actually is.
I AM Celebrating Autism in Greater Manchester
Offer a range of groups for different age groups (10+, 16+, 18+) including Information and Family Support, Roleplay Gaming Group, Life Coaching, and Aspirations Project which includes leisure and social activities.
Telephone - 0161 866 8483
E-mail - admin@i-am-autism.org.uk
Website - https://i-am-autism.org.uk/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IAMCelebratingAutisminGreaterManchester/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/ASGMAManchester
Sleep support
Trafford Sleep and Therapy Services is a commissioned service to help children thrive by providing experienced professionals who can help them overcome the difficulties they face with sleep and other issues such as social and communication skills. If you live in Trafford and are a parent or carer of a child aged 2 to 18 years who has sleep problems, you can join a webinar to access free help and support. Children with an EHCP or a named worker can access 1:1 clinic appointment service.
Telephone - 07838110985
Website - Trafford Sleep Services
Getting More Help - for those who need more extensive and specialist help
Riding the Rapids (RTR)
Professionals across Trafford, including Early Help and clinicians, are trained in RTR as well as staff in a few schools.
RTR is a ten-week group intervention aimed at helping parents/carers of children aged up to 14 with additional needs to positively understand and manage their child’s behaviour, improving their quality of life and equipping families with skills to take on their journey with them. Designed for parents/carers of children with learning disabilities and/or autism, the group materials can be adapted to support parents/carers of children in specialist or in mainstream provision. The course is divided into different modules, including:
- Understanding the function of behaviour that challenges
- Making environmental changes to support positive behaviour.
- Developing strategies to promote positive behaviour based on this understanding.
- Promoting positive attachments through better communication and play
- Supporting parents/carers self-care and promoting parental coping and wellbeing.
Based on well researched principles of functional analysis, the course aims to give parents/carers strategies to help them in that moment in time, as well as skills they can apply to future challenges.
Email - Emma.bamlett@trafford.gov.uk
Telephone - 0161 912 5020 Stretford Early Help Hub
0161 912 2122 Partington Early Help Hub
Website - Parenting Courses
Get Out There – Trafford Holiday Club – Short Breaks by SENSE
A group supporting children with a diagnosis of autism - this runs during school holidays. The group helps children with socialisation through a range of activities, so children can choose individually or join a group activity. Telephone – 07402 017242
E-mail - Judith.Archer@sense.org.uk
Website - Get Out There (GOT) Trafford Holiday Club - Short Break by SENSE | Trafford Directory
Sense | For people with complex disabilities
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/senseuk
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/sensecharity
Parents Connect
6-week support programme for parents and carers of young disabled people. Ages 0-18 years.
Telephone - helpline 0808 800 3333.
E-mail - parentsconnect@scope.org.uk
Website - https://www.scope.org.uk/family-services/parents-connect/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Scope/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/scope
Navigate (Scope)
A six-week programme that aims to put parents in touch with a personal advisor, helping them to talk about their feelings and concerns.
Telephone - 0808 801 0510
E-mail - navigate@scope.org.uk
Website - https://www.scope.org.uk/navigate
Other useful sources of support
Trafford Carers Centre - provides information and support to carers, completes carers assessments and carer health checks. The autism carers group meets on a regular basis.
Sensory-Friendly Home- information to support the sensory needs of some of our pupils.