Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum
Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum
admin@lincspcf.org.uk LPCF, PO Box 1183,
Spalding, PE11 9EE
Registered Charity No. 1141060 * ICO Registration Z1810966
LPCF Achievements
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2022
Homework Battles
15th October 2022
On 15th October 2022 LPCF invited Melanie Hartgill an Educational Psychologist to speak to parents on the membership about the battles parents and professionals may
have with Homework.
Homework habits that help were also discussed and parents were able to ask questions
One parent commented " What a fantastic session. I will definitely try the strategies with my son".
Please see the report published on the library page of the website
Promoting positive behaviour
Funded by the National Lottery Community Fund
October/November 2022
In partnership with LPCF, Chris from Aspens delivered two workshops for parents and professionals about promoting positive behaviour.
During both of the two hour workshops Chris covered:-- Common Causes
- Behaviour as a form of communication and how to establish what they are saying
- High Levels of anxiety & behaviours of concern
- What are behaviours and behaviours of concern
- Putting a plan in place and how to help
One parent commented "Chris gave a really comprehensive presentation with a lot of helpful information and suggestions, some is familiar and some has been a useful reminder.
We have several things that will be worth a try, and have some more reading to do!
Thank you very much".
Volunteer Engagement Day
14th November 2022
LPCF held its November Volunteer/Trustee engagement day in person at the Victoria House Tea room in Gosberton.
A team of seven volunteers joined together to discuss the important work of supporting parents and carers in Lincolnshire.The team were given the usual update on the meetings that volunteers and trustees have been attending and the outcomes that have been achieved.
The No Secrets document which charts LPCF's journey to Co production with partners was given to volunteers for reference.
The LPCF Survey which is to be published in January 2023 was given to volunteers and circulation was discussed.
Being a competitive bunch of volunteers a quiz was hotly contested. Christina winning out and being awarded a prize for her tenacity.
Statistics, the admin area and the week of SEND were discussed.
Thanks was expressed by the Chair to the team for all their hard work in supporting parents of children with SEND in Lincolnshire.
No Secrets
The Road to Co-production
LPCF have been asked numerous times about what is the secret to how we operate and why coproduction in Lincolnshire works and is well regarded.
That is why we have taken the time to write “No secretsâ€.
This document is aimed at anyone who would like to know a little bit more about LPCF and our long journey to get where we are today.
For those people, volunteers, members and professionals who have been on this journey with us since the beginning. Thank you.
Happy reading!
Parents Voice
Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care, Covid- 19 etc.
In this edition we have thoughts from the chair about the many free events coming up in the near future, thanks for the LPCF Team, plus parents views on:-
We have again used our "Feedback Friday" polls to gather more information from our closed parents only Facebook page. This simple polling system means that more people can give us their feedback.
The July to September 2022 report can be found here.
For other Parents Voice reports please have a look in our extensive library or check back through our Achievements pages or our library page.
Juggling the joys of parenting!
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Parents workshops with Hil Gibb
In partnership with Hil, LPCF developed workshops for parents about the issues that have been identified by the membership over the last few years. The series was aimed at parents who wished to have fun, meet other parent carers that want to make life easier for themselves and learn new strategies that can make a real difference to their lives.
Each workshop consisted of a 90 minute interactive workshop on Zoom, which on most occasions continued after the 90 minutes had elapsed.
These workshops were free to parents on the LPCF membership.
LPCF are looking to hold more sessions for parents in the near future
One member commented:-
"The session this week was full of useful ideas and activities to try. In response to today's
session, going to try and build in some time in the week to write something new - not had time
for this in recent months. Also going to try and use awareness of the ladder of inference as
this looks really useful - both for myself and others in our household".
Another member commented:-
"Brilliant session talking about listening, How different words affect the way you communicate.
Giving us different techniques to help. Going to try the double binds!!
Thanks Hil - the workshops go so quick and really good that they are monthly so we can practice the strategiesyou give us"
More feedback is included in this report
LPCF Wellbeing sessions
April - July 2022
A series of "virtual" Wellbeing sessions with Nicole from Hummingbird Hypnotherapy.
After the success of our last series of Hypnotherapy sessions with Nicole, members of LPCF were excited to start on the next series in April 2022.
These sessions were kindly funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.
LPCF Members were given the opportunity to attend these FREE sessions taking place during the evening.
Five fortnightly sessions were held covering topics such as Mood and Food, Moving on from fear, Managing overwhelm, Stress and the immune system and Harnessing your thoughts.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor whether to add more sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in September 2022.(see events page for more details)
One member commented about the session on mood and food"Interesting to hear how our mood affects our choice of food. Nicole always makes the sessions light and fun. You are able to interact if you wish but if not you can just listen –there is no pressure to join in".Another member commented " Good discussions about peoples reactions to learning they have a child with additional needs. One lady talked about her experiences of being a sandwich carer. The best thing is that we all understand to some extent and can empathise, which other people who have none of these experiences struggle to.
Looked at what caused our stress and whether we are able to change it.The trick is to make small changes to look after yourself.
Will be using this technique to make some changes in my life.
Special LPCF wellbeing page
LPCF have developed a private page on the website just for LPCF members who attend the Hypnotherapy sessions. On the page are the links to the sessions, Nicole's PowerPoints and some useful resources to keep members informed between sessions. We will also add recommendations and helpful articles and video.
More feedback is included in this report
Kind Donation
LPCF received a very kind donation from the Well head Centre although it was with great sadness that news was received that the Well head centre were closing after many years of supporting carers.
LPCF would like to thank Janice, Norman & volunteers for the support they have given LPCF and send them best wishes for the future.
Many thanks to the Well Head centre
Parents Voice
Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care, Covid- 19 etc.
In this edition we have thoughts from the chair about the Green paper, LPCF AGM,LPCF Excellence awards and the Cost of Living crisis plus parents views on:-
Also in this edition we have the details of our LPCF Excellence Award winners
We have again used our "Feedback Friday" polls to gather more information from our closed parents only Facebook page. This simple polling system means that more people can give us their feedback.
The April to June 2022 report can be found here.
For other Parents Voice reports please have a look in our extensive library or check back through our Achievements pages or our library page.
LPCF Excellence Award Winners
January to June 22
Congratulations to Mrs Giles who is a support assistant at Bourne Westfield Primary Academy and was awarded first place in the LPCF Excellence awards.
John Chambers (LPCF Volunteer) and Joni Clark (parent) were also awarded as joint runners up as voted on by the LPCF Trustees and Volunteers
Nomination details were as follows:
Mrs Giles at Bourne Westfield Primary Academy
I'd like to nominate someone for an Excellence Award. My daughter is 6, in Year 1 and goes to Bourne Westfield
Primary Academy. My daughter has a Global Developmental Delay and receives full time support whilst in class.
The entire school have been beyond brilliant with everything they do with her. They have worked tirelessly and have established the most brilliant environment for her to flourish and despite being behind academically, she loves going to school. I cannot speak highly enough of what the school have done for her.
My daughters full time support in class is Mrs Giles, and this is who I'd like to nominate.
Mrs Giles has been with my daughter from Reception (under Miss Binder who was also absolutely superb and presently in year 1 (with Miss Ward who is absolutely fantastic).
Mrs Giles has played a massive part in who my daughter is becoming as a girl and her enthusiasm for her role is incredible. She is creative, always looking for new ways to do things, positive, and has built up a brilliant rapport with her. She's been excellent at understanding her needs, establishing and completing targets whilst also helping her in some of the non academic things such as going to the toilet and building her independence.
Mrs Giles has also been excellent working with her in Makaton signs helping to develop speech and language.
She has been absolutely superb since she started school and really feel she is deserving of this award.
John Chambers -LPCF Volunteer
From the moment I joined the Facebook group John went above and beyond to help me. Being a family who have moved from a different county it's really difficult to know where to start with regards to services.
The GP wasn't much help (not really up to date with some of the disabilities my son has).
We live in a small village, so to have something like this, that I can access remotely is amazing and is going to make such a difference to myself.
I think as parents we always wonder if we're doing enough? But as a parent of a child with multiple complex needs and disabilities you are always asking yourself have I done enough, am I researching enough, am I working hard enough to make sure my child gets what they need to live as best quality of life they can.
John sent me lots of information, lots of pointers and within the information what was important in a time sensitive order. I really cannot thank him enough.
Joni Clark - parent carer
As Chair of LPCF my thanks go to the many parents who attended the "Week of SEND", but one name kept popping up in the waiting room!
I would like to nominate Joni for the LPCF Excellence award as she attended a massive 25 out of the 26 sessions during the "Week of SEND".
This shows a huge amount of commitment and enthusiasm. Thank you for your support and for prioritising the "Week of SEND" whilst juggling the needs of your family.
It is appreciated.
Well done to all nominations for going above and beyond for families of children with SEND. For full details of all the listings click on the blue link to see the January - June nominations
LPCF AGM
7th July 2022
LPCF held its AGM where the 2021-22 Annual Report and Accounts were presented.
Volunteers and Trustees were thanked for the enormous amount of volunteer time given during the year.
Our year in numbers was presented detailing the work undertaken over the last year:-
3657 hours given to our forum last year.
347 meetings attended by our volunteers
Trustees were elected for the forthcoming year.
Other partners were thanked for their co production with LPCF.
Martin Smith (Assistant Director of childrens services - Lincolnshire County Council) was invited to talk about Co producing SEND transformation in Lincolnshire with LPCF and partners.
Annual Report
Minutes of AGM
SEND Review
Report from the LPCF membership
A big thank you to all parents on the LPCF membership who have fed back their views to us over the last few months. The feedback collected, using a variety of methods was submitted as part of the consultation response from the LPCF membership.
Please see the report published on the library page of the website
The Local Offer
8th June 2022
On 8th June 2022 LPCF invited the Lincolnshire County Council SEND team to speak to parents on the membership about Lincolnshire's Local Offer.
Bex from the SEND Team spoke to parents about the Local Offer and gave an interactive demonstration of the online platform.
Parents had also sent in Questions to Bex and these questions plus others were covered during the presentation.
Please see the report published on the library page of the website
Volunteer Engagement Day
18th May 2022
LPCF held its May Volunteer/Trustee engagement day in person for the first time since 2020 at the Supreme Inn at Bicker Bar.
A team of nine volunteers joined together to celebrate the fact that it was a face to face meeting and the fact that LPCF have been able to continue with the important work in supporting parents,especially during Covid.The team were given the usual update on the meetings that volunteers and trustees have been attending and the outcomes that have been achieved.
The transformation work in SEND was discussed at length as LPCF have been at the heart of the work, feeding back the views of parents on the membership.
Volunteers were also given the chance to reflect on their volunteering role and the impact that it has on the Charity.
The SEND green paper was discussed at length and feedback to the Government Consultation was collated and will be included in the response from the membership.
A diversity and inclusion toolkit issued by Contact was also discussed at length and observations were discussed at the East Midlands Regional meeting.
Thanks was expressed by the Chair to the team for all their hard work in supporting parents of children with SEND in Lincolnshire.
LPCF Wellbeing sessions
January 2022 - March 2022
A series of "virtual" Wellbeing sessions with Nicole from Hummingbird Hypnotherapy.
After the success of our last series of Hypnotherapy sessions with Nicole, members of LPCF were excited to start on the next series.
LPCF Members were given the opportunity to attend these FREE sessions taking place during the evening.
Five fortnightly sessions were held covering topics such as New year-same me but better!, Living with pain, Motivation, Becoming more aware and dealing with powerful emotions.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor whether to add more sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in 2022.(see events page for more details)
One member commented about the session on motivation "Another fab session on motivation. Lots to try, little steps, setting goals, Do you!!Love Nicole's relaxed delivery and engaging nature.
Always fun sessions, made all the more fun by other parents sharing their stories. Thank you"
Another member commented "Much needed relaxation tonight!
Nicole made so much sense again, sometimes it takes someone else guiding your thought process to make things seem a lot more obvious. And as usual, lots to work on....Thank you".
Another member commented " Brilliant session with Nicole. Lots of useful strategies on becoming more aware.
Keep asking myself throughout the day - what do I need?
Measure on a scale of 1-10 and ask what can I do differently and take a small step towards it.
These sessions are so much fun, with a likeminded group of people wanting to learn strategies to improve their daily lives whilst also having fun. Reduces isolation - not sure why more parents aren't signing up as there is no cost to parents and they get the same information from Nicole that you would in a one to one session.Lovely to see a new parent there this week.
Special LPCF wellbeing page
LPCF have developed a private page on the website just for LPCF members who attend the Hypnotherapy sessions. On the page are the links to the sessions, Nicole's PowerPoints and some useful resources to keep members informed between sessions. We will also add recommendations and helpful articles and video.
More feedback is included in this report
Parents Voice
Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care, Covid- 19 etc.
In this edition we have thoughts from the chair about the Green paper, LPCF Week of SEND and the Local offer, plus parents views on:-
Also in this edition we have the details of our Local Offer Event- add the date to your diary now!
We have again used our "Feedback Friday" polls to gather more information from our closed parents only Facebook page. This simple polling system means that more people can give us their feedback.
The January to March 2022 report can be found here.
For other Parents Voice reports please have a look in our extensive library or check back through our Achievements pages or our library page.
Chance to talk to Indra Morris
(Director General for families at the DFE)
LPCF are proud to announce that we were invited by the Local Authority to talk to Indra Morris the Director General for families at the Department for Education to discuss the transformation in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Sector.LPCF were able to showcase the positive work around SEND and LPCF volunteers were invited to talk about parents experiences on the ground.
LPCF feedback the challenges that parents of children with SEND face through the evidence gathered from the membership and also gave examples where co production led to better outcomes for everyone.
St Peter at Gowts Primary school also hosted a visit to their school.
Promoting positive behaviour
January/February 2022
In partnership with LPCF, Chris from Aspens delivered two workshops for parents and professionals about promoting positive behaviour.
This subject had been identified by parents on our membership as an area that they would like workshops on especially over the challenging year of Covid-19.
During both of the two hour workshops Chris covered:-- Common Causes
- Behaviour as a form of communication and how to establish what they are saying
- High Levels of anxiety & behaviours of concern
- What are behaviours and behaviours of concern
- Putting a plan in place and how to help
One parent commented "This is the best training course I have ever been on. The most relevant to my family and for once I didn't feel so on my own with my kids behaviour. Some of their tips and advice was very useful".
LPCF
24th January -29th January 2022
A successful second virtual "week of SEND" was held by the LPCF team.
The aim of the event was to provide as much information as possible on as many subjects as possible during the week and also to give organisations the chance to showcase the enormous amount of support available in Lincolnshire.
The sessions were held all day, during the evening and at the weekend to ensure that as much flexibility for attendance was given to parents and professionals.
There were 26 sessions in total, including 68 organisations who showcased their offers of support in 10 minute slots or presented in one of the sixteen interactive workshops held during the week.
Participants were asked to complete an evaluation to provide feedback to LPCF about the event, which has been collated in the report herewith for your information.
LPCF would like to thank the 500+ people who attended throughout the week and everyone who was involved in making the event a success. We couldn't have done it without you.
Roll on January 2023!
Reaccreditation of Carers Quality Award
LPCF are proud to announce that we have been re accredited with the Carers Quality Award.
Assessor Every One
Well Done Team
Hypnotherapy with Nicole
September 2021 - December 2021
A fifth series of "virtual" Hypnotherapy sessions with Nicole from Hummingbird Hypnotherapy.
After the success of our fourth series of Hypnotherapy sessions with Nicole, members of LPCF were excited to start on the fifth series.
LPCF Members were given the opportunity to attend these FREE sessions taking place during the evening.
Eight fortnightly sessions were held covering topics such as "Dealing with Change", Sleep, Body Confidence and being kind to ourselves, to name but a few.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor whether to add more sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in 2022.(see events page for more details)
One member commented about the session on dealing with change "I found this session based on dealing with change very interesting. I often find myself thinking about my 'stress bucket' and how to eliminate things in it to feel more relaxed".Another member commented "Wow what a lot of information on sleep. Lots of reasons why parents don't sleep and lots of ideas and strategies to help. Also highlighted the fact that some people are morning people and some people are night owls.
Going to think about the 3 p's and think more positively. Thank you for an interesting thought provoking session".
Another member commented "So - regardless of my denial - I am a control freak! I can see how my daughter tries to control situations to feel safe, but never considered that I was doing the same a lot of the time, especially in situations where I am trying to prevent her from feeling anxious or having a meltdown. It's given me a bit to think about"
Special LPCF wellbeing page
LPCF have developed a private page on the website just for LPCF members who attend the Hypnotherapy sessions. On the page are the links to the sessions, Nicole's PowerPoints and someuseful resources to keep members going between sessions. We will also add recommendations and helpful articles and video.
More feedback is included in this report
Parents Voice
Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care, Covid- 19 etc.
In this edition we have Winners of the LPCF Excellence awards plus parents views on:-
Also in this edition we have the details of our 2022 Week of SEND - add the dates to your 2022 diary now!
We have again used our "Feedback Friday" polls to gather more information from our closed parents only Facebook page. This simple polling system means that more people can give us their feedback.
The October to December report for 2021 can be found here.
For other Parents Voice reports please have a look in our extensive library or check back through our Achievements pages or our library page.
Excellence Award Winners
July to December 21
Congratulations to Tattershall Farm Park & Stickney Primary school who came joint first place in the LPCF Excellence awards.
Anwick Garden Centre were also awarded a commendable 3rd place as voted on by the LPCF Trustees and Volunteers
Nomination details were as follows:
Tattershall Farm Park
Tattershall farm park is my nomination for excellence award. They have kind caring staff who go the extra mile and always talk to my son when he asks lots of questions about past and present animals.
Also when my son had an accident and cut his foot, they couldn't have been more helpful and apologetic. One lady even got up on the back of Bella the cow to make my son laugh whilst he was having his cut seen to to distract him.
Such a wonderful place and lovely staff!
Stickney Primary School
I would like to nominate my son's school - Stickney Primary school - for an SEN hero award. He started last year in the pre school and transitioned to the primary school in September 2021.
My son has many, varying SEN needs and a disability and they have taken everything in their stride. They have asked for additional support from the visual impairment team so they can properly identify and support his needs. They have accepted all help from outside services like physio and OT with their normal cheery disposition.
My son has excelled since starting at Stickney. He is included in every activity; they strive to make everything accessible to him. Every member of the team makes him feel so valued and loved. He absolutely loves school and that is because of the tremendous effort the whole team have gone to, to ensure his needs are met. We have never let his needs prevent him from achieving anything and the school wholeheartedly support that ethos.
I wanted to nominate them for this award to show them how grateful I am that they have made my son so comfortable and embraced him fully with open arms. I wanted their hard work and dedication to supporting my son and all the other children with SEND to be recognised.
Well done to all nominations for going above and beyond for families of children with SEND. For full details of all the listings click on the blue link and scroll down to July-Dec nominations
Heroes of 2021: Coralie Cross, Lincs Parent Carer Forum
Nominated by Leo Jones Director of Impower
'Heroes of 2021' is IMPOWER's annual end of year celebration, acknowledging the fantastic individuals and teams we have worked with this year. We are inspired by the passion and commitment of all our partners to deliver better outcomes for their citizens, but IMPOWER colleagues have nominated clients who have particularly stood out to them this year.
Coralie is Chair of the Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF), and the parent of a child with a disability. We have worked with Coralie since early 2019, and she has been a huge positive force for change in the special education needs and disabilities (SEND) system in Lincolnshire.Decision making around High Needs is often emotive, and can be confusing for parents who are trying to navigate the system and get the best possible support for their children. Having the support of other parents is essential, and this is why Parent Carer Forums are so important. Lincolnshire County Council and the Parent Carer Forum have a fantastic working relationship, and this helps to ensure that parents are genuinely involved in the planning of services in the county.
The relationship between local authorities and parents and carers can often become strained, particularly when changes to services are needed. Coralie has worked hard to build and maintain that relationship, and gives up so much of her time to represent the views of her fellow parents and carers tirelessly and effectively.
Working alongside a capable and engaged team of volunteers at LPCF, she has ensured that parents and carers have a voice in every decision that is made in the county about support for children with SEND. This has meant that changes and improvements have not only demonstrably had impact, but have been shaped and owned by parents themselves.We have appreciated Coralie's advice and support throughout our work in Lincolnshire, and we know that parents in the county are lucky to have her representing them – she is truly one of our Heroes of 2021.
For the link to the webpage click here.
For more details of the work around transforming SEND in Lincolnshire click here