LPCF Achievements

LPCF Wellbeing sessions

Sept -Dec 24

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 commencing in September 2024.
These sessions were kindly grant funded by Lincolnshire County Council to help improve parents wellbeing.

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 Anxiety, Sleep, Don't let the past cloud now and How to relieve the Christmas stress.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor the usefulness of the sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in February 2025 (see events page for more details).

One member commented about the session on Mood and Food "Lovely session, Mood and Food, typically me, everything I eat depends on the mood I`m in, if I`m happy and not stressed I eat properly, if not I sometimes just can`t be bothered and eat anything and everything. Three C`s are very important, if I can remember them my eating will possibly be better. Learnt that I am in my primitive brain when overeating."

Another member commented "The relaxation session was fantastic for me as had a very overwhelming few weeks. I have actually made some time for myself tonight and realised how important this is, especially in current times.
My head feels like it has emptied of all of the baggage that is carried and I know I’m going to be able to deal with things tomorrow with more ease and more rational thinking. Thank you so much.

Another member commented "Don't stress myself out looking at today's "to do list" just before bed, instead hand that over to tomorrow earlier on and move on to thinking about the things I have achieved today and that were good today and producing those happy endorphins.”
A relaxation followed each session where parents were encouraged to take some time for themselves.

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. Some resources have also been donated by LPCF to use between the sessions. Book recommendations and helpful articles and videos will also be added. One of the regular members also kindly designed a playlist for the group to use.

More feedback is included in this report

Promoting Positive Behaviour Workshop

14th November 2024

In partnership with LPCF, Chris from Aspens delivered a workshop for parents and professionals about promoting positive behaviour. During the two hour workshop 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

The interactive session gave attendees a chance to ask about the difficulties they were experiencing and gain some useful strategies and techniques to explore after the workshop.

One parent commented "It is always a good thing to find other people who are in the same boat as you, as this can be a very lonely journey and as parents we know how hard it is to continue the fight to help your kids and help them build skills to navigate life, while it is also a sad thing to know there are others out there in the same boat, to have found an organisation that is willing to help is something greater than can be communicated.
There's always new things to learn and new perspectives on SEN challenges and strategies to help us as parents to cope and to help our kids.".

Promoting Positive Behaviour Workshop

14th October 2024

In partnership with LPCF, Chris from Aspens delivered a workshop for parents and professionals about promoting positive behaviour. During the two hour workshop 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

The interactive session gave attendees a chance to ask about the difficulties they were experiencing and gain some useful strategies and techniques to explore after the workshop.
One parent commented "That was an excellent workshop, really clear and easy to understand and Chris was a wonderful speaker.
I learnt so much and am so pleased to have found out so much"

Another participant commented "Chris was brilliant at addressing real life situations that the participants bought to his attention, giving
useful advice and lots of understanding".

Study Skills and Revision Strategies

4th November 2024

In partnership with LPCF, Odette and Jane from the Specialist Teaching Team (LCC) delivered a workshop for parents and their children with SEND about Study Skills and Revision strategies.
The interactive session gave attendees a chance to ask on the chat about the difficulties they were experiencing and gain some useful strategies and techniques to explore after the workshop.
One parent commented "A lot of useful strategies to try to embed information, instead of just reading it over and over. Also a good chance to ask the Specialist Teaching Team questions. I feel like our school don't tackle study skills early enough, so it is useful to have
strategies now to get us used to them before it really matters.
When I was a child, I didn't really understand at all how to
learn stuff, I'd just make it stick long enough to pass the exam and forget it".

Another commented "The Specialist Teaching Team are very good at doing these sessions. An hour is about right to get over their information.
Thank you LPCF for holding these valuable workshops".
Please see the report for more feedback.

LPCF Parents' Voice

July to September 24

Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care etc.
In this edition of parents' feedback we have changed the format slightly with sections for Education , Health & Social Care separated to hopefully make it easier to read.
A section at the beginning of the report has been dedicated to professionals who have kindly commented on your views directed to them, in the previous edition of the parents' voice.

In this edition we have lots of comments on the following:-

EP Waiting Times

Experiences of Schools

Behaviour

EHCA Experiences

Shared Experiences

Alternatives to Special School

Paediatrician Waiting times

ASD Assessment waiting Times

ADHD Medication

HAF

Managing Sleep

Max Cards

Electronic Hub

Plus much more
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.
We also have selected a few comments from our latest workshops.

The July to September 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.

Workshop on The Emotional Based School Avoidance workshop

with Lincolnshire County Council

7th October 2024

On 7th October 2024 , Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) invited Lincolnshire County Council Pupil Reintegration Team to present a workshop on the Emotional Based School Avoidance Pathway.
The event was primarily aimed at parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as the professionals who work with them and are members of LPCF.

A virtual workshop on the pathway gave participants guidance around what ENSA is, what it isn't, information about why it can occur and what can be put in place when it occurs.
Questions were presented in the chat and answered by Amanda & Nicola.

One parent commented "Attended the EBSA Workshop, really useful information about the pathway but also what to engage with first (early help, healthy minds) that can hopefully help, as well as the importance of a good home, school relationship."

A professional commented "I really enjoyed the course and learned a lot about the EBSA process. I am a SENDCo currently using the EBSA materials supported by an EBSA caseworker and the course helped to verify a lot of the work we are already doing.
It also gave me ideas for next steps in order to support the child and family. The EBSA team provided good guidance for professionals to follow and I hope that it also helped parents to understand the process when there are EBSA difficulties.".
A big thank you to Amanda and Nicola for presenting the workshop for LPCF.
Please see the report published on the library page of the website

Workshop on The Local Offer and EHC Electronic Hub

with Lincolnshire County Council

Wednesday 25th September 2024

On Wednesday 25th September , Lincolnshire Parent Carer Forum (LPCF) invited Lincolnshire County Council SEND Team to present a workshop on the Local Offer and the EHCP Electronic Hub.
The event was primarily aimed at parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as the professionals who work with them and are members of LPCF.
A virtual workshop on the Local Offer, which included a demonstration of the platform was showcased by Eileen from the SEND Team.

Eileen kindly presented examples of search criteria that LPCF had provided so participants could see how it could be used with real life examples.
Matt then showcased the EHC Electronic Hub and how the platform could be accessed on multiple devices. He talked at length about the system and the way it was transparent and accessible for parents and professionals.
Questions were presented in the chat and answered by Eileen and Matt.

One parent commented "I learnt about the Lincolnshire Hub and how you can request a needs assessment or access an EHCP, contribute my views to the EHCP review process.
It was great to learn about the information on the Local offer and links to other organisations, support networks and how to find information on preparation for adulthood, health and wellbeing etc."

A professional commented "I have used the Local Offer and family services directory quite a bit but it was great to have a thorough overview of what is available. I feel much more confident now being able to signpost this to parent carers who I am supporting".
Please see the report published on the library page of the website

LPCF Wellbeing sessions

May - July 2024

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 commencing in May 2024.
These sessions were kindy grant funded by Lincolnshire County Council to help improve parents wellbeing.

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 Building your confidence, Calming an overactive mind and What is self care.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor the usefulness of the sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in September 2024 (see events page for more details).

One member commented about the session on finding the balance in your life -"I understand the areas of my life that I would like to improve upon and the areas that I am happy with. I have let go of a lot of the things I enjoy in order to please others,this session reminded me to prioritise my own happiness and wellbeing and to take small steps rather than the 'all or nothing' approach.

Another member commented "Learn to find the joy! So often I think of self care as something that adds to my to-do list. I often make excuses- no time, being the biggest. I do not take breaks when I'm stressed or overwhelmed, thinking I have too much to do. Your example of putting on some tunes, getting some fresh air and movement could be so impactful and easy to implement.

Another member commented"A really happy fun filled night, Thanks Nicole for all your good suggestions for trying different things to achieve our self care goal.”
A relaxation followed each session where parents were encouraged to take some time for themselves.


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. Some resources have also been donated by LPCF to use between the sessions.Book recommendations and helpful articles and videos will also be added.One of the regular members also kindly designed a playlist for the group to use.

More feedback is included in this report

Juggling the Joys of Parenting!

Parents Workshops with Hil Gibb

January 2024 to July 2024

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.
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:-
"Some really helpful advice as always in an engaging way. I love hearing other people's experiences to know I'm not alone. I've enjoyed all the sessions I've been on and will look out to join the two I missed from November. Thank you to all the insight into how our minds work and how to use them to be our best selves for our children and provide positive role modelling as my youngest is like a sponge and absorbs everything."
Another member commented:-
"It enabled me to appreciate where I've continued to encourage my daughter's positive behaviour when the challenge is no longer present. Our mornings were previously very difficult and we struggled to get her ready for school. Even though mornings have been settled for many months now, I always recognise that she's done well getting ready and I'm proud of that. I also really appreciate the time Hil allows to discuss specific issues attendees have or have had, this makes it personalised and easier to apply the content to my situation."
More feedback is included in this report

LPCF Parents Voice

April - June 2024

Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care etc.
In this edition of parents' feedback we have changed the format slightly with sections for Education , Health & Social Care separated to hopefully make it easier to read.
A section at the beginning of the report has been dedicated to professionals who have kindly commented on your views directed to them, in the previous edition of the parents' voice.

In this edition we have lots of comments on the following:-

EHCA Mediation

EP Waiting Times

Boston West embracing Sign language

Announcement from LCC

School Recommendations

Self Drive Transport

Private Assessments

Waiting Times

New OT Service

Plus much more
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.
We also have the winners of the LPCF Excellence Awards.

The April - June 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 24

Congratulations to Holly Rodgers and Donna Wallhead who were awarded joint first place in the LPCF Excellence awards.

Mrs Cash was also awarded third place as voted on by the LPCF Trustees and Volunteers

Nomination details were as follows:
Holly Rodgers- Weston Hills C Of E School
Holly Rodgers has been a massive support to my son especially over the last two years.

She has gone over and above to provide one to one support, emotional support and practical support when he's been experiencing a parent having cancer treatment.
She has also been great support to parents.

Without her ongoing support, my son would not be managing as well as he is.

We are grateful that we have such a brilliant support in our sons school.

Donna Wallhead
I would like to nominate Donna for going above and beyond for her family and for supporting LPCF.
Donna has her hands full with her children and grand children but dedicates her time to attending almost all of the workshops/events/sessions we hold.

During the "Week of SEND" she attended almost all sessions during the week and always endeavours to provide LPCF with valuable evaluations about what she learnt during the sessions.

She is also keen to participate in the chat and asks questions to further her knowledge making the most of every session she attends.

She is actively building her skills up in parenting children with SEND and we would like to recognise her commitment in doing this for her family.

We think that her husband often listens in to the sessions too but likes to stay behind the camera so thank you to him too for his support.

It is people like Donna that inspire LPCF Trustees and volunteers to keep volunteering so a big thank you from all of us.


Mrs Cash - Skegness Academy
My son is autistic and has Tourettes syndrome.
He has attended Skegness academy with Mrs Cash as his English teacher since September 2020.

She has gone above and beyond to help him grow as a young adult, to make him feel comfortable and to help him embrace his disabilities and not let them hold him back.

I am sure she is just as dedicated to all of her pupils, but as a parent sending her child with all these challenges to school, to find a teacher that not only understands your child's needs, but one that also fights for your child as if he were her own, is amazingly heart warming.

I don't think there will ever be another Mrs cash, I can only hope that when my son moves on next year that he can find teachers who are at least half as good as this one.


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 - July nominations.

Volunteer Engagement Day(Pins)

3rd July 2024

LPCF held its Pins project Volunteer/Trustee engagement day in person at the Old Kings Head in Kirton near Boston.

A team of six volunteers joined together to discuss the Pins project and its aims and objectives.

Those team members who weren't directly involved in delivering the project helped to collate the 400 Information packs to take into schools for the start of the project in September.

A Lovely lunch was enjoyed by all.

LPCF AGM

25th June 2024

LPCF held its AGM where the 2023-24 Annual Report and Accounts were presented.
Volunteers and Trustees were thanked for the enormous amount of volunteer time given during the year.

A quick overview of the 47 page Annual report was given by the Chair.
This included mention of the 250+ Excellence Award Nominations over the 7 years it has been running(P34).


"The Week of SEND" was mentioned as an event not to be missed and is mentioned on page 20. The week long event had 96 10 minute presentations of services and support to parents and carers and was well receeived by parents and professionals.

LPCF have increased the membership by 32% despite the erasures to comply with GDPR, which is a massive increase in workload for volunteers.

A massive amount of workshops on a diverse range of subjects (41 in total) were hosted by LPCF, ensuring that the membership had access to gain skills and knowledge and help them build up their resilience

The State of SEND survey findings were published and findings were conveyed to the LA and Health to help improve the range, quality and accessibility of services.

Lastly and by no means least, Lincolnshire SEND service said goodbye to Sheridan Dodsworth , who has encouraged co production with LPCF throughout our long history. LPCF are very grateful that she always encouraged open and honest communication, even when the conversations got challenging - which they sometimes did.
The Chair welcomed the new Head of Service for SEND, Katie Marsden who kindly attended the meeting on behalf of the Local Authority.

Other partners were thanked for their co production with LPCF.

Trustees were elected for the forthcoming year.

The Annual Accounts were presented by the Chair and are available on the library page of the LPCF website.

Liaise were invited as Special Guests and Nikki and Carrie-Ann gave a presentation on the role of Liaise and how they support parents of children with SEND.
The Powerpoint presentation is on the parental Resources page of the LPCF library.

LPCF was thanked by Nikki on behalf of Liaise and everyone at the meeting.

Annual Report

Carers Week

10th- 14th June 2024

To celebrate Carers Week LPCF Volunteers took to the roads and appeared at Pop up Venues around the county.
Spalding, Boston, Bourne, Sleaford and Lincoln were venues visited by LPCF volunteers to talk to parents about their journey of parenting a child with SEND and to inform them about LPCF.
Parents didn't have to book and were given the chance of a free cuppa and a chat with like minded parents.
Happy Carers Week!

Workshop on Preparation for Adulthood

with LCC’s SEND Employment Project Lead

Saturday 8th June

During June 2024 LPCF invited Scott who is LCC’s SEND Employment Project Lead and Alfie who is Co Chair of Lincolnshire Young Voices to present a workshop on Preparation for Adulthood.
This virtual workshop explored long term preparation in readying young people for life after Education.
The workshop included discussions around work experience, Supported Internships, Apprenticeships,Vocational profiling and showcasing real life Lincolnshire case studies of young people enjoying success in the world of employment. Volunteering was also discussed.

One parent commented "I have two children with SEND and I was really worried about what their future will look like, how they will manage to gain employment when they may struggle with interviews or accessing work, due to social communication differences. Finding out about job coaches, apprenticeships and all the support Scott has discussed today has provided me with the information needed to put my mind at ease, that they will have success in their future. The vocational profiles we will support with at home, as they are both young (KS2)but we want to give them the guidance they need throughout their young life so it is not left until the last minute to consider life after education. ".

Another parent commented "Heartening to see that there are opportunities out there for people with LD & people who are passionate about those opportunities being sought.".
Please see the report published on the library page of the website

Volunteer Engagement Day

3rd June 2024

LPCF held its June Volunteer/Trustee engagement day in person at the Old Kings Head in Kirton near Boston.

A team of six volunteers joined together to discuss the priorities of the Charity and the work to represent the views of parent carers on the membership.

The team were given the usual update on the meetings that volunteers and trustees have been attending and the outcomes that have been achieved.

Arrangement for Carers Week were discussed and volunteers were recruited to attend the proposed pop up coffee events. LPCF would also be taking part in the Carers First online presentations about LPCF and the support available to parents on the membership.

The new Pins project was discussed with the LPCF Pins team whilst other volunteers collated packs for the project.
A new tier of volunteering was discussed to help encourage people to come forward and volunteer for LPCF.

LPCF volunteers then explored the recent debate on Facebook around EHCP's and the increasing demand for them.
LPCF Excellence Awards were discussed and the fact that it was heartening to see the nominations!

Training, admin and technology along with a list of diary dates was also discussed.
Thanks was expressed by the Chair to the team for all their hard work in supporting parents of children with SEND in Lincolnshire.

Workshop on Supporting Learning in the Home

with the Specialist Teaching team, Inclusion Team & Dyslexia Outreach

13th May 2024

During May 2024 LPCF invited the Specialist Teaching Team, Inclusion Team & Dyslexia Outreach to present a workshop around Learning in the home.
The workshop provided parents with practical strategies that they could incorporate into their daily routine to help their child improve their reading, spelling, and maths abilities, as well as their memory and organisational skills.
By attending this workshop, parents gained the confidence to support their child's learning journey effectively and also gave them the opportunity to ask the experienced team any questions they had.

One parent commented " I found the idea of the hour and minute clocks quite helpful, as well as the ideas for personal organisation. My daughter will be heading to secondary school in September. The suggestion of
having multiple copies of her timetable as well as colour coding it will come in handy".

Another parent commented "It's been great to see alternative ways of encouraging children. It's the first time I've heard "differences" instead of "difficulties". I think this is brilliant and will definitely be using it myself".
Please see the report published on the library page of the website

Workshop on Supporting your childs behaviour in the home

with the Lincolnshire Behaviour Outreach Service

20th May 2024

During May 2024 LPCF invited Rachel from the Lincolnshire Behaviour Outreach Service to give a talk about their services and how they benefit children who exhibit distressed behaviours at home.
57 parents and professionals attended the workshop which was really well received by attendees
This event was primarily aimed at parents and carers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), as well as the professionals who work with them and are members of LPCF.

Understanding and managing your child's behaviour can be a challenging task, especially if your child has SEND. Children with SEND often have unique needs and may behave in ways that are difficult for others to understand.
This can lead to feelings of isolation and frustration for both the child and their parents or carers. However, with the right support and strategies, it is possible to help your child manage their behaviour effectively and thrive in their environment. By attending this event, parents gained insights into the strategies and techniques used by BOSS to manage distressed behaviours


One parent commented "Thank you for this session , I was pleased to hear school also get this as so much of what I heard I feel school staff wouldn’t know, however in school with 2 adults and 30 children to a class I can see how they can’t support children as needed and could easily miss the yellow stages or not be able to intervene and support due to lack of resources and actual manpower to.
How can schools apply for more training and extra staffing to facilitate this?
I know my son has at least 4 other boys in his class similar to him/his needs. School staff definitely need more help. At home we will try some of these new ideas. Thank you".
Another parent commented "I found being able to ask questions in the message box useful in real time. I found the ideas of strategies helpful for calming, such as the calming box which we will try. I also found the idea of
zones useful (green/red zones) and just understanding what's happening physiologically interesting".
Please see the report published on the library page of the website

Promoting Positive Behaviour Follow up Workshop

with Chris from Aspens

8th May 2024

During May 2024 LPCF held a follow up workshop on Promoting Positive behaviour for parents and professionals who had attended one of the previous workshops with Chris .
Participants were required to have put an action plan in place and explored the strategies Chris suggested during the previous workshops and recording the outcomes and learning experiences.
Evidence of the strategies tried ( what worked and what has not worked) was submitted prior to the session so Chris could provide bespoke help and support to the attendees.

Two parents and one professional attended the Zoom session,which meant that they each received around 40 minutes of bespoke help and support, tailored to their needs.
Notes were taken of the suggestions so participants could concentrate on the strategies provided.
Attendees were encouraged to complete an evaluation so LPCF were able to evidence the usefulness of the session.

One particpant commented "Learnt a lot from tonight's session.
Parents and professionals were given a wonderful chance of spending 40 minutes talking to a behavioural specialist about their child/rens issues for free!
Pleased that more people didn't take up the offer as we had more time to raise the issues our children have". Another commented "Don't know where I would get the chance to do this for free from the comfort of my own home.
Only had to keep a diary of what I had tried and what challenges I faced and what worked and what didn't to get this fantastic opportunity. Wow - so much information!!"
A big thank you to Chris for his guidance, help and expertise.

Transitions from Children's to Adult's Services

24th April 2024

Participants were invited to join organisations from across the Lincolnshire Health System to hear about transitions between services.
Services included:-

SEND.

Carers First.

LPFT Childrens and Adolescent Mental Health (CAMHS)Learning Disability Team and LPFT Adult Learning Disability Service.

Children’s Continuing Care.


18 parents and professionals attended the session, using the simple to use, parent friendly, Zoom videomplatform, enabling attendees from throughout the large rural county to participate.
All attendees were encouraged to complete an evaluation so LPCF were able to evidence the usefulness of the session.

One parent commented "I gained a better understanding of the varied range of supports available to my son as he enters adulthood. I will be keen to receive the handouts and links to more info. Thanks again".
Another commented "Thank you for answering our questions on the chat—it was useful to be able to ask anything and have it answered in person".

A huge thank you to Laura from LPFT for having the drive and enthusiasm to coordinate services to take part in an LPCF Workshop.
Also a big thank you to the presenters that imparted their information during the workshop, answered the many questions and who gave up their time to inform the membership about Transitions in the many forms it takes.

LPCF were especially saddened and disappointed that we were unable to run the evening session due to a lack of interest from parents and professionals on the membership, especially when parents had recently requested evening events in a poll.
However a big thank you to those participants who attended for your support in prioritising the workshop and for giving LPCF your feedback.
For the full report

Workshop on Anxiety

with LPFT

April 2024

During April 2024 LPCF invited LPFT CYP Services to talk about Anxiety to parents and professionals on the LPCF membership.
35 parents and professionals attended the session, using the simple to use, parent friendly, Zoom video platform, enabling attendees from all over Lincolnshire to participate.
All attendees were encouraged to complete an evaluation so LPCF were able to evidence the usefulness of the session.

LPCF were very pleased with the response to the request for completion of evaluations as 23/35 participants completed them.
One participant commented "I have learned about how to respond to my anxious child and have reflected on the importance of role modelling. I plan to try to implement worry time to validate and acknowledge the worry but hopefully prevent it taking over". Another commented "I have realised I need to think about my own well being and role modelling this with my own children, we need to look after each other and validate each others feelings not just tell them not to worry. Daily mindfulness activities as well as creating boost boxes and soothe boxes to help support both of us."
Participants were asked to add their questions to the chat and LPCF did their best to ensure that numerous questions were answered.
LPCF would like to thank Becky and Tom from LPFT for the excellent presentation.

LPCF Parents Voice

January to March 2024

Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care etc.
In this edition of parents' feedback we have changed the format slightly with sections for Education , Health & Social Care separated to hopefully make it easier to read.
A section at the beginning of the report has been dedicated to professionals who have kindly commented on your views directed to them, in the previous edition of the parents' voice.

In this edition we have lots of comments on the following:-

EHCP Difficulties

SEN Register

Coming to Lincolnshire

Mediation

School Recommendations

Inclusion Funding

Paediatrics

Personal Budgets

DWP

Plus much more
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 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 Wellbeing sessions

January to March 2024

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 commencing in January 2024.
These sessions were kindy grant funded by Lincolnshire County Council to help improve parents wellbeing.

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 The power of positivity, Sleep and Prioritising you.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor the usefulness of the sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in May 2024 (see events page for more details).

One member commented about the session on the Power of Positivity"To be positive and feel positive, assists yourself and every member of your family and friends to feel the same way, if your demeanour is one of doom and gloom and thoughts of nothing is good in life,it makes all around you feel depressed, also it’s the quickest way to lose friends!
There is always something to look forward to, we have to make our own dreams"!

Another member commented "These Hypno nights help me to chill, if I’ve had a rough day to just talk and listen helps put my mindset back to where it should be".

During the session on Sleep one member commented "Shared a lot today and feel a problem shared is a problem halved. I’m not good at opening up. But
each time I attend these groups I don’t feel judged. I especially enjoy the last section. A calm soft voice is so relaxing.” .

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. Some resources have also been donated by LPCF to use between the sessions.Book recommendations and helpful articles and videos will also be added.

More feedback is included in this report

Toilet Skills Workshop

March 2024

with LCC Specialist Continence Nurse

During March 2024 LPCF invited Amy, who is a Specialist Continence Nurse to speak to parents on the LPCF membership about any issues their children may be experiencing around continence.
One parent commented " I attended the "Toileting Skills" workshop today, and this was really invaluable help for us and gave us a better insight in how we can move forward with toilet training our little girl. We were a bit stuck with how to move forward as our little girl had regressed with her toileting, but I feel much more confident now in making a plan, and going back to the steps to try and help her feel more comfortable with accessing the toilet again. I also didn't realise that nappies maybe hindering her toileting, which was really useful to learn."

Another parent commented "I think this session has been very helpful as there’s lots of contradictory information online it’s hard to know what’s right so the fact that this session was delivered by a nurse who has the experience has helped me a lot. So, thank you.
A big thank you to Amy for her help and expertise".

LPCF are hoping to repeat these workshops with Amy yearly to aid parents and professionals who may be experiencing issues.

Please see the report published on the library page of the website

Workshop on SEN Support and EHCP

with Liaise

March 2024

Liaise were invited by LPCF to deliver a 2 hour workshop on SEND Support and EHCP’s. The 2-hour workshop was split into 2 sections with a short comfort break in the middle .
35 parents and professionals attended the session, using the simple to use, parent friendly, Zoom video platform, enabling attendees from all over Lincolnshire to participate.
All attendees were encouraged to complete an evaluation so LPCF were able to evidence the usefulness of the session.

LPCF were very pleased with the response to the request for completion of evaluations as 31/35 participants completed them.
One participant commented "It was interesting to see the questions that other parents had and the LIAISE teams’ answers. Quite a few of the questions I could relate to my own experience as a parent and the information given will
certainly prove helpful in gaining more support for my child. It is also reassuring when other parents have similar experiences. I am looking forward to attending more of these workshops". Another commented "It was great to hear from Liaise (whom I have previously spoken to). They offer sound advice to parents and families who are often struggling and overwhelmed by having to battle the system as well as caring for a child with SEND".
Participants were asked to add their questions to the chat and LPCF did their best to ensure that numerous questions were answered.
LPCF would like to thank Pam & Tracy from Liaise for the excellent presentation.

Transformation in SEND

As part of the LPCF "Week of SEND"

29th February 2024

As part of the LPCF "Week of SEND" the Lincolnshire County Council SEND Team were invited to talk about the work around the Transformation in SEND.

The 2 hour workshop gave parents and professionals a chance to hear about the many initiatives as follows:-
• Building Communities of Specialist Provision
• The Local Offer
• The Education, Health and Care Electronic Hub
• The Graduated Approach (SEND Support) and reasonable adjustments
• Emotional Based school avoidance – What it is and what it isn’t.
Parents and professionals were encouraged to ask questions on the chat.

One parent commented "The session was informative, well-structured and delivered with a professional yet relaxed setting. I felt more comfortable off camera and engaging in the message section which was accepted and not questioned which was a huge comfort.
Another commented "I've learnt that there is ALOT of information out there, this is all new to us (our child is only 10 months old), so as of yet we are not entirely sure what, (if any), help he will need in the future.
We were advised of your website and of the local offer from our health visitor (who has been amazing in our journey so far), she thought we would find this information very beneficial in our ongoing journey.
Thank you to the SEND Team for such an interesting presentation.
For the full report

Promoting Positive Behaviour Workshop

1st February 2024

In partnership with LPCF, Chris from Aspens delivered a workshop for parents and professionals about promoting positive behaviour.During the two hour workshop 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

The interactive session gave attendees a chance to ask about the difficulties they were experiencing and gain some useful strategies and techniques to explore after the workshop.
One parent commented "We very much enjoyed the promoting positive behaviour workshop.
As parents of 4 neurodiverse kids who have autism, PDA, ADHD,sensory issues, anxiety etc it's always good to get information when it is available. This session was clear and easy to follow with a good visual. It was good to have a mix of things we already knew and things that were new to us too. We also have access to this evenings information as well as links to other information."

Another participant commented "This course was probably the most enlightening course I have attended in relation to learning about behaviour. I thought 2 hours could potentially be too long, dull and boring, however, I found it interesting and insightful.
Chris delivered the presentation well at an appropriate pace and he was able to give good advice and direct us to websites that could help further support children and young people displaying specific behaviours. I am a SENDCo so I feel my knowledge in supporting children with SEND is good anyway, but I still managed to take away some strategies that I will implement in school for 2 specific children; such as a destruction box.

LPCF Parents Voice

October to December 2023

Our extensive quarterly round up of what parents have been saying about Health, Education, Transport, EHC Plans, Leisure, Social Care etc.
In this massive edition of parents' feedback we have changed the format slightly with sections for Education , Health & Social Care separated to hopefully make it easier to read.
A section at the begining of the report has been dedicated to professionals who have kindly commented on your views directed to them, in the previous edition of the parent voice.

In this edition we have lots of comments on the following:-

EHCP & School TA's

Community Paediatricians

Education Recommendations

FE / College Recommendations

EHCP Reviews

Continence Service

ADHD Medication Supply Issues

Autism Diagnosis Process

Clinic 5 Paediatrics at Lincoln Hospital

Paediatric Appointments and Asssessment

Post Diagnosis Next Steps

Behaviour and School

Max Cards

Holiday Activities Fund

Counselling Recommendations Sought

Legal Recommendations

Plus much more
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 2023 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.

LPCFs Week of SEND 2024

Monday 29th January to Friday 2nd February 2024

A successful fourth virtual "Week of SEND" was held in January.
The aim of the yearly event is to provide as much information as possible on as many subjects as possible and to give organisations the chance to showcase the enormous amount of support available in Lincolnshire.

The sessions were held throughout the day, during the evening and at the weekend to ensure that as much flexibility for attendance was given to parents and professionals.

There were 12 sessions in total, including 96, 10 minute presentations from a diverse range of organisations showcasing their offers of support over the week.

The accessible Zoom platform was utilised so participants could access sessions from the comfort of their own home.

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 many parents and professionals 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 2025!

Trustee and Volunteer Celebration Day

(15) 18 years!!

Sunday 14th January 2024

The LPCF Trustee and Volunteer celebration day was held in January at Something Special in Pinchbeck.

This special day was held to mark 15 years of LPCF (albeit due to Covid it was actually 18 years!!).

Trustees and volunteers joined together to enjoy a lovely afternoon tea together with their families.

The Chair thanked the team for all their hard work especially to keep working for parents during the Pandemic and for all their committment to the Charity.

It was also fitting for families to join together to celebrate as without their support volunteers and Trustees would not be able to find time to devote to the Charity.

Thank you all - heres to the next 15!

Question Time

With Josie from LCC

January 2024

LPCF Invited Josie from the Lincolnshire County Council SEND Team to take part in the latest LPCF Question time.

Members of LPCF were asked to add any questions they had on Personal budgets to the special Question time webpage.

Three Volunteers then posed the questions to Josie during the session and asked Josie for clarification of any points that weren't clear.

The session was recorded and the timings of the questions were added to the video so it is easier for parents to see the answers to their questions.

LPCF would like to thank parents for participating by asking questions and to Josie for dispelling any myths and rumours around Personal budgets.

LPCF Wellbeing sessions

September -December 2023

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 commencing in September 2023.
These sessions were kindy grant funded by the Department for Education to help improve parents wellbeing.

LPCF Members were given the opportunity to attend these FREE sessions taking place during the evening.

Seven fortnightly sessions were held covering topics such as How to tame your inner critic, Coping mechanisms for over thinkers and Burn out and how to avoid it.
An evaluation form was completed by members so Trustees could monitor the usefulness of the sessions.
Due to the positive comments and success of the sessions more sessions are being held in January 2024 (see events page for more details).

One member commented about the session for managing the winter blues"I have already begun to be more aware of my own thought process and how this can affect my mood.
I am beginning to be able to move from noticing (awareness) to try and change what I do. Even during todays session when thinking how can we change our mindset, I felt that I was able to think of
positive events and thoughts far faster and easier than previously. Thank you so much for your time and for giving me my "me time"!

Another member commented "It was such a lovely meeting. Feeling I’m not alone and have a group to share things who actually listen. Feel like it’s a good safe place to talk. We have giggles along the way and I feel I’m not alone.
Then comes the calming section after. I really am able to relax and feel really good after. It’s a lovely group can’t wait until the next one. ."

During the session on Burn out and how to avoid it one member commented "Discovered that I’m not the only one that feels ‘flat’ from giving so much.
I am going to try a suggestion made by Nicole of taking a moment for ME when I wake, to ask myself
“How do I want my day to be today?” & “What would this look like and feel like?” .

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