Do you ever struggle to prioritise your own needs whilst caring for your family?

Does balancing everything sometimes feel overwhelming?

Do thoughts about the future feel daunting?

If any of this resonates with you, join us at the first trial session of our brand new Parent Wellbeing service taking place on Thursday 27th March, 10-11:30am in the Kentish Room at St Stephens Church Hall, AL1 2PT.

The session will be led by Rachel Angus, a qualified counsellor and parent of a child with Down Syndrome. The group aims to create a safe, supportive environment where we can feel heard and reflect whilst sharing our experiences so far as a parent carer.

Please follow this link to book your place.

Spaces are limited and bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bookings will close at the end of the day on Thursday 20th March..

In return for your participation and feedback, these trial sessions are offered FREE OF CHARGE.

Come and join us at our family party taking place on Sunday 26 January, 3-5pm at Jersey Farm Community Centre in St Albans.

There will be a variety of games and activities for all ages, with a space for dancing, and a separate quiet zone for those with sensory issues.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided for everyone, so please let us know any dietary requirements to make sure we can cater for everyone.

We hope you can make it, please follow this link to book your ticket to come and join the celebrations!

This workshop will be delivered by Tracey Allen, Sole Principal at Allen and Co Solicitors.

Tracey has a wealth of experience since qualifying as a solicitor in 2002, and set up Allen and Co Solicitors in 2011. She specialises in education law with expertise in SEND and the EHCP process. Tracey advises parents from various points in their child’s life; from before they have requested or even heard of a statutory assessment, right up to post 16 and further education phase transfers of existing plans. She helps parents prepare for their requests for assessment or reassessment, annual reviews and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal where necessary.

This workshop is aimed at parent carers at the stage of making an EHCP application for the first time.

The session will cover:

• The request for statutory assessment by the LA; what is this and why do it.

• What is an EHCP

• Understanding jargon

• The process

• Starting to get to grips with the SEND Code of Practice and the relevant legislation

• Gathering evidence to support reasons for requesting an assessment

• Drafting the request and submitting it

• Rights of appeal

There will be time for questions and answers afterwards.

You are welcome to send in any specific questions or particular difficulties in advance of the session.

This workshop will take place at:

Breaks Manor Youth Centre, Link Drive, Hatfield AL10 8TP

Please book your place via Eventbrite and joining instructions will be sent to you nearer the time. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the start time to register.

Tea and coffee will be provided.

We understand that it can be difficult to arrange childcare, and so children are welcome to attend with their adult.

If you have any questions, or need any more information, please contact the team at DS Achieve on info@dsachieve.org . Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you to the workshop.

To book your place please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/895335822547

Come and join us at our 5th birthday party taking place on Sunday 28 January, 2-4pm at Jersey Farm Community Centre in St Albans.

There will be a variety of games and activities for all ages, with a space for dancing, and a separate quiet zone for those with sensory issues.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided for everyone, so please let us know any dietary requirements to makes sure we can cater for everyone.

We hope you can make it, please follow this link to book your ticket to come and join the celebrations!

We are so pleased to back at the Dacorum Families SEND Information Fayre this December.

Come along on Thursday 7th December, 10am-12pm to Bennetts End Community Centre, Gatecroft, Hemel Hempstead HP3 9LZ.

The SEND Information Fayre is open to Dacorum SEND Families and will include local provider information stands, DSPL8 Parent Representatives, activities for children, refreshments & a chance to win one of 5 £25 Amazon vouchers!

Register here now! Feel free to drop in anytime between 10am and 12pm. (bookings close on 29.11.2023).

Join us at the Mad Squirrel Tap for an evening of festive creativity, chat and drinks with other parents in our community. A chance to unwind, have fun and relax with people who 'get it' when it comes to raising a child with Down Syndrome.

We have reserved spaces for DS Achieve parents on a Christmas Wreath Making workshop held at the Mad Squirrel Tap, located in the centre of St Albans - https://www.madsquirrelstalbans.co.uk/ with several car parks a short walk away.

This is a subsidised event, there is a non-refundable deposit of £10 to book your place, and DS Achieve will cover the remaining cost of the workshop.

If cost may be an issue for you, please drop a confidential email to info@dsachieve.org, as we never want cost to be a barrier to accessing our events.

So whether you're a seasoned DIY enthusiast or a complete novice to wreath making, come along to this social event and join us to create your own beautiful masterpiece! All materials are included. Please note, bookings will close on Wednesday 22 November.

Book now to secure your place.

We look forward to seeing you there!

This online DS Achieve training course is for parent carers and will be delivered on our behalf by Sibs (sibs.org.uk). Sibs exists to support people who grow up with or have grown up with a disabled brother or sister.

The training will take place online and will feature three focused sessions:

1. Supporting Siblings:

This is an introduction for parents of children with SEND who want to know more about supporting siblings. It will help parents of children with SEND to find ways of giving attention, information, and support to the other children in their families

Participants will gain:

• Insight into siblings’ needs and experiences

• Practical ideas for giving siblings attention

• Further sources of information

2. Sibling rivalry:

This is an introduction for parents of children with SEND who want to know more about managing the relationship between siblings. It aims to help parents identify the behaviours arising from sibling rivalry and suggests relevant strategies for parents to use.

Participants will gain:

• How to spot if your sibling child is having difficulty coping

• What to do if your sibling isn’t getting on with their brother or sister

• Ideas on addressing difficult behaviour between siblings

3. Challenging behaviour:

This is an introduction for parents of children with SEND who want to know more about managing the relationship between siblings. It aims to help parents identify the difficulties for siblings whose brother or sister displays behaviour which challenges.

Participants will gain:

• How to spot if your sibling child is having difficulty coping

• What you can do as a parent to support your sibling child

• Ideas for making plans and keeping siblings safe

**Joining instructions will be provided to attendees nearer the date of the training event.**

Please note:

- if the cost is an issue, please contact us confidentially (info@dsachieve.org) as we never want the cost to be a barrier to attendance

- if the minimum number of tickets is not booked for this event, we may need to postpone or cancel.

- tickets will be available until Wednesday 29th November and then bookings will close.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

book your place HERE

This workshop is the fourth in a series of EHCP training events being delivered for DS Achieve by Tracey Allen, Sole Principal at Allen and Co Solicitors.

Tracey has a wealth of experience since qualifying as a solicitor in 2002 and set up Allen and Co Solicitors in 2011. She specialises in education law with expertise in SEND and the EHCP process. Tracey advises parents from various points in their child’s life; from before they have requested or even heard of a statutory assessment, right up to post 16 and further education phase transfers of existing plans. She helps parents prepare for their requests for assessment or reassessment, annual reviews and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal where necessary.

This workshop is aimed at parent carers whose child with SEND already has an EHCP in place.

The training will cover:

• Mediation

• Appeals to the First Tier Tribunal (Upper Tier Tribunal)

Delegates are encouraged to submit any specific questions or particular difficulties at the time of booking, in order that the session can be planned to meet the specific needs of those attending.

This workshop will take place online via GoogleMeet.

Please book your place and joining instructions will be sent to you directly via email nearer the time. Please log on to the session 5-10 minutes before the training start time to allow for technical difficulties.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not want cost of the session to be a barrier to joining the training so please contact us in confidence if it causes difficulty.

If you have any questions, or need any more information, please contact the team at DS Achieve on info@dsachieve.org . Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you to the training.

book your place HERE

book your place HERE

This workshop is the third in a series of EHCP training events being delivered for DS Achieve by Tracey Allen, Sole Principal at Allen and Co Solicitors.

Tracey has a wealth of experience since qualifying as a solicitor in 2002 and set up Allen and Co Solicitors in 2011. She specialises in education law with expertise in SEND and the EHCP process. Tracey advises parents from various points in their child’s life; from before they have requested or even heard of a statutory assessment, right up to post 16 and further education phase transfers of existing plans. She helps parents prepare for their requests for assessment or reassessment, annual reviews and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal where necessary.

This workshop is aimed at parent carers whose child with SEND already has an EHCP in place.

The training will cover:

• Possible steps to take before making a formal complaint to the LA

• Following the LA’s complaints process

• Complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

• Complaints to the Department for Education or Education Skills and Funding Agency

• Judicial Review

Delegates are encouraged to submit any specific questions or particular difficulties at the time of booking, in order that the session can be planned to meet the specific needs of those attending.

This workshop will take place online via GoogleMeet.

Please book your place and joining instructions will be sent to you directly via email nearer the time. Please log on to the session 5-10 minutes before the training start time to allow for technical difficulties.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not want cost of the session to be a barrier to joining the training so please contact us in confidence if it causes difficulty.

If you have any questions, or need any more information, please contact the team at DS Achieve on info@dsachieve.org . Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you to the training.

book your place HERE

This training course will be delivered by Jigna Patel, Community Dental Officer & Radiation Protection Lead at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust.

Jigna is a Community Dentist who has worked for the Hertfordshire Special Care Dental Service since 2018. She qualified at Leeds University in 2007 and has worked in various dental settings including Barnet and Chase Farm Hospital and in General Dental Practices in North London. Her clinical interests include the dental management of Children and Adolescents with learning disabilities and additional needs.

The training will cover:

• A typical dental presentation of a child/adult with Down Syndrome

• Dental problems associated with Down Syndrome

• Getting your child ready for a dental visit/ what to expect

• An overview on Oral Hygiene Instruction and Diet advice

• How to treat patients with Down Syndrome

• Q&A

This workshop will be held online via Google Meet.

To book your place, please click HERE.

Join us for our Empowerment Group Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group where Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids will be talking through; Encouraging Turn Taking

This 30 minute interactive session will cover ways to adapt games to support turn taking.

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

In this session Sarah will answer any questions or address any of your comments.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay at a later time.

We are excited to back at the Dacorum Families SEND Information Fayre this year.

Come along on Thursday 22nd June, 10am-1pm Grovehill and Woodhall Farm Adventure Playground, Redbourn Road, Hemel Hempstead HP2 7BA.

This is the third Dacorum Families SEND Information Fayre and this year it will be focusing on Health and Education advice and support

The SEND Information Fayre is open to Dacorum SEND Families and will include local provider information stands, DSPL8 Parent Representatives, activities for children, refreshments & food.

Register here now! Feel free to drop in anytime between 10am and 1pm. (bookings close on 14.06.2023).

Join our Empowerment Group Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group where Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids will be talking about - Extending Language through play.

The session will go through effective strategies which can be used 'little and often' to support language development.

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

This will be a 30 minute interactive session where Sarah will happily answer any questions or address any of your comments.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay at a later time.

Join us at the Wicked Lady Pub and Restaurant for an evening of chat, dinner and drinks with other parents in our community. A chance to unwind and relax with people who 'get it' when it comes to raising a child with Down Syndrome.

The Wicked Lady is located in the beautiful village of Wheathampstead. This pub, bar and restaurant offers a whole host of amenities that will allow you to drink, dine and indulge in optimum comfort and style - https://www.thewickedladypub.co.uk

It is £10 to book your place which will be deducted from your bill. Plus DS Achieve will subsidise up to a further £20 towards your bill.

You will need to select your food order in advance of the event, and details of the menu choices will be sent to you once you have booked your place. If you have particular dietary requirements, you can also let us know after booking.

Book now to secure your place.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Join us for our Empowerment Group Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group where Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids and building on the part 1 session on Understanding Self Regulation.

This session will be part 2 and will focus on Visual Tools to support Self Regulation and will cover:

• A few tried and tested resources for helping children to develop emotional literacy and regulation skills

• When to use then and how

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

This will be a 30 minute interactive session where Sarah will happily answer any questions or address any of your comments.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay at a later time.

IF YOU MISSED PART 1 OF THIS SERIES YOU CAN FIND THIS RECORDED SESSION IN THE VIDEOS SECTION OF OUR FACEBOOK COMMUNITY CHAT GROUP.

Join us for our Empowerment Group Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group where Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids and talking about Understanding Self Regulation.

This is part one of a two part series, and in this session Sarah will be covering:

• the key elements of self regulation

• how to support our child in developing regulation skills

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

This will be a 30 minute interactive session where Sarah will happily answer any questions or address any of your comments.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay at a later time.

Join us for our Empowerment Group  Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group where Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids and give some tips on getting the most from parents evening with the school teacher.

Specifically Sarah will run through :

•             Tips for things to consider ahead of the meeting

•             Key questions to ask

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

This 30 minute workshop is not to be missed.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay.

This training course will be delivered by Tracey Allen, Sole Principal at Allen and Co Solicitors.

Tracey has a wealth of experience since qualifying as a solicitor in 2002, and set up Allen and Co Solicitors in 2011. She specialises in education law with expertise in SEND and the EHCP process. Tracey advises parents from various points in their child’s life; from before they have requested or even heard of a statutory assessment, right up to post 16 and further education phase transfers of existing plans. She helps parents prepare for their requests for assessment or reassessment, annual reviews and appeals to the First-tier Tribunal where necessary.

This workshop is aimed at parent carers at the stage of making an EHCP application for the first time.

The training session will cover:

• The request for statutory assessment by the LA; what is this and why do it.

• What is an EHCP

• Understanding jargon

• The process

• Starting to get to grips with the SEND Code of Practice and the relevant legislation

• Gathering evidence to support reasons for requesting an assessment

• Drafting the request and submitting it

• Rights of appeal

• Q &A

Delegates are encouraged to submit any specific questions or particular difficulties at the time of booking, in order that the session can be planned to meet the specific needs of those attending.

This workshop will take place at:

Academy Room, Hertfordshire Sports Village, de Havilland Campus, Hatfield Business Park, Hatfield AL10 9EU

Please book your place via Eventbrite and joining instructions will be sent to you nearer the time. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the training start time to register.

 (NB. We do not want cost of the session to be a barrier to joining the training so please contact us in confidence if it causes difficulty.)

If you have any questions, or need any more information, please contact the team at DS Achieve on info@dsachieve.org . Otherwise, we look forward to welcoming you to the training.

To book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/training-workshop-making-an-ehcp-application-tickets-468314329767

You are invited to our family social event with a Christmas theme, taking place on Sunday 4th December, 2-4pm.

There will be a variety of games and activities for all ages, with a space for dancing and a fantastic playlist to boot! (for those with sensory issues, please be assured that music will be kept to a fairly low level but do bring ear defenders if needed).

Drinks and nibbles will be provided for all, so please let us know any dietary requirements to make sure there is plenty for everyone.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE: DS Achieve family social event: fun for all ages! Tickets, Sun 4 Dec 2022 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

Preparing for the EHCP annual review takes a lot of planning and coordination, and can feel like an overwhelming process.

Join us for our Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group which will address some of these issues. Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids and give some tips on Preparing for an annual review for your child. Specifically she will talk about:

• Tips for things to consider ahead of the meeting

• How to double check the paperwork is all in order

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

This 30 minute workshop is not to be missed.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay.

This training course will be delivered by Dr Maggie Woodhouse OBE, Senior Lecturer at Cardiff University, and Head of the Down Syndrome Vision Research Unit.

The training will cover:

• How eyes & vision are tested

• Refractive Errors on glasses

• Long and Short Sightedness

• When children with DS need to wear glasses

• How children with DS see the world

• Some common eye conditions

Delegates are encouraged to submit any specific questions or particular difficulties at the time of booking, in order that the session can be planned to meet the specific needs of those attending.

This training will be held on Tuesday 22nd November - 9.30am to 2.30pm. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the start time to register.

To book your place click here.

If you have any questions, or need any more information, please contact the team at DS Achieve on info@dsachieve.org . We look forward to seeing you there!

(Note for parent carers: we do not want cost of the session to be a barrier to joining the training so please contact us in confidence if it causes difficulty.)

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About Dr Maggie Woodhouse:

My main interests are visual development in children with Down Syndrome and the eye care needs of children and adults with disabilities. I am also interested in how visual impairment affects education and daily living skills.

I have already designed tests, such as the Cardiff Acuity Test, Cardiff Contrast Test and Cardiff Near Test, for this purpose. My colleagues and I continue our long-term study of visual and cognitive development in infants and young children with Down Syndrome, who are at particular risk of eye defects. My other interests are the aetiology of refractive and accommodative defects, and the impact of visual impairment on a child's development and education.

Calling all professionals working with children aged 0-5 years.

DS Achieve will be at the SEND Health Conference on Tuesday 11th October.

This event is hosted by HCT's Public Health Nursing service  and the theme of the conference is 'Tackling health inequalities, and the importance of early intervention'.

The conference includes an exciting programme of guest speakers as well as displays from organisations working in the early years health & wellbeing sector.

For further details of the conference and to book your place click https://www.eventbrite.com/e/early-years-send-health-conference-0-5-years-registration-368176595107?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1

Our very own Gillian Warwick-Thompson is running an evening online training session for parents and carers on ‘Transition to Special School & Transport’ on Wednesday 28th September from 7.30pm to 9pm.

In the session Gillian will be covering:

 -      What legal right does a parent carer have to choose a school?

-      Hertfordshire LAs process for special school placements

-      What rights does the child have for home to school transport?

-      Q&A

To book your place, please click HERE.

Choosing a new school for your child can be a daunting and confusing process and we could all benefit from a few pointers.

Join us for our Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group which will address some of these questions. Sarah Billingham from Confident Kids and give some tips on Choosing a School for your child. Specifically she will talk about:

• What to look for when you are visiting a school

• Questions to ask

• A tool to use to make comparisons between the schools

More about the trainer: Sarah is a speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) specialist teacher with 15 years’ experience both in the classroom and in senior leadership roles. Her work has spanned mainstream, specialist, local authority and charity run settings. She is also the owner of Confident Kids, an independent paediatric occupational coaching, therapy and specialist teaching for children with autism, speech and language disorders.

With the new academic year starting this 30 minute workshop is not to be missed.

Remember, if you can’t attend the live session you are always able to catch up on replay.

DS ACHIEVE ARE GOING TO BE AT HOOVESFEST 2022!

Come and join us on Saturday 30th July at Hoovesfest, a fun community event raising funds and awareness for Therapeutic Hooves.

This really will be a fun friendly, family day out day with so much going on including :

• INFORMATION VILLAGE - Charities and organisations are on hand to provide you with wonderful advice from professionals in the SEND world

• MAIN STAGE - Live music , Performers, guest speakers , Q and A with Special guests!

• SPORT VILLAGE - A chance to try fun sporting activities, including Rugby, football, boxing and bikes!

• Q and A - Paralympians are on hand to answer questions with guest Speakers

• FOOD AND PICNIC AREA - Bring the family. Eat, relax have fun with a range of foods available

• FETE- classic funfair style games and inflatable fun!

• CRAFT FAIR AND LOCAL BUSINESS - come and see what the local community has to offer in the store holders area!

• QUIET FESTIVAL - The first hour will be a quiet start so those who find noise and crowds challenging we are offering limited numbers an no music

• HORSEY MEET AND GREET - Come and meet the horses of therapeutic hooves and take a peak behind the stable doors

• INFLATABLES - Bouncy Castles , games and more!

To find out more and book your tickets go to Eventbrite

Look forward to seeing you there!

Learning to manage stress can give you the patience, energy and perspective to be the parent you want to be. And it will pay dividends for your health and ability to function well.

Join us for our Facebook Live event on our DS Achieve - community chat group on managing stress. Jodie Smart from Sunny Kids Shine will be talking through understanding stress, the signs and symptoms off stress, long term effects and how to manage it in healthy ways.

More about the trainer - Jodie is the owner and founder of Sunny Kids Shine and her aim is to help children grow up as secure, resilient and content young people. SHINE stands for Secure, Healthy, Independent, Nurtured and Empowered! They offer support to your children to build a secure personal, social and emotional foundation to help them shine through school and beyond.

Remember, if you can’t attend the Facebook live session you are always able to catch up on replay.