Equipping Parents Of Children With Special Educational Needs

Parents of children with special educational needs are being invited to attend an informal drop-in event to be held in Hereford City Centre on Friday, September 16.

The event, to be held in the All Saints Café and Meeting Room in High Street, Hereford, has been organised by Herefordshire Council’s Parent Partnership Service, which provides information, advice and support for parents of children with special educational needs living in the county.

“At the start of a new term many parents have a lot of questions that needs answering,” said Carol Soble, the Childrens Service’s Parent Partnership Officer.

“This session is open to anyone who has any questions or concerns and wants to come and speak to the experts. The drop-in session runs from 9.30am to 3pm so there’s plenty of time for a chat,” added Carol.

Parents can drop in throughout the day for advice about all aspects of Special Needs from the Parent Partnership Service.

“We’ll also have representatives from other organisations, such as the Marches Family Network, Herefordshire Carers Support, Connexions, and Herefordshire Childcare Services and a few more to provide additional information and advice,” said Carol.

A new departure for this event is the programme of short talks running throughout the day covering topics parents often enquire about: 
· How schools provide for children with special educational needs,
· Having a successful meeting with the school,
·  How support for special needs is funded.
·  Hints and tips for getting the best out of your child’s school life. 

“We have lots of enquiries at the start of the new school year and we hope that this event will help parents of children with special needs to feel more confident in supporting their children throughout the year,” added Carol.

The event is free to attend and everyone is welcome.

The Parent Partnership Service will follow this initial event with drop in sessions in the market towns in November and a busy programme of courses for parents throughout the autumn term.