here - Little Hearts Matter

Spotlight On...In every issue we feature articles where we talk about differentaspects of education and cover ideas about possible sources offinancial support to help you.EducationParent Partnership ServicesThis article looks at the role of ParentPartnerships, who can be a great sourceof local support as you work to ensureyour child's educational needs are met.What are Parent Partnership Services?Parent Partnership Services (PPS) arestatutory services offering information,advice and support to parents andcarers of children and young peoplewith special educational needs (SEN).PPS have a role in making sure thatparents' views are heard andunderstood and that these viewsinform local policy and practice.PPS are based with a voluntaryorganisation, with the Local Authority(LA) or Children's Trust.As statutory services (ones that haveto be provided by law) PPSs are allfunded by their Local Authority.However they are all expected to be at'arms length' of the LA and to provideimpartial information, advice andsupport to parents. Some services areWritten byIsabel Baumberbased outside of the LA with localcharities/organisations, some arebased in LAs but in their own buildings,while others may share offices withother LA services such as schools,children's centres, support services,etc.What services do Parent Partnershipoffer?The services offered by individual PPSwill vary but all will be able to provideinformation and advice about:• How special educational needsare identified and assessed byschools and the local authority.• Who parents can talk to in a schoolor LA about their concerns.• The SEN Code of Practice, thestatutory assessment process andstatements.• Parents'/carers' rights and responsibilities.• Meetings and reviews about achild's needs.• How progress is monitored andreviewed.• What parents can do if they are nothappy with a decision made abouttheir child's SEN.Please don't hesitate to contact the LHMoffice if you have any queries about anyaspect of education. We have bookletavailable on 'Early Years and InfantSchool', 'Junior School' and 'Transition toSecondary School' which are availablefree of charge to members. We also havea more detailed pack for families whofeel that their child many need additionalsupport in school.We also have a Benefits Booklet, whichcovers a whole range of ideas.We'd be really pleased to hear about anyother ideas members have.How does Parent Partnership work?PPS are free, impartial local services.PPS work directly with parents andcarers of children and young peoplewith SEN.PPS provide confidential information,advice and support.PPS work in partnership with parents/carers, schools, the local authority andother agencies.PPS support parents to inform andinfluence local policy and practice.PPS enable parents and carers tomake informed choices and decisionswith confidence.How can I find my local ParentPartnership?The national website is www.parentpartnership.org.uk. Information forthis article was taken from this website.On the home page, there is a map to linkto your region and local contact details.Please feel free to contact the office withany queries. We can also put you intouch with other families who may haveexperienced similar situations to you.12BenefitsDisability Living Allowance (DLA)There are many changes beingproposed to the benefits system, andat Little Hearts Matter, we will do ourvery best to keep you informed ofchanges, and influence those changeswherever possible.We understand from our members thatit is getting more difficult to successfullyclaim DLA at the moment, so wouldlike to offer the following suggestionsto help you.Ask for the LHM pack to give you ideasof sample answers to adapt.Remember how important it is to stresswhat is different about your child's careneeds when compared to a hearthealthychild of the same age.Think carefully about the people youinclude to provide extra information aboutyour child - it is very likely that the DWPwill actually contact them for a report.Ask for help e.g. from LHM, your healthvisitor, a local charity, Citizens AdviceBureau, etc. You can also ring theBenefit Enquiry Line (0800 88 22 00)for help with completing the form.Ask for a second opinion before yousend the application form in.Keep repeating information if it isrelevant to the question - don't worryabout having already made the samepoint earlier in the form.Get supporting letters from peoplesuch as LHM, health visitor, nursery,school, Cardiac Liaison Nurse,community nurse.Make the most of the last page andpaint a full picture of your child, theirdifficulties and how it impacts on thefamily.Always keep a copy of your form whenyou send it in.Remember that the person who readsyour form is not a healthcareprofessional - they may not even haveheard of your child's diagnosis before,so tell them everything about how thecondition impacts on everyday life.If you are renewing your claim, you willonly be sent one letter (six monthsbefore your award runs out) - therewon't be any other reminders. Beprepared for the renewal process totake longer than it has in the past.Don't give up! If you are not awardedthe level you think is appropriate, or ifyou get a letter saying you are noteligible at all, the first thing you can dois phone to ask for a reconsideration,where someone different will look atyour claim. You can also write to startan appeal. It is sensible to ask for anexplanation of how the decision hasbeen reached, and also for copies ofall the information they have aboutyour child, including medical reports.Information about DLA can be foundon the government website www.direct.gov.uk - look at the 'Disabledpeople' section, then see the 'Financialsupport' menu. You can also contactthe Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 2200.