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London: Parents Consultation on the Local Offer

RBW Rachel B. Wickert Public Seen by 7

The Westminster Parents Participation Group, aka Make it Happen (@annalisa) has commissioned MetM (team includes @rachel and @jenni ) to enable them to conduct a parent-led consultation.

This consultation has been commissioned by the local authorities. Since the 2013 Children and Families Bill, it now falls under their duty to publish a Local Offer of services available to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.

We'll be recording some of the outputs here.

The 2 key outputs will be:

Output 1- end of March: Consultation response translating the views collected during the 2 consultations/workshops into a co-created policy-type document.

Output 2 - end of March: Graphic design of the aggregated journey of the parents across the services they receive throughout key phases of their Child’s life.
It will offer a visual record of the consultation for the parents to reflect on. It will also give them a tool to replicate the exercise and capture a fuller picture of their collective journey.

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Wed 16 Apr 2014 9:07AM

The Report is out!

I'll write a blog in the coming day that will feature in the next update, but would love to hear what you think of @jenni @annalisa great work!

The word is spreading …

This Monday, I've met Cllr Bernadette Khan at Croydon Town Hall about possibilities of funding for her Family Center. For the last 25 years or so, Cllr Khan has been a passionate supporter of community projects that empower women especially from BME groups. I was able to say a few words to her about the MiH Report on their behalf. She was very impressed and was thinking of doing something similar with the women in her centre...

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Rachel B. Wickert Thu 17 Apr 2014 1:06PM

An here is the link to the blog!

The Voice of Annalisa, Nicola, Yusra and 44 other Parents and Carers of Children with SEND http://goo.gl/QNkgls

I hope you like it @annalisasaba and @jenni !

EW

Elizabeth Willmott-Harrop Tue 22 Apr 2014 4:53PM

@annalisasaba @jenni @rachelbwickert

Thanks so much for sharing this. What excellent work - I love the way you have made a very complex picture accessible via the service user journey graphics at the end.

I am interested in now the issues you raised express unmet human rights. So looking specifically at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for example, the following are all very relevant:

Article 7 - Children with disabilities:
States Parties shall ensure that children with disabilities have the right to express their views freely on all matters affecting them..."

Article 23 Respect for home and the family:
eg "States Parties shall undertake to provide early and comprehensive information, services and support to children with disabilities and their families."

Article 24 Right to Education, which has many relevant paragraphs

Article 26 - Habilitation and rehabilitation
Eg "comprehensive habilitation and rehabilitation services and programmes (shall) Begin at the earliest possible stage, and are based on the multidisciplinary assessment of individual needs and strengths"

There are other conventions and other relevant articles. And of course the UK government has obligations under these conventions.

The strength of something like this project in human rights advocacy terms, is it is bottom up - i.e. instead of government saying "this is what we aspire to do for our citizens", it is saying "this is the voice of the beneficiaries to whom the government must be accountable".

And it identifies very clear human rights gaps...

Thanks so much and well done. Elizabeth


Elizabeth Willmott-Harrop
Project Manager, Communications Consultant and Writer
Specialising in Human Rights Advocacy
Tel: +44 (0)1453 759299
Mob: +44 (0)7786 533639
[email protected]
Skype: elizabeth.willmott.harrop
www.libertyandhumanity.com

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Rachel B. Wickert Thu 24 Apr 2014 8:59AM

@elizabethwillmotth Thank you so much for taking the time to read it and for translating it into your language. That looks like there is a potential for developing more potent "amunitions" for @annalisasaba and the MiH group to advocate for better services!

EW

Elizabeth Willmott-Harrop Mon 28 Apr 2014 6:01PM

Thanks @rachelbwickert and @annalisasaba @jenni

Yes I do see things through a very specific lens at the moment, but sense that will change as I shift into a more holistic way of viewing projects - heart/art/sustainability. But for now is v helpful for me to see things that way and hope it will indeed help you all in some way too.

Well done once again!

Elizabeth

AS

Annalisa Saba Mon 28 Apr 2014 9:27PM

Thank you so much for your feed back Elizabeth, really appreciate having it looked at from such a perspective. I do believe our report is still a small glimpse into a rather larger picture of unmet needs , but a strong foundation to build from. Now the aim is to come up with constructive , and affordable solutions, awareness and inclusion.
We can say it is the governments responsibility to fill these needs, but if they don't understand our needs, or our struggles, they really don't know how to come up the solutions that fit our needs completely, these graphics, I am hoping allows service providers to know at what stages parents want and need them, in what possible emotional state that parent and child may be in at that time. It also allows parents to realise it is not an easy journey for anyone, and realise they are not alone going through the struggles. I am sure all parents have asked or felt some of the statements mentioned.
Having read your comments it makes me think how I need to dissect the emotional and work with what are our rights.
Thanks again,
My kindest regards
Annalisa
Chair
Make it Happen
07943881578

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Rachel B. Wickert Tue 29 Apr 2014 9:04AM

@elizabethwillmotth I think that approaching an issue more holistically, as you put it, is just like looking through a kaleidoscope. You need to look at it from the angle you are most familiar with (human right for you) and let the other array of colours guide you to the people who can bring the other key angles to the mix. I really hope we'll have a chance to bring you in next time! Don't you think so @annalisasaba and @jenni ?

EW

Elizabeth Willmott-Harrop Tue 29 Apr 2014 10:45AM

Hi @annalisasaba thanks so much for your feedback. I liked so much that you looked at emotional content. This is the value in having a kaleidoscopic perspective as @rachelbwickert says. I find it so interesting and exciting to unite and understand these different strands of vision.
@jenni

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Rachel B. Wickert Sun 4 May 2014 8:45AM

@annalisasaba I was thinking of ways to integrate a stakeholder mapping with the service journey exercise. What about drawing a path on a poster with key buildings and people that you cld encounter along the way like a monopoly kind of game? I thought it might be easier for some parent to visualise themselves in situations. It might also be a way to make it more accessible to children. Money cld be raised via crowdfunding for ex etc. What do you think @jenni @eric @clairegrauer @virginiecollinge @elizabethwillmotth ?

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Rachel B. Wickert Sun 4 May 2014 8:51AM

Que pensez-vous de cette idee ( ci-dessus) de jeux en francais pour le projet de Bruno @virginiecollinge et pour tes clients @dechenne? Charly pourrait peut-être être interesse? Bon dimanche!

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