Hart & Rushmoor Branch

The staff from the NAS Surrey Autism Resource Centre are planning to start running various groups soon at the Games Shop in Aldershot.

It is hoped that there will be two social skills groups on a Saturday; one for ages 5 - 9yrs and then a second for those aged 9 - 15yrs.

The cost will be £5 per child, per session.

Also a youth club for ages 13yrs and upwards, on a week day evening (the day is still to be decided.)

And in the future, they hope to run a Lego therapy workshop.

If you are interested in any of the above, please complete the registration form and send it to Bettina Stott.

Support for Parents of Children aged 0 to 5 – contact your local Children’s Centre Children’s Centre’s provide families a welcoming and approachable gateway to all the support services and activities they need to give their children the best start in life.

To find out where your local children’s centre is you can phone the Hampshire Children’s Information Service on 0845 603 5620 or go to www.hants.gov.uk/childrens-centres  

Triple P Group (for parents of primary school aged children) &

Triple P Teen Group (for parents of children from 11 – 16 years)

These are open to any parent through self referral and by referral form other agencies. These 8 session parenting groups support parents to make lasting changes in their parenting skills, and impact on their child’s behaviour. This is a flexible programme and some of the sessions are held in groups (session 1 – 4 and session 8), the remaining sessions are one to one (in person or by telephone) with the facilitator so that parents have a real opportunity to gain support from other parents and to tailor the strategies to their own particular family life. Parents have a reference book/workbook provided which is theirs to keep after the course and DVD materials are used throughout.

Parents or referrers who wish to find out more about a specific course running should contact the named Triple P programme facilitator direct. Places are generally offered on a first come first served basis. It is expected that parents or referrers will make contact with the facilitator BEFORE the programme starts. There is no charge for the parenting programme, although there may be a charge for crèche facilities if they are offered.

Please do not assume – that because a course is listed here that the course is running on the given dates at the given times or that there is an automatic place for an interested parent. Sometimes preference will be given to parents whose child attends a school in the cluster – you must contact the facilitator / organisation direct and have a conversation.

Rushmoor:

5th May to June 9th

Understanding Behaviour 0 to 5 yr olds

The Grange Nursery and Infant School

Ring Owls Children's Centre 01252 519920

Wed 5th May 2010 from 6.30 to 8.30 pm

Triple P Group

Southwood Infants

tracy.clement@guillemont-jun.hants.sch.uk

07545415192

clair.lester@farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk

07545735670

17th June 2010 – 5th Aug 2010

Triple P Group – under 8’s

At the Owls Children Centre

Contact Denise Carter - 01252 519920

Summer Term TBC

Special Children Special Parents

At Farnborough Grange

Maria Bolland and Liz Jones on 01252 541 879

Hart:

Thurs 29th April for 5 weeks from 8pm to 9.45 pm

Time Out for Dads

At the Church on the Heath Elvetham next to Morrisons

Contact Ken Shorey & Rob Fisher

Telephone: 01252 843803

Email: ken.shorey@cff.org.uk

This course is not accredited

10th May for 7 weeks from 6pm to 8.30pm

Strengthening Families aimed at 10 to 14 year olds and their parents / carers At the Elizabeth Hall Raven Road Hook RG27 9HH

For more information contact:

Jen partner 0784 1492513 or

Jess Smith 0754 0238113

Pilot Program – slightly restricted access – have a conversation with Jen / Jess

Thurs 10th June for 6 weeks from 7.45pm to 9.30 pm

Time Out for Teenagers for parents who have a child 9 to 16

At the Church on the Heath Elvetham next to Morrisons

Contact Ken Shorey & Kathryn Howes

Telephone: 01252 843803

Email: ken.shorey@cff.org.uk

This course is not accredited

Summer Term 2010

TBC Triple P Teen Yateley

At Westfield School 

Sandie Jackson Locality Team Phone: 01252 814717

Sandie.jackson@hants.gov.uk  

We have a member, who has only recently discovered our branch, running the London Marathon on 25th April in aid of the National Autistic Society.

Jennie's eldest son has Asperger’s Syndrome and she has started a blog about her training and life raising a child on the autistic spectrum in an attempt to educate family and friends about what life was really like for them.

To find out more, go to http://jennie2010.blogspot.com - please comment on there as she needs all the encouragement she can get to spur her on!

If you would like to sponsor Jennie, it can be easily done online at http://www.justgiving.com/jennie-donnelly

Come along to the West End Centre to listen, learn and discover more about autism. Hampshire Autisitc Society are spreading the word, so come along if you can.

On Tuesday 2nd March 10am -11.30 at the West End Centre, Aldershot.

To book your places, please phone 01252 330040 or e-mail westendcentre@hants.gov.uk

The NAS have produced a handy guide to Christmas for parents and carers of children with autism - although every child and family are different, the guide provides ideas of things that might just help - from advice about how to handle guests, to giving out presents.

Click here to go to the NAS Christmas page where you can also watch a video clip of how one family deals with the festivities.

CARER’S RIGHTS DAY

FOR CARERS IN RUSHMOOR & HART

Date: Friday December 4th 2009

Time: 10.00am – 1.00pm

Venue: The West End Centre,

48 Queen's Rd, Aldershot, GU11 3JD

(Free Car Park directly behind West End Centre

accessed via William Farthing Close.)

_______________________________________________________________________

The agenda for the session:

10.00 - Arrival and Coffee

10.15 - Welcome

Kandy Redwood – Carers Support Worker – HCC Adult Services

Catherine Wheeler – Carers Support Worker –

Princess Royal Trust for Carers (PRTC)

10.30 - Heather Wood (PRCT)

Emergency Plans for Carers

10.45 - Herrington & Carmichael, Solicitors

Legal Matters

11.30 -  Enham: Direct Payments & Direct Payments for Carers

12.00 - Cittizen’s Advice Bureau –

Financial Benefits for Carers

12.30 - The Warm Front Team

12.45 - Refreshments

1.00 - Close

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

RSVP by one of the following methods:-

1. Email kandy.redwood@hants.gov.uk

2. Telephone Kandy Redwood on 01252 796223 or

Catherine Wheeler on 07825 589 738

They need to know your name, address, phone number

and an e-mail address if you have one.

The Autism Bill has made it through its last parliamentary stage, and will now become the Autism Act 2009: the first ever disability-specific law for England.

The Act will guarantee a future Adult Autism Strategy that will introduce a range of duties to improve local services.

For more information visit the NAS website at www.autism.org.uk/autismact2009 

The Autism Act will guarantee the introduction of the first-ever adult autism strategy, which will set out how local services should be improved to meet the needs of adults with autism.

The strategy will cover a range of issues including health, social care, employment and training and, crucially, will be accompanied by guidance which places a legal obligation on local authorities and NHS bodies to meet certain requirements.

The strategy will be published by April 2010 and the accompanying legal guidance no later than December 2010.

The NAS will of course continue to campaign until the strategy makes a real difference to people affected by autism.

Don't Write Me Off is the new UK-wide campaign from the NAS to make sure that the benefit system works for people with autism, both supporting those who cannot work and helping those who want to work into employment.

Don't Write Me Off is about the real-life stories of people with autism, as they struggle to find work and achieve financial independence. But it also explores the simple solutions that could be put in place to make sure people with autism can live with dignity and fulfil their individual potential.

They followed the experiences of a group of people with autism as they applied for Employment and Support Allowance (the new benefit for people who may find it harder to get a job because of their disability), and asked about their experiences of work and applying for benefits. The stark reality for people with autism is apparent:

• just 15% have a full-time job
• one-third are currently without a job or access to benefits
• 79% of those on Incapacity Benefit want to work.

For the system to work for people with autism and the Government to deliver on its commitment that no one should be 'written off', adults with autism need:

• Employment and Support Allowance to work for them
• Jobcentre Plus staff to understand and meet their needs
• a national strategy to transform access to employment.

To read the campaign report, a guide to how to get involved, and to watch the campaign DVD, visit www.autism.org.uk/dontwritemeoff  

Take action

The Government must act now to make sure that the benefit system works for the people it is supposed to support. MPs can help us to persuade the Government to make these changes. Ask your MP to support Don't Write Me Off.

You can make a difference by sending your MP an email telling them why the campaign is so important. The greater the pressure we can apply, the greater the chance of success. Email your MP today.

Parent Support Advisers (PSAs)

PSAs are a school based service offering support to parents with school based issues including behaviour and school attendance. PSAs offer early intervention and prevention support to parents whose difficulties would not trigger the intervention of another agency.

On some occasions they will support parents who are already working with another agency, but only where clear school based issues are identified and can be included as a package of support. PSAs offer parenting groups, drop-in support and one to one support, and can help to build relationships between parents and schools. To contact PSAs for discussion of whether they can offer support to individual parents, contact the relevant PSA direct.

Rushmoor Contacts PSA’s

Linda Parry: Wavell Cluster linda.parry@st-marks.hants.sch.uk   07793308974

Tracy Clement: Fernhill Cluster, tracy.clement@guillemont-jun.hants.sch.uk  07545415192

Linda Graham: Oak Farm Cluster, linda.graham@farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk  07545735654

Clair Lester: Cove Cluster, clair.lester@farnboroughgrange.hants.sch.uk 07545735670

Lesley Moffat: Aldershot Cluster, lesley.moffatt@newport.hants.sch.uk  07590305065

Hart

Fleet Cluster – Phillipa Prewer phillipa.prewer@court-moor.hants.sch.uk  07794708544

Yateley Cluster – Currently Vacant - Contact Liv Stokkan 01252 746920  l.g.stokkan@yateley.hants.sch.uk

For details of PSAs in other areas, go to:

http://www.sporthampshireiow.co.uk/childrens-services/families/parentsupport/parentdevelopment-psa.htm#rushmoor