Real life SEND experiences
Real life stories of how the SEND improvement programme is helping to make a difference for the lives of children and young people in Nottinghamshire.
On this page
Anna’s story
Parent Anna Harrison shares her experience as part of a co-production group:
My daughter and I met with Debbie as part of a co-production group for the Minds of all kinds neurodevelopmental website.
As part of the discussions for the website, we mentioned to Debbie that my daughter and I used to attend a parent run ‘supergirls’ youth group once a month. It’s for autistic girls, to have a safe quiet space to meet with other autistic girls and get to know others who are going through similar experiences to themselves, helping them to feel less isolated.
Unfortunately, this had to be discontinued at the beginning of covid lock-down. Debbie listened to my daughter’s view about how much she got from this group, and how much she missed her friends. Debbie supported us in getting the group restarted and facilitated meetings with the local young people’s centre to support us in getting a suitable meeting place.
The group has now been meeting again monthly since December 2023 and it’s going really well. Some of the ‘original’ supergirls have come back, as well as new ones joining us. For my daughter, it helps her mental health and makes her feel less alone. They talk about her struggles with school attendance, friends, and activities, and share what helps them and enables them to do things. The girls range from seven to 17 at the moment, so it’s great for the younger girls to meet older girls to look up to. As parents, it’s also helped up build an amazing support network!
The participation in co-production has really enabled us to regain this much needed resource, which is a great support not only for us as a family but for many other families in the area too.
Sleep story
Here is the experience of a parent getting support for her daughter:
My 8-year-old daughter has never slept. It isn’t unusual for her to still be awake gone midnight and then wake up three or four times throughout the night.
She was diagnosed with autism last year. When she was diagnosed she was given melatonin. This hasn’t helped at all. She takes it properly every night, and every night she’s still awake until late.
I am exhausted. I used to work as a carer for the elderly, but this isn’t possible now. I do have mental health issues and I don’t think that the sleepless nights help. I haven’t accessed any support other than the melatonin for her sleep issues, but I really need something.
I have been working with the team developing the sleep pathway to share my experiences and what I think the support should look like. I am really excited to see what comes of this work and am looking forward to a good nights sleep!
My swimming story
Mason needs a ventilator to breathe. He was supported to attend his first school swimming lesson with the rest of his class at Carlton Forum Leisure Centre recently.
This followed a successful period of hydrotherapy as part of post-surgery rehab. This is the first time a ventilated child has accessed either hydrotherapy or mainstream swimming in Nottinghamshire and it was made possible through joint working between:
- NHS physiotherapy
- Long term ventilation nurse and physiotherapists
- Nottinghamshire County Council manual handling advisors
- Nottinghamshire County Council’s school swimming team
- Carlton Forum Leisure Centre
- Apollo Healthcare (continuing care funded staff)
- Head teacher, SENCO and 2 teaching assistants from Mason’s school
- Advice from a Paediatrician, Respiratory Consultant and the Spinal Injuries Unit.
It's a great place to be with your friends. It’s much better than hydro. We enjoy racing. - Mason
Max's DJ story
Hiya my name is Max. I have been diagnosed with autism, dyspraxia, inattentive ADHD and hyper-mobility. I found school really hard and never mixed a lot with people growing up, and mum referred to me as being very quiet but happy.
I went to a mainstream primary school but had a lot of additional help and got an EHCP in year 6 and then to a specialist school in year 8 after being at home for almost a year due to struggling in mainstream secondary school.
I had started self-harming and my mood was incredibly low every day and found day to day tasks really difficult and hated socialising.
We grew up with not a lot of money either. My mum was on her own with me and my autistic and ADHD brother and my younger brother, with my dad earning minimum wage to pay the basic bills.
Since I was three years old I have always wanted to be a DJ after watching Kevin and Perry, but financially this is unachievable due to the costs of the courses and travelling etc. But thanks to the short breaks service we were allocated each month, I started FourFour DJ Academy aged 13 to learn the skills of being a DJ.
In about eight months I received my certificate to say I knew everything I could be taught and I was qualified to DJ, so then I learned after that to produce music myself again out the short breaks service money. I am still doing production but I like to produce music with my tutor still.
I have has several songs signed by a small label and they are available on Spotify, Amazon music and Deezer etc for streaming and purchasing and another one or two coming out in the future.
I played at Gloworm festival for 10 minutes in August 2022 with FourFour DJ Academy, they thought I was that great they invited me back for 4 hour slots on the Saturday and Sunday of August 2022 sponsored by Kinetic Sand.
Now I am almost 18 and looking forward to playing in clubs and now with a little help be able to travel round the world a DJ as I have a lot of confidence in my mixing skills. Many bigger artists have said I am quick and exceptionally good with my technical skills.
I have DJed with Phillip George, who had three top 10 singles that were major big tracks in the UK, who also said I would go far. I have helped FourFour DJ academy raise money for charity by my mixing skills in a charity event they hosted.
All of this has happened in my life due to the amazing funding from the short breaks service at Nottinghamshire County Council. I am so thankful and appreciate all the funding and help and support. I would have found employment so hard given all my needs and disabilities but DJing is a massive passion so now I have these skills me and my family have hope for my future. Yes I will still require help and support but to be able to work and enjoy my life is something else.
I thank everyone so much at short breaks and Nottinghamshire County Council for helping me achieve my dreams and give me a future.
My employment story
The latest cohort of Project SEARCH interns completed their graduation following work placements at King’s Mill and Mansfield Community Hospitals recently.
DFN Project SEARCH is a one-year transition to work programme for young adults with a learning disability or autism spectrum conditions, or both. They work hard to challenge and change cultures, demonstrating how young people with a learning disability can enrich the workforce, bring incredible skills and talent, encourage greater diversity, and meet a real business need.
Interns on the programme participate in three job rotations to explore a variety of career paths within the NHS such as hospitality, business admin, domestic services, pathology and more.
Bawithiran Raveendran was one of the graduates and he now has a job in the portering team:
I was very nervous at the start, but I have learnt so many things I didn't think I was capable of doing. I have learnt more knowledge to be able to help people and have become more confident with my social skills and talking to people.
And Nathan Florence completed the programme three years ago and is now mentoring other students. He said:
It was brilliant, it helped me to learn new skills to get a job and I got a job with Medirest on the windows. It helped me to become more confident.
Jackie Wix, Business Liaison for Project SEARCH, said:
It has been an honour to see the progress the interns make both in work and general life skills over the last two years, and to watch them progress to either work or volunteering. I would like to say a huge thank you to all the departments that have been involved and been so welcoming and supportive of the interns. It is heart-warming to know there are so many people within the hospital who have offered their help, time, and support to these young people. I am excited to see what this next year brings when our next cohort of interns join the Trust.
Chloe's story
Following a request for assessment for an education, health and care plan, Chloe and her mum met with the council’s SEND education pathway officer.
The family were seeking an assessment to help Chloe get back into education after her GCSEs in a school or college, following two years of being educated at home. Initially the family felt that alternative provision would be the only option because it would be a smaller setting.
They were keen to get Chloe back into education and were really struggling because they didn’t know what was available or where to turn for help.
The SEND pathway officer worked closely with the family to understand their needs and challenges as well as to understand if there were options available outside of an assessment that would deliver Chloe’s education needs and the family’s needs for support.
With the support of Inspire college and the local authority, the family were able to find a suitable course and environment to meet Chloe’s needs that will support her to achieve her ambitions and to prepare her for work later on.
Chloe's mum said:
We were in a really stressful situation. You’ve guided us in the right direction, been very supportive, listened to our needs and it was a relief that someone was listening.
I’m glad we’ve found the course because I didn’t realise that it was available. It sounded like a good course to support my child’s confidence and social skills before going to work. I feel very positive, I wasn’t forcing the decision on to my child, I wanted her to make the choice about what happened next.
We’re hopeful that the course will be a good change and are ready for a fresh start. If it had not been for yourself pointing me in the right direction I don’t know where we would have ended up.”
