January has been a busy, bright and positive start to the year for the SENDIASS Engagement and Advice Team!
We’ve really enjoyed getting back out and about, catching up with families, schools and professionals right across Norfolk, and continuing to offer clear, impartial advice and support to parents, carers and young people with SEND.
Community Groups and Charities
This month we partnered with Family Hubs for two welcoming community sessions: the Shine Coffee Morning in Gorleston and Hopper’s SEND Group at Hope Church in Wymondham. Both groups offered relaxed spaces for parents and carers to ask questions, share experiences and access helpful information about SEND support and local services - all while enjoying a lovely cup of tea and biscuits.
We also enjoyed visiting The Hamlet Centre Coffee Morning, where we delivered a short presentation about SENDIASS, followed by supportive conversations with families in a friendly setting.
Schools and Education Engagement
We attended the Open Academy Year 11 Parents’ Evening to offer information and advice about SEND processes, school support and next steps. We look forward to returning for future Parents’ Evenings this year.
Our team also joined the Inspiration SEND Network Annual Conference, connecting with education professionals to continue important conversations about SEND support and inclusion.
Partnership Working and Community Events
We took part in the Community Engagement Meeting at St Matthew’s Church in Norwich, where we connected with local organisations, learned about the valuable work happening across other services, and shared updates from SENDIASS - strengthening our collective efforts to better support families across Norwich.
In North Norfolk, we attended the Making Sense of SEND event in Sheringham, alongside services from across the county. It was a well-attended and positive day! We supported families by answering questions, providing advice and helping them explore available support.
Finally, we joined the Breckland SEND Sub‑Group, where we contributed to discussions about local groups and the support available to families with SEND across the Breckland area.
If you’d like the SENDIASS Engagement and Advice Team to attend an event, group or meeting, please get in touch: nsendiassengagement@norfolk.gov.uk
Coming Up Next Month…
We’re excited to be part of the Norwich Science Festival!
You’ll find us in The Snug - a calm, welcoming space where children and young people with SEND can enjoy arts and crafts, or where parents, carers and young people can drop in for information, advice or simply a friendly chat.