PaCC Round Up September 2022

pacc round up september 2022

The long hot summer is already starting to feel a distant memory, and autumn clouds are already upon us, both literally and figuratively. We have heard lots of feedback about lack of respite over the summer, difficulties for children transitioning back to school, as well as the impact of high inflation and the rising costs of living. PaCC continue to challenge and work with the council to address the wide range of difficulties families are facing.

PaCC haven’t stopped over the summer, though it has been a little calmer with fewer meetings. We start our latest blogs with an update on Home to School Transport (HTST) from our fantastic Rep, Pippa Hodge, on how the service is performing and other information.

PaCC have also been busy recruiting, and we are delighted to introduce Leila Erin-Jenkins and Vanessa De Guzman, who are joining the PaCC staff team as Engagement Workers. Leila and Vanessa will be organising consultations with the city’s SEND families across all areas of SEND, including work linked to the Learning Disability Strategy, SEND Strategy and the Neurodevelopmental Pathway.

In the face of all the difficulties families have been facing, it has been positive to work with the council on increasing the number of specialist places for autistic children and young people, read more about the different types of provision being proposed here. We also have an update on increased capacity within the Council SEN Team.

If you feel like having a cuppa and a chat with other parents and to learn more about services available in Brighton & Hove, why don’t you join one of our monthly coffee mornings? Find out more about these informal events (open to all parent carers in Brighton & Hove) and our upcoming topics, in this coffee morning blog post.

Finally, I want to let you know that I am leaving the role of PaCC Chair at the end of September to take a job as Family Carer Advisor to the national SEND team at NHS England. It has been amazing to have the opportunity of leading PaCC (having before that been Vice-Chair for many years) – thank you for all your support and input. I am extremely happy that Becky Robinson (current Vice-Chair) is taking over as Chair: she has so much expertise and is totally committed to helping families. Together with our expanded steering group and staff team, PaCC is in a great position to grow and make even more of a difference to families.

See you around!

-Diana Boyd, PaCC Chair