news
See what PaCC & amaze are talking about...
New Sussex Police autism passport now downloadable
We’re happy to pass on information about the new Sussex Police autism passport. This passport was co-produced by autistic people, the Sussex Police and the local NHS neurodevelopmental service, based on similar cards in other areas. The aim is to make sure that if someone comes into contact with the police or other services there...
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Symptom-free Covid-19 tests now available to parent carers
Parent carers can now access regular Covid-19 lateral flow (rapid) testing if they live in Sussex. These tests are normally available for anyone over 18 who lives or works in Sussex who cannot work from home and who does not have access to a symptom-free test through other routes. However, carers have been told they...
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Update on the East Sussex SEND Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)
We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the parent carers who participated in the recent survey for the East Sussex Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). East Sussex Parent Carer Forum, East Sussex County Council, the Clinical Commissioning Group and Amaze worked together to develop the survey...
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Easter Holiday play schemes and activities 2021
With the Easter holidays almost upon us, parent carers’ thoughts will no doubt be turning their attention to childcare, play schemes and activity options. To help out we’ve brought together links and information on inclusive clubs in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex here: Brighton and Hove: Brighton Table Tennis Club is running a free Easter activity camp at Moulsecomb Primary School for children and young people aged 6 to 18 who...
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Improving the neurodevelopmental pathway in Brighton & Hove
Amaze, PaCC and other local organisations have been working with Brighton & Hove City Council and NHS Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to develop the route to assessment, diagnosis and support for children and young people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Planning and discussion about this has taken place for some years and we had...
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Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible unpaid carers: how to book
UPDATE 7 April: We understand that there may be fewer slots for vaccinations over the coming weeks. But if you are an unpaid parent carer and have not yet received your vaccination, but want one, it’s worth still trying to book a vaccination appointment yourself on this link or you can call 119. If you are...
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Tackling racism: our commitments to you
Amaze is an organisation set up to empower children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families. We champion inclusion and lobby against inequality experienced as a result of a special educational need, disability or long-term health condition. The brutal death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020 and subsequent Black...
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Above and Beyond: Amaze’s Lizzie celebrated on a bus
Brighton and Hove Buses were searching high and low, far and wide to find amazing local people who make a difference: the chosen ‘Community Champions’ would form part of their ‘Above & Beyond‘ buses. Naturally, we told them about Lizzie Batten, our DLA Project Manager and naturally, Lizzie was selected! We know you’ll all agree...
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March 2021 – Open letter from Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families
In response to the return to school and college, Vicky Ford MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, has published this open letter to children and young people with SEND and their families, and those who support them. As well as thanking families, schools and other professionals for the ‘tremendous efforts’ they have...
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Update 4 March 2021 – Vaccinations for unpaid carers
The Joint Committee on Vaccines and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that people who are in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance, or who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, should now be eligible for vaccination. In Sussex, carers’ organisations and local authorities...
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Good news: young people and adults on Learning Disability Register to be prioritised for vaccine
Fantastic news: all young people (age 16 and over) and adults on the Learning Disability Register will now be prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccine in England. This means 150,000 more people at higher risk being offered a jab more quickly in England. The government announcement follows Jo Whiley’s plea for people such as her sister,...
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Covid hardship grants for families in need in East Sussex – apply now
If you’re a young person with SEND, or a parent carer living in East Sussex and are struggling financially – we invite you to apply for a Covid Winter Hardship Grant. If you are eligible, this will pay £50 per child or young person with SEND up to the age of 25, to help with...
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Update about the NHS Covid-19 vaccination programme availability for unpaid parent carers
There has been a change to the definition about which unpaid adult carers will be eligible for vaccination under priority 6 to: (from Public Health England’s COVID-19: the green book, chapter 14a) Carers whose cared for are clinically vulnerable are specified as including those with: children with severe neuro-disabilities those who are designated Clinically Extremely...
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Vaccination FAQs – unpaid carers and children and young people with SEND
We know that many of you are understandably anxious about when and how your family will be getting their Covid-19 vaccinations. Though we cannot give you specific timelines for vaccination – this will depend on vaccine supplies arriving and how quickly different priority groups get vaccinated – we have worked together with all the carers...
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Vaccinations for paid carers – available to book now
Personal Assistants (PAs) who provide care to elderly or vulnerable disabled people in Sussex are now eligible for Covid-19 vaccination as frontline health and social care workers in Priority Group 2. PAs can book appointments at vaccination centres including the Brighton Centre, the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Eastbourne District General and the Conquest Hospital, Hastings....
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SEND Services in Sussex during lockdown
Amaze spoke to our local SEND health and education services to get the latest on how they are operating in this second lockdown. Assessments and therapies Despite increased pressure on the NHS in this latest lockdown, children’s health service staff in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex will not be called away to work on...
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Face 2 Face: our superstar volunteer befrienders and new online support groups for East Sussex
This month Face 2 Face is celebrating our longest-serving Star Befriender, Diana, on her 7th anniversary volunteering for the team. Rather than telling you why we think she’s so brilliant, we thought it would be far better to share what some of the parent carers she has supported say about her: “She has always helped...
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Covid-19 vaccinations: our survey findings and latest on prioritisation and process
The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme is picking up pace across Sussex. You can read the latest local vaccination news here but please keep an eye on the vaccination info in our coronavirus advice section, which we will update as and when we get more information. Findings from the Covid-19 Vaccine Survey January 2021...
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Groups in lockdown: what’s on offer for parent carers and young people
As we head towards a year since the first lockdown began, the isolation is really starting to take its toll for many of us. Whether you’re a parent carer, burning out from being in a caring role 24/7, or a young person with disabilities, struggling without people your age to talk to, peer support groups...
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New open letter to SEND community from Children and Families minister Vicky Ford
Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, has written another open letter to the SEND community, this time outlining some of the latest information and guidance relating to the current national lockdown. Key headlines include: The legal duty on schools and colleges to use their best endeavours to meet the special educational needs...
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New letter for outdoor exercise during lockdown – for families of children with SEND
Amaze has worked quickly and closely with the local parent carer forums and West Sussex charity Reaching Families to create a letter for children and young people with SEND or their parent carers to use when exercising outdoors during the new lockdown. The letter sets out the reasons why a family with a child or...
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Helpline holiday – getting advice, information and support over Christmas
The Amaze SENDIASS helpline will close for Christmas and New Year on Monday 21 December at 2.30pm and re-open on Monday 4 January at 9.30am. You can still send us a message and we will pick this up on 4 January but it may take us a few days to reply: sendiass@amazesussex.org.uk or 01273 772289....
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Covid-19 vaccination latest for children and young people with SEND and their carers
The NHS in Sussex will begin vaccinating patients against coronavirus this week, prioritising those who are most at risk of serious illness or death if they catch the virus, according to independent advice. Read the government’s vaccination priority list here. You can also read the advice that underpins the government’s vaccination priorities. Broadly speaking the...
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DCP “back to school” survey results show mixed results for SEND families
Amaze is proud to be part of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, a coalition of more than 80 organisations campaigning for better support for disabled children and their families. Earlier, this year, the DCP published an influential “Left In Lockdown” report on the impact of lockdown on disabled children and their families. In September and October,...
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Latest on child development services in Brighton & Hove
Despite the second lockdown, Child Development Services in Brighton & Hove are still continuing to see children, young people and families. They are offering support both remotely and face-to-face as required, and staff have been busy visiting schools and pre-school settings wearing appropriate PPE. Lucy Domoney, General Manager for Child Development Services in Brighton &...
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A big impact – read how Amaze has supported children and young people with SEND this financial year
We’re really pleased to publish our latest report on the impact of our work to support families with disabled children and young people across Sussex. The report focuses on the financial year 2019-20 but it also includes a summary of all the extra and different things we have done during 2020 as a result of...
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Amaze secures grant from the Youth Futures Foundation and Children in Need!
Amaze is delighted to announce that it has been successful in securing £79,676 from BBC Children In Need and the Youth Futures Foundation for work to inspire and guide young people with SEND into education, employment and training. This grant is very timely because we know young people with SEND are struggling now more than...
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Latest national lockdown rules on going out and meeting up
There have been so many rule changes during the pandemic it’s not surprising that lots of parents and carers are confused about exactly what they can and can’t do during the new national lockdown #2. Here’s answers to some of your most frequent questions. Meeting up indoors or outdoors You can go out in a...
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Latest letter from Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families
Vicky Ford, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, has published an open letter to all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them. Following the introduction of the new national restrictions on 5th November, the letter provides advice and...
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Secondary school admissions deadline fast approaching
Is your child due to start secondary school in September 2021? If you haven’t applied for a school place yet, be aware the school admissions deadline is coming up fast on Saturday 31st October at 23.59. It’s important to apply on time, or your preferred schools may no longer have spaces available. If your child...
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World Mental Health Day 2020: Mental health for all
World Mental Health Day (October 10th) is important to recognise every year, but it has particular weight this year. 2020 has brought with it many of the same challenges we face each year as parent carers or young people with disabilities, but the pandemic has put many of those issues into sharp relief, as well...
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The latest on Amazing Futures East Sussex activities for young people
Amazing Futures East Sussex are looking forward to resuming small indoor groups within a Covid-safe environment later this month. Claire (project manager), Chloe (Young People’s Intern) and some of the peer supporters will be running small workshops on topics like ‘Exploring wellbeing post-Covid’ and ‘Being together again’, as well as offering fun sessional activities that...
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Foundations For Our Future – improving the emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people in Sussex
Children and young people, as well as their families and carers, have fed into an independent local review to improve emotional health and wellbeing services. This input included feedback received through Brighton & Hove PaCC’s mental health report (May 2019). As a result of the review, a total of 20 recommendations for change have now...
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Therapies through the autumn term
As schools, colleges and nurseries reopen this month, our assessment and therapy teams in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex are gradually restoring their full services, whilst keeping some of the new ways of working they developed during lockdown. We caught up with staff from the Children’s Integrated Therapy and Equipment Service (CITES) in East...
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Flu vaccine is free for parent carers
Parent carers are one of the priority groups being urged to take up their free flu vaccine this autumn/winter. Others eligible include: People on vulnerable shielded list during early part of pandemic and those that live with them All children aged 2 to 11 on 31 August 2020 Those aged 6 months to under 65...
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Amaze loves volunteers
When you think about “giving” to charity, you most likely think of donating money or fundraising... but have you ever considered giving your TIME? It is just as important to us as money. With Covid-19 we have been working quite differently. This has meant that some of our existing volunteers are not able to carry on or can’t do things in the...
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Thumbs up for extra summer activities in Brighton & Hove
This summer, in the run-up to the holidays, the Parent Carers’ Council (PaCC) asked Brighton & Hove City Council’s SEN Team to see if they could organise some extra activities over the summer for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Roger Wardle, from the SEN Team, and Zoe Anstey, from...
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DLA & PIP renewals start up again
Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment reviews, reassessments and renewals have started again. Many children and young people whose claims were due to end this year will have had their awards extended for another 6 months because of the Coronavirus lockdown. But six months can fly by. It’s likely that SEND assessments, medical reviews...
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Superhero Adrian keeps the wheels turning for Amaze
For those of you who may not have seen our stories on social media, we once again have to celebrate Brighton dad, Adrian Elkin, who managed to raise over £2500 for Amaze during lockdown. Adrian, father to two autistic boys and a member of our Face2Face Dads Group, raised the money from sponsors by cycling...
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Return to school letter from Vicky Ford MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families
Vicky Ford, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, has written a letter about returning to school for children and young people with SEND, their families and carers, and those who work to support them: Read Vicky Ford MP’s full letter here. [PDF 187KB] In the letter, Minister Ford acknowledges some of the additional challenges...
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Using your Compass Card to access parking in restricted School Streets
You may have heard of the imminent launch of School Streets – an initiative starting in September in Brighton & Hove to temporarily restrict motor vehicle access near school entrances during school opening and closing times. Blue Badge holders are exempt from these road closures and will be permitted access to park/drop-off/pick-up children. PaCC and Amaze flagged...
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Home to School Transport latest – Brighton
Today, Brighton & Hove Home to School Transport team sent out a letter to local parent carers about special arrangements for the autumn term, together with a social story to help explain the special arrangements to children and young people returning to school. HTST arrangements for September – letter to parents and carers [pdf 167kb]...
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Extra summer activities specifically for families with children and young people with SEND in Brighton & Hove
We’re delighted to now be able to share details of some extra summer activities and opportunities specifically for children and young people with SEND and their families. They are being run by local parent-led support groups and charities, and funded by Brighton & Hove City Council. Over the last few weeks, Amaze and the Parent...
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Covid-19 scams: what to know, and how to stay safe
There have been reports that some fraudsters have been using covid-19 to scam people in a variety of ways, and Police and Trading Standards are concerned people may try to exploit the new Track and Trace system. As people are unfamiliar with the system, they say there are risks that people might be tricked into clicking...
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Park spaces made available for SEND youngsters
You may have read in our recent newsletter, the plan for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to be given their own park areas in Brighton and Hove to allow them to play in peace and safety. We are pleased to confirm that Amaze teamed up with PaCC and the council to identify...
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Department of Health & Social Care & Department for Education letter to SEND families
Helen Whately MP, Minister of State for Care and Vicky Ford MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families – have written the following letter to all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their parents/carers and families, and others who support them. The letter expresses sincere thanks for the key role...
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Amaze releases Haringey report
Amaze’s report, published today is essential reading for leaders, decision-makers and families with disabled children in the London borough of Haringey – setting out a clear way forward to bring together and harness the expertise of parent carers. In Haringey, we found many barriers still exist to supporting parent participation, including a defensive culture and...
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New guidance for children and young people on shielding
The latest guidance on shielding for children and young people most likely to become unwell if they catch coronavirus (which applies from 6 July 2020) is for them to continue to shield until 31 July, when shielding is paused for everyone in England. The government have confirmed changes in their latest general shielding guidance that the majority...
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End of term message to parent carers from Brighton & Hove SEND leaders
Georgina Clarke-Green, Assistant Director of Health, SEN & Disability at Brighton & Hove City Council has written the following message directly to all our Amaze families at the end of this extraordinary term. “Dear Parents and Carers, As the academic year draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and...
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Therapies in Sussex – what changed and how will they work going forward?
Coronavirus lockdown meant significant changes to the way physio, speech and language and occupational therapy have been delivered across Sussex to children and young people with SEND. As lockdown eases, we spoke to therapy teams in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex to get information about how they have been working and what will change...
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events
See what's happening...
Amazing Futures groups and peer support [Brighton & Hove and East Sussex]
23rd March 2021 - 31st May 2021 - All Day
Yoga for Autism (children under 11 years)
15th May 2021 - 05th June 2021 - 10:30 am - 11:30 am
Amaze Zoom: How to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in Brighton/Hove
20th May 2021 - 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Amaze Zoom: How to claim Personal Independence Payment(PIP)
26th May 2021 - 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Dads Group (Brighton & Hove) - supported by Amaze Face 2 Face
27th May 2021 - 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Face 2 Face Breakfast Club Zoom for parent carers (Brighton & Hove)
04th June 2021 - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Thinking about the future for your young person
07th June 2021 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Face 2 Face Breakfast Club Zoom for parent carers (Brighton & Hove)
17th June 2021 - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Amaze SENDIASS Zoom: Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support for your Child
17th June 2021 - 10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Face 2 Face autism parent carer group on Zoom (Brighton & Hove)
23rd June 2021 - 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The Dads Group (Brighton & Hove) - supported by Amaze Face 2 Face
24th June 2021 - 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Face 2 Face Breakfast Club Zoom for parent carers (Brighton & Hove)
02nd July 2021 - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Face 2 Face Breakfast Club Zoom for parent carers (Brighton & Hove)
14th July 2021 - 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Face 2 Face autism parent carer group on Zoom (Brighton & Hove)
16th July 2021 - 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm