NASExeter

✨ Win big. Make a difference. ✨ National Autistic Society Raffle

NASExeter I am fundraising for National Autistic Society in October.
50% raised will go back into the Exeter and District Branch.

100 Miles in October for The National Autistic Society Help Ursula Easton-Pool raise money to support National Autistic Society

Not NAS Affiliated.

We are looking forward to seeing you at our Deaf Dartmoor wellbeing walk at Crazywell Pool. This will be taking place on Saturday 15 August from 9AM to 12PM. Let us know if you're coming.

[Image description: Image of Dartmoor. The text reads 'Dartmoor Walk at Crazywell Pool
Saturday 15 August, Meet 9am at Norsworthy Bridge Car Park, Yelverton, PL20 6PF' with National Lottery Community Fund logo at the bottom.]

The National Lottery Community Fund

Not NAS Affiliated

As part of one of my volunteer roles, I’ve been asked to share this.

This co-chair update includes details of 'Shaping Recommendations' workshops, which will take place in September and October across the UK and online. The workshops aim to engage members of the public, who are invited to register their interest in attending.

The aim of these workshops is to shape, test and refine the Review's emerging recommendations with disabled people, people with long term health conditions and family members, carers or support workers of disabled people.



Registration of interest to take part in the workshops opened today at 10:00AM and will close on Friday 21 August 2026 at 5:00 PM. Details are available at The Timms Review GOV.UK, where alternative formats are also provided.

The steering group would be very grateful if you could promote this opportunity within your networks.

Not NAS Affiliated

Many families don't realise these are two completely different assessments, AND you may be entitled to both.

💚 A Child and Family Needs Assessment looks at your child's support needs.

💚 A Parent Carer's Needs Assessment looks at the impact caring has on you.

Read our information on this topic in full here 👉 https://f.mtr.cool/fuqawzdmea

Not NAS Affiliated

🌟 Exciting News from LEAP! 🌟

We’re delighted to share that our September programme of LEAP workshops is now being finalised and we can’t wait to welcome you back after the summer break.

This autumn we’re thrilled to be continuing our partnership with BIBIC, bringing back many of your favourite workshops alongside brand new topics designed to provide practical support, fresh ideas and up-to-date guidance for families and professionals supporting children and young people with SEND.

We’re also incredibly excited to be working with the Esteem Team, who will be delivering their own programme of specialist sessions as part of the LEAP offer, giving you even more opportunities to learn, connect and gain valuable knowledge.

Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning to another LEAP workshop, there’s something for everyone.

📅 Keep an eye on this page – the full September programme and booking details will be released very soon!

We can’t wait to share what’s coming… 💙💚

We will be meeting here as usually first Thursday of the month.
6th August. 1045-1245.

In the community cafe starting Thursday 30th July :)

Thursdays from 30th July 10.45 till 12.45
Wednesdays from 5th August 10am till 12pm
All through the summer holidays 🙂
Crafts, soft play, board games, pom pom making
Kids eat for £1.00

Not NAS Affiliated
TORBAY area only

📢 CALLING ALL SEND PARENTS 📢

Have you experienced delays, poor communication, or repeated barriers when trying to secure an EHCP assessment for your child?

We want to hear from you.

Following conversations with local families, and alongside work with MP Steve Darling, a concerning pattern continues to emerge.

Parents describe unanswered emails, repeated delays, and feeling as though they have to fight every step of the way simply to have their child's needs recognised.

As Steve Darling has said: "I have serious concerns regarding the performance, culture and leadership of Torbay Council's SEND service. They have consistently failed to respond to emails and to provide adequate support to parents.

"My team has been consistently struck by the capability, determination and resilience of the parents who have approached us, many only after exhausting every avenue within the Council. I am deeply concerned for those families who may be less confident or less able to advocate for themselves."

One local family recently shared their experience with me. Their autistic teenager was refused even an EHCP needs assessment despite evidence including:

🔹 Significant difficulties accessing education, attending only a small proportion of lessons each week.
🔹 Documented cognitive and processing difficulties.
🔹️ Speech and language difficulties
🔹 An Educational Psychologist identifying significant concerns.
🔹 School struggling to meet the child's needs.
🔹 A serious overdose resulting in an acute liver injury following school burnout.

This is not about whether an EHCP should ultimately be issued. It raises a more fundamental question:

If a child with this level of need is refused even an assessment, what threshold is being applied?

Every child deserves the opportunity to access an education that meets their needs. Every parent deserves clear communication, transparency and fair consideration of the evidence.

If you've experienced similar issues with Torbay's SEND service, we'd like to hear your story. Please comment below or message me in confidence. With your permission, we will continue raising these concerns and holding decision-makers to account.

Enough parents are telling the same story that it deserves to be heard.

Not NAS affiliated

We had our CATCH session earlier today and want to give a shout out to all the wonderful families we have met over the last few months. The peer support that parent carers give each other is outstanding and it is a privilege to facilitate the CATCH group! 🥰

We won't be running our usual CATCH at Scott Drive Church until the new term in September BUT we do have two summer family sessions running at our Esteem Team Base instead! 😎