Merseyside Send Support Network

💚 MEET THE TEAM 💚

We thought it was time to update the team for all our lovely new followers, so let’s start with me! 👋🏼😂

Hi, I’m Shannon! I’m one of the Directors of MSSN, but before that, I was just a mum trying to figure out the SEND world like everyone else. 🫠

I’m a mum of 4, and three of my children are neurodiverse, so SEND is a HUGE part of our everyday life. From diagnoses and EHCPs to sensory needs, education, DLA, appointments, meetings and all the paperwork that comes with having a SEND child… we’ve been through a lot! 😂

When I first joined MSSN, I genuinely didn’t have a clue. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I didn’t know what our family could be entitled to, what support was out there, what questions to ask or understand half the terminology.

I was just a mum thinking, “Surely there has to be more support than this?” and trying to work everything out as I went along.

MSSN helped me learn. 💚

And honestly, if it wasn’t for Kelly, I’d probably still be wondering where to turn. 🥹 Kelly is the reason MSSN is here today, and her work has helped so many SEND families have someone to turn to, listen and help them navigate an incredibly overwhelming system. 💚

I’m incredibly grateful she gave me the opportunity to become part of MSSN, and I’m so proud to now be one of its Directors and give back to the community that helped me so much. 🫶🏼

Because I know exactly what it feels like to be that parent who hasn’t got a clue where to start. That’s why I never want another SEND parent to feel like they have to figure it all out alone.

That’s why we’re here. 💚

💚 NEED SUPPORT? WE’RE HERE. 💚

If you’re a SEND parent or carer feeling overwhelmed, confused or unsure where to start, please reach out.

Whether you need help with an EHCP, DLA, SEND processes, meetings, forms or simply making sense of what’s happening, MSSN is here to support you. 🫶🏼

Just drop us a message and we’ll help you work out where to start. 💚

📩 Send us a message or get in touch with MSSN today.

You’re not alone. ❤️

We’ll be reintroducing more of the MSSN team, so keep an eye out for the next one! 👀💚

📄 Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out an area SEND inspection of the Knowsley Local Area Partnership. Knowsley Council and NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board received the middle outcome which is inconsistent experiences and outcomes.

✅ Inspectors noted that dedicated practitioners are making a positive difference to children and young people's experiences and outcomes; the views of children and young people were sought and the feedback received is helping to shape some of the services and support available to them; changes to leadership and governance since its last inspection has brought stability; and that partners have a clear vision and strong sense of direction for the local area.

⚠️ It highlighted the need for a reduction in waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments; more consistent partnership working, but also acknowledged that some good practice exists – for example the contribution of services such as educational psychology and autism outreach are identifying and understanding the needs of children and young people with SEND more accurately.

🗨️ Cllr Sean Donnelly, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said “As a partnership, ensuring children and young people with SEND and their families have access to support that is aligned to their needs is a key priority for us. We have invested significantly in improving education provision across the borough as well as reviewing our Short Breaks service, responding to feedback we have received from families. We know we have a lot of work to do, but improvements take time and won’t happen overnight, but please be reassured that we are all committed to ensuring our children and young people get the very best support.”

🗨️ NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Executive Clinical Director, Dr Fiona Lemmens, added “As health partners, we recognise the benefits that improved integration between teams and across our SEND partnership is already having for many of the children and young people in Knowsley. However, we remain committed to continuing to improve access to early help, as well as reducing the length of time children and young people have to wait to access structured support, assessment and diagnosis – particularly those with mental health and neurodevelopmental needs.”

You can read more here https://orlo.uk/iTDBY

❤️ TO EVERY SEND PARENT WHO NEEDS TO HEAR THIS

You are doing enough.

You don’t have to prove how exhausted you are to deserve support.

You don’t have to attend every meeting with a smile.

You don’t have to have all the answers.

You are allowed to have difficult days. You are allowed to ask for help. You are allowed to celebrate the little wins that other people might not understand.

Your child’s progress doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s.

And your worth as a parent is not measured by how much you can carry.

From one SEND family to another, keep going. You are not alone. ❤️

📚 WHY EHCPs MATTER TO SEND FAMILIES

An Education, Health and Care Plan is more than a piece of paperwork.

For many children and young people with SEND, it sets out the support they need to access education, develop their independence and thrive.

For parents, it can provide a clear framework for working with schools and other professionals.

Every child has different needs. Some need help with communication, sensory processing, learning, emotional regulation or accessing the school environment.

The right support can make a huge difference.

SEND families deserve to be listened to, involved in decisions and supported to understand their child’s rights.

Our team will be attending this to offer a FREE “Ask The OT” session for parents attending.

Merseyside Send Support Network

🐶📍 ROSIE’S FIRST STOP… LIVERPOOL!

Fresh from getting her Education Law degree at Oxford, Rosie has headed home to Liverpool to begin her journey around England. 🎓🐾

And she’s starting with the first of the 20 SEND legal rights at risk:

❤️ THE RIGHT TO SUPPORT BASED ON THE CHILD OR YOUNG PERSON’S INDIVIDUAL ASSESSED NEEDS

Every child and young person with SEND is different. Their needs are different, their circumstances are different and the support they require is different.

⚠️ WHAT’S AT RISK?

The Government plans to weaken the right to provision to meet individual assessed needs by making eligibility and support depend on standardised support layers and Specialist Provision Packages.

With legal information from special_needs_jungle special_needs_jungle (SNJ). ❤️

🐾 Tomorrow Rosie will be back on the road, heading to another famous landmark and highlighting the next legal right at risk.

📍 Where do you think she’ll turn up next? 👀🐶