JIGSAW Staffordshire, 2008
This group was established in 2003 and has a well-developed network with over 500 members. One of the aims of this group is to enhance educational provision for children and young people with Asperger’s Syndrome and high functioning autism. Formal and informal exclusions are one of the greatest concerns parents have in Staffordshire, and parents and carers would like to find ways to work more closely with schools to address this problem. There have been many examples of good practice in Staffordshire, a case study that illustrates this was put forward by the Parent Support Project for an article in ‘Children Now’ (January 2007)
JIGSAW Autumn Newsletter
The Jigsaw parent and carer support group have produced their autumn information newsletter. The issue includes:
- Disability Discrimination in Education
- October Jigsaw night out
- Autism in the Community Partnership
For further information on JIGSAW events and campaigning developments in Staffordshire please read the full JIGSAW newsletter or contact JIGSAW
JIGSAW Autism Awareness Training Initiative
The Jigsaw group has made great progress in it's work with the key providers and commissioners of autism services within Staffordshire. JIGSAW members have focused on the need to address the lack of understanding of ASD and the lack of appropriate provision for people with autism.
Machita Denny, Group Leader of Jigsaw, has played an important role to improve autism awareness in the Community Partnership. This multi agency partnership has planned, developed, and delivered autism awareness sessions for community groups in Staffordshire. The sessions have been specifically designed to be delivered jointly by a professional and a parent or carer.
Machita Denny and Joanne Moore have presented to various audiences within the statutory and voluntary sector. These include secondary and middle school headteachers, parents and carers, members of the local authority, and MPs at last year’s Conservative Party Conference.
The training sessions aim to dispel myths surrounding autism and change participants’ attitudes and misconceptions. The training includes discussions of various scenarios and encourages the development of ASD friendly strategies. These strategies can help both the child and staff to overcome obstacles in communication. If you want further details on the autism awareness in the community partnership please contact JIGSAW
Staffordshire commits to EDCM Local Authority Charter
English Local Authorities can get involved in the Every Disabled Child Matters campaign by signing up to the EDCM Local Authority Charter. The Charter, produced with the support of Children Now magazine, encourages local authorities to commit to providing a range of services for disabled children and their families by January 2008, and also to addressing the needs of disabled children in their strategic planning and local area agreements.
63 English Local Authorities are currently signed up to the charter. These include six of the areas covered by the Parent Support Project - Ealing, Lambeth, Lincolnshire, Oldham, Poole and most recently Staffordshire. We are delighted that Staffordshire Local Authority committed to the charter in January 2008, as it represents an important step in championing the rights of both disabled children and their families. We encourage parents in the remaining four areas covered by the PSP project to contact their local authority to sign the charter, and push for its successful implementation within their area.
For information on how to contact your Councilor to support the EDCM campaign please visit the EDCM website.
JIGSAW - Autism, Influencing a Vision for the Future
David Kidney MP met with over a hundred Staffordshire parents and carers of c
hildren with autism at a hugely successful campaign launch on Friday 18th January 08. The event was organised by the autism group Jigsaw, with support from TreeHouse national charity for autism education and Staffordshire Parent Partnership. It aimed to highlight the need for better provision for children with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in the Staffordshire area.
Neil Carr, Chief Executive of the South Staffordshire & Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Peter Traves, Corporate Director of Children & Lifelong Learning at Staffordshire County Council both spoke at the event. They expressed genuine commitment to ensuring the views of parents and carers are at the heart of planning services for children and young people with autism in Staffordshire.
David Kidney MP for Stafford, and patron of Jigsaw, said: "This has been a brilliant opportunity for parents and carers to engage directly with leaders of education and health services locally. What impressed me most was the commitment of everyone present to ensure that children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome receive the help and support they deserve. As a patron of The Jigsaw Group, I am determined to make sure we develop the right services for children and their families in Staffordshire and nationally."
Lead parent from Jigsaw and a Stone resident, Machita Denny, spoke movingly on how having a child with a disability has meant she has had to battle to get her children the appropriate education and support. She said: “What we want is for children with autism to have the same opportunities as all other children so that they don’t just endure school, but enjoy it. That’s why we have launched the campaign: Autism, influencing a vision for the future.”
Useful Links and Documents
Staffordshire Local Authority website
Staffordshire Children and Young People's Plan
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