SEND Preparation for Adulthood Festival lit up the Floral Pavillion
Cllr Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council, with Sandra Costall and her son Matthew Costall
The first festival to help prepare young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) for adulthood saw more than 500 local people turn out to find out about the support available.
Moving into adulthood can be a difficult time for any young person but for those with SEND there are often additional obstacles to overcome. The SEND Preparation for Adulthood Festival on 8th October brought together a huge range of professional services in one place, with more than 50 stalls in the marketplace.
There was a buzz of activity as young people, parents and carers networked, finding the right tools and advice that will help enable and empower our young SEND people as they start to make decisions about what their future will look like and ensure it is bright! The event was also an opportunity for professionals to link up, to see how working together we can have a positive impact on the people they support.
Cllr Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council, said: “Accessing the right support at the right time is vital in helping young people feel confident about their future – especially in the case of our young people with SEND. Whether it’s entering the world of work, education opportunities, living independently or more, young people with SEND can conquer any challenge they may face, with the right preparation making things a whole lot easier.”
The festival, which was held at the Floral Pavilion, offered a lineup of presentations that took place on the stage. The talks were also livestreamed on YouTube for those unable to attend in person. The topics were varied, including an Introduction to Supported Internships from Wirral Metropolitan College, an overview of the role of Wirral Council and the NHS in the journey towards adulthood of SEND young people, and a talk from Master Key on how young adults can make sure that their voice is heard and nurtured. The links to the talks are available below for anyone who missed the action.
Sophie Rose Weaver, from SEND Youth Voice group said: ‘I think that there should be more communication between services, and more events like this as I got a lot out of the day.”
Showcasing what can be achieved from services and providers working in partnership, the event was co-produced by Parent Carer Participation Wirral (PCPW), Wirral SENDIASS and partners at Wirral Council and the NHS.
PCPW Chair, Cath Griffiths, said: “The Preparation for Adulthood event has been a pleasure to co-produce with all our partners over these past months. We look forward to growing the event further in the future.”
Simon Banks, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s Place Director for Wirral, said: “We were delighted to be part of this event. We want to take the energy and enthusiasm from this day and put it into practical action, to improve the experience of health and care services of young people as they become adults.”
The festival was topped off with the SEND Youth Voice Group taking to the stage to give a moving dance performance choreographed by one of the group based on their own experiences.
Cllr Stuart said: “We had so much positive feedback from our young people and families about how valuable it was to be able to talk to services face to face, with so many different teams under one roof. Thanks to everyone that made the day possible.”
SENDLO Preparation for Adulthood Festival programme of talks
An overview of the Council and the NHS’s role throughout SEND young people’s journey towards adulthood: 3234 Wirral SEND 01 Opening speeches on Vimeo
An introduction to supported internships from Wirral Metropolitan College: 3234 Wirral SEND 02 Wirral Met on Vimeo
The Career Connect Wirral NEET team provide an introduction to the service and post-16 options: 3234 Wirral SEND 04 Career Connect on Vimeo
A talk from Wirral SENDIASS, who provide free and confidential impartial information, advice and support to SEND young people and their parents/carers: 3234 Wirral SEND 05 SENDIASS on Vimeo
Gill Tyler, the Wirral Designated Clinical Officer for SEND, delivers a talk about transitions within health: 3234 Wirral SEND 07 Clinical Officer on Vimeo
Claire Cooper from Foxfield School and Jean Stevens from Wirral Council present the new SEND Transitions Roadmap: 3234 Wirral SEND 08 SEND Transitions on Vimeo
Cath Griffiths delivers an introduction to Parent Carer Participation Wirral (PCPW) an organisation that aims to be the voice for parents and carers and to contribute to the improvement of education, health and social care services: 3234 Wirral SEND 09 PCPW on Vimeo
A presentation from Liverpool John Moores University on what resources are available for SEND young people at the university: 3234 Wirral SEND 10 JMU on Vimeo
The SEND Youth Voice Group talk about what work they have been doing in making sure that the SEND voice is being heard and helping SEND young people understand their rights and the world around them in fun creative ways: 3234 Wirral SEND 11 SEND Youth Voice on Vimeo
If you missed the action, you can watch all of the presentations from the festival via the links below: