Latest news and updates about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bromley.

Events calendar

Bromley All-Age Autism Board subgroups

Bromley All-Age Autism Board would like to invite you to join their subgroups for young people and adults, parents and carers to share your views, wishes and ideas and directly influence the development of services for people with autism living in Bromley.

Sub group one - Autism young persons and adults

Please join us to share your thoughts about:

  • Increasing awareness and understanding of Autism
  • Education and training
  • Independence skills and employment
  • Accessing health services and appointments

When: Wednesday 17 April 2024, 12:00 to 1:30pm
Where: Rhiannon’s café, United Reformed Church, BR1 1RY
Online: Wednesday 17 April 2024, 6:30pm to 7:30pm on Microsoft Teams

For joining details and a teams link please email: sendmatters@bromley.gov.uk

Sub group two - Autism parent and carers

Are you a parent or carer of an autistic child, young person or adult or do you have concerns about your child’s social communication?

Do you want to:

  • Know more about Autism
  • Find out how and where you can get support
  • Talk to other parents
  • Share ideas to help improve your experiences

When: Tuesday 16 April 2024, 12:45 to 2:30pm
Where: Committee Room 5, Bromley Civic Centre, Stockwell Close, Bromley, BR1 3UH.

For more information please email: sendmatters@bromley.gov.uk

Teams meeting: Thursday 18 April, 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

For joining details and a Teams link please email: sendmatters@bromley.gov.uk

Autism acceptance week 2024

Please check out the CASPA website to find out about the exciting activities running for autism acceptance in partnership with the Bromley All-age Autism Partnership.

Find out more at http://caspabromley.org.uk.

Key events:

Wear Green to be Seen
When: Thursday 28 March
What: Daily events running in participating schools and in the community.

18+ Connors Night Club
When:
Thursday 28 March, 7pm to 9:30pm
Where: Oakley House, BR2 8HA
What: A silent disco and autism acceptance celebration for autistic adults and friends.

Family Activity Day
When: Wednesday 10 April 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Where: The Bromley United Reform Church, Widmore Road, Bromley BR1 1RY
What: Family fun, entertainment and activities.

SEND Matters live!

When: Thursday 18 April 2024, 10:00 to 11:30am

Where: 4th Floor of The Central Library, Bromley, BR1 1EX

Bromley Council are committed to listening to the experiences of parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) living in Bromley.

If you are the parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND living in Bromley you are invited to join us at a question and answer session with senior leaders from the Bromley SEND Partnership.

This session will be facilitated by Bromley Council and SEL Integrated Care System (ICS), Your Voice in Health and Social Care (YVHSC) and Bromley Parent Carer Forum and will include a presentation from the SEND Partnership team, sharing our strategic vision and priorities. This is an opportunity for us to listen to what you think is working well and what are areas for development.

We are expecting a strong interest in this event so are asking for you to register to secure your place and to submit your questions or comments in by Friday 5 April to parentengagementservice@yvhsc.org.uk

Bromley Mencap - All-Age Autism benefits service

Bromley Mencap have launched a new welfare benefits service for people of all ages with autism and their families or carers. This information, advice and follow-up support on benefit entitlement service can help with:

  • Universal Credit/Employment and Support Allowance (IESA)
  • Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • and much more.

Please contact Allison.gill@bromleymencap.org for more information or visit the Bromley Mencap website or telephone on: 020 8466 0790.

Good Work Bromley Exchange

A new, inclusive employment and skills centre is coming to London South East College's Orpington campus. The Good Work Bromley Exchange will support all people on the margins of employment across the Bromley borough. 

The first in Bromley, the Good Work Bromley Exchange is a unique partnership with the Bromley council and supporting partners.  

Through the Exchange, applicants will be referred to London South East Colleges’ programmes and supported into employment through Sector Based Work programmes (SWAPS) and Work Skill Programmes.  

Specialist and targeted provision will be available from partners, including CASPA and Bromley Mencap, to support those with additional needs around autism and mental health. 

Read our full press release

If you would like to provide employer support to the initiative or receive further information, please email goodworkbromley@lsec.ac.uk or call 020 3954 4699.

New Changing Places facilities open at Crystal Palace Park and High Elms Country Park

Two new Changing Places toilets have opened at Crystal Palace Park and the Green Roof Café in High Elms Country Park, Farnborough as provision in Bromley continues to grow.

Construction has also completed on a third toilet at The Warren in Hayes, taking the total number of Changing Places facilities open across the borough to six, with two more toilets due to open at The Pavilion Leisure Centre and Biggin Hill Leisure Centre over the coming months.

Need2Change – a Bromley-based community group of parent carers dedicated to raising awareness and improving facilities for children and adults with complex disabilities and their families has been working with the council on the delivery of the new Changing Places facilities.

Katrina O’Leary from Need2Change said: “We are thrilled that more Changing Places are being built in Bromley and across the country. These facilities are really valued by those who cannot use a standard accessible toilet. They make such a difference to daily life – making outings possible, easier and much less stressful. It has been great working with all those involved to help introduce more of these facilities. Thank you, Bromley."

For further information or to find a Changing Place please visit www.changing-places.org/.

Bromley’s Children’s services recognised as outstanding in Ofsted inspection

An Ofsted inspection of Bromley’s Children Services has concluded that children in the borough receive “exceptionally strong services”, with an outstanding rating in all categories. The outstanding rating in all areas is the highest rating Ofsted can give and means that Bromley’s Childrens Services are amongst the very best in the country.

Read our full press release

Household Support Fund

Apply now to Bromley Council for £200 of support to help pay for essentials.

You may be eligible if you are: 

  • A Bromley resident
  • Over the age of 16
  • Able to provide evidence of financial hardship

And you are:

  • A large family
  • A single-income family
  • A carer
  • A care leaver
  • A domestic abuse survivor
  • A family with school-age children
  • A household with someone with a disability including dementia and mental health
  • A household experiencing financial hardship

Eligibility remains broad but evidence such as bank statements or utility arrears will need to be provided.

Find out more by visiting the website or call the council helpline on 020 8461 7999. Lines are open 9am to 12pm, Monday to Friday.

Are you someone who is good at listening?

Do you have good communication skills and want to make a difference to Bromley’s children and young people with SEND and their families?

The Bromley Information, Advice and Support Service (IASS) are running a free course for potential volunteers from April to May 2024.

IASS Bromley gives confidential, free, impartial information, advice and support to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers.

We are seeking to recruit volunteers to work with us and the families we help. We offer ongoing training and support within a friendly team who meet monthly to discuss current cases and exchange ideas and advice.

If you would like to know more or would like to sign up, please contact Matt Barton, IASS manager, on 0208 461 7019, or email iass@bromley.gov.uk.

Bromley Y webinar events

Bromley Y are running a series of webinars. These include sessions for both parents and carers and young people. The webinars looks at some of the most common worries and sources of anxiety children may face when transitioning to secondary school.

b-Hive

A new website for parent/carers to support them with their child’s communication development, physical skills and independence.

Created by local health services and Bromley Council to pull together the range of therapies that support the communication development, physical skills and independence of children, teenagers and young adults in Bromley.

The guide incorporates a collective range of therapies, such as: emotional wellbeing and mental health; occupational therapy; physiotherapy; speech and language therapy; and special educational needs (SEN) advisory service.

The b-HIVE is shaped around six core areas of child development which support the child

Visit the new b-Hive website www.bromleytherapyhub.org.uk

b- hive logo a therapy collective for Bromley

Family support through the Bromley Children Project

Our new front door is live, should you wish to make a referral to the Bromley Children Project for 1:1 family support or light touch intervention please telephone the Bromley Help, Support & Safeguarding Hub for Children and Families on 020 8461 7373/ 7379/ 7026 or email mash@bromley.gov.uk

There is no change to how you can access the wider offer from the early intervention and family support service (EIFS) provided by the local authority which includes:-

• The wide range of parenting courses, seminars, webinars

• The wide range of activities at the Children and Family Centres,

• Information advice and support service

• ASC family support worker, and the BCP parenting hotline (telephone 020 8461 7259)

Send Matters newsletter

Our December 2023 SEND Matters newsletter provides parents, carers, young people and professionals with information and updates that inform you of the latest news, developments and services for children, teenagers and young adults (aged from birth to 25 years old) who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Bromley.

View previous editions of SEND Matters newsletters.

Co-production survey from Learning Disability and Autism Programme London

The Learning Disability and Autism Programme, London are seeking responses to the following survey on Lived Experience to inform a report on co-production for autistic people and people with a learning disability.

Published: 26th March 2024