News

The Leeds Parent Carer Forum and Voice, Influence and Change Team (LCC) work in partnership to raise the issues and challenges faced by parents and carers of children with SEND in Leeds across education, health and care. Families have told us that they feel professionals they work with require further SEND training and knowledge of SEND services, in particular school staff. To help us further explore this please complete a short survey https://surveys.leeds.gov.uk/s/PSS2UM

List of events and activities for March. To have an event or information added for April 2025, please email info@westyorkshirecann.org WYCANN March Communication (PDF)

Alec and the Leeds Hospitals of the Future Team are reaching out as part of a public engagement campaign they are conducting over the next few weeks to support the application for detailed planning consent with LCC ahead of the next design stage.  They aim to gather evidence of support for the new hospital scheme to include in the application, demonstrating the overwhelming need and community backing for the new hospital. You can sign up to show their support and add comments here: sign up here In the meantime, you can find more information about the plans and the events they are organising on the web pages here: Public Engagement – A new hospital for Leeds – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Bradford Council is asking for feedback on proposed changes to how it provides transport assistance for post-16 learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).A public consultation into the proposed changes has opened and runs until 12 January 2025.

2024 Carers Leeds Survey: Please tell us about your experience as a carer Have your say! Building on our successful 2023 Annual Survey, Carers Leeds would like to hear from you if you are 16, live in Leeds and are, or have recently been, an unpaid carer. We know you are busy but we would love you to complete our survey! The survey will help us understand your experiences and the things that matter most to you. We will use the findings to improve what we do at Carers Leeds and to help make sure others act to improve the lives of unpaid carers in our city. By completing a survey you can also enter our prize draw to win one of six £25 Marks and Spencer vouchers! You can complete this survey online by clicking on the link below. Paper copies are available from Carers Leeds or we can help you complete the survey over the phone or face to face. The survey ends on Monday 20th January 2025. Just contact us at admin@carersleeds.org.uk or 0113 246 8338 or pop into our Headrow office. Complete our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/C3HLMYV

Here are some brief notes from the Leeds Parent Carer Forum meeting about the proposed post-16 school transport cuts. Together hopefully we can overturn this decision! Leeds City Council has approved plans that will effectively remove home to school transport for all learners aged 16 – 19 with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities across the city from September 2025. We feel that this targeting of some of the most vulnerable members of society is completely unacceptable.Leeds City Council’s objective is that from 2025 parents and carers will be responsible for arranging their young person’s transport themselves and that transport will only be provided via Leeds City Council transport services in “exceptional circumstances”.This petition represents parents and carers across the City who have various concerns about these proposals, specific to their individual circumstances, however they include: The agreed proposals set out that for journeys of less than 3 miles there will be no support at all – disabled young people will be expected to walk/travel in their wheelchair, be driven by their parents/carers or use public transport. This may be possible and appropriate for some young people but there will be a large number who cannot safely walk 3 miles, or […]

The NHS has been there for us for over 76 years. But to make sure the NHS is here for the next 76 years, doing all it can to support the health of everyone, we need your help. We want to have the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS. It doesn’t matter whether you have a lot or a little to say. Your views, experiences and ideas will shape a new 10 Year Health Plan for England.  This is open to everyone. If you are a member of the public or someone who works in health and care in England, ‘Start Here’, to tell us how the NHS needs to change. If you are contributing as a representative of an organisation, complete the organisation questionnaire. This is an early opportunity to share your insights as we begin an extensive programme of engagement to develop the 10 Year Health Plan.  If you register your email address, we will stay in touch to seek your views as the 10 Year Health Plan develops.

On March 27th, WYCANN convened for our March meeting, and it was a dynamic exchange of ideas and initiatives. We had the pleasure of hosting presentations from Leeds Piano Trail and Interplay, shedding light on the intersection of Disability and the Arts. Their insights illuminated the potential for creativity to enrich the lives of children with additional needs. A big thank you goes to Interplay for providing a welcoming space for our gathering. Your hospitality set the stage for fruitful discussions and connections to flourish. We appreciate your support in fostering an environment where collaboration thrives. Throughout the meeting, we explored opportunities for integrating creativity into our services. Whether it’s through participating in workshops or contributing to upcoming events like the Piano Festival, there’s plenty of room for engagement and partnership. In addition to discussing present initiatives, we also brainstormed ideas for future endeavors. From reimagining meeting formats to envisioning collaborative projects, there was no shortage of innovative thinking. And yes, amidst our discussions, the concept of “walking llamas” sparked some playful enthusiasm for future meetings! As we look ahead to the summer term, mark your calendars for our next gathering on June 20th, from 10 am to 12 pm. […]

Andy from Lemon Locksmith found out about childrens charity Little Hiccups by chance. Little Hiccups is a Leeds based charity that has been set up by parents who have children with additional needs and disabilities. “”I believe it is important to help small charities as often as possible. Many people believe that only big companies can donate to charity, however smaller companies like myself can also, even if just a small amount.“ Andy goes on to say, “I have 2 small children myself who have been deprived of going to soft play centres for nearly the last 2 years due to lockdown. So I understand how enjoyable this kind of play can be for children, especially now. It’s good to know that the Little Hiccups charity provide the Stay and Play sessions for children who are no doubt happy to make the most of it after been stuck inside for so long! My aim is to raise at least £300 however as much as possible is great.” Stay n Play has increased in popularity since lockdown. Families have continued to grow during Covid but we have found that access to traditional resources have been harder with waiting lists increasing exponentially. Consequently, people are turning […]