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To: Telford Council

Improved holiday provisions for all special needs children in Telford and Wrekin

There is not enough services or support offered to children or families with special needs around the borough during school holiday periods. All special needs children should be able to access a designated playscheme with trained and qualified staff on a regular basis. If excursions are available drop off/ collection should be at the playscheme provision. One venue for everything would help so much with transportation, anxieties etc.

The standard of the current playscheme, trips etc is not in question... Everyone I have spoken to has a positive view of all the people who work in this area but there is just not enough of it and it is not fairly provided to all.

Why is this important?

To support families with complex children during school holidays giving routines, consistency and respite.

Having a provision like this would improve mental health and wellbeing of everyone involved.

Parents are exhausted and children have no where to go that is suitable for their needs. Even if they do have access to the small amount of trips and playscheme available it is small and not consistent throughout the entire school closures.

Parents who are employed are unable to go to go to work as there is no permenant or regular provision suitable for their child.

We are not able to send our children to just any holiday club or child minder... They are extremely vulnerable persons and have to have all of their needs met and understood.

Our son is 5 and a half years old. He was placed at The Bridge Assessment Nursery for almost 2 yrs so was able to access a holiday playscheme for a couple of hours twice per week for 4 weeks. We were grateful for this little bit of respite at the time even as small as it was, but as our son has now moved to another special school there is no permenant holiday provision at all. Not having respite for a family with a special needs child is so difficult. Our children need routine and consistency and don't understand why school closes for 6weeks+, this accentuates all of their difficulties.

How it will be delivered

Through meetings with the Telford and Wrekin Commisioner for Vulnerable People.

Telford

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Updates

2017-08-24 12:49:56 +0100

Hi all. A parents meeting will be held in September. Please try to attend... We need to discuss what the issues are and what it is we need from the local authority. Date and venue to be confirmed.

2017-08-16 19:42:49 +0100

Hi folks please can you give some detail as to why you have signed or are going sign the petition. X

2017-08-10 12:30:02 +0100

Hi folks, please keep the momentum going.

I have now been in touch with the council and have sent a full email of explanation to the commissioner. We now need the signatures to back up the issue! Thanks very much.

2017-08-10 10:12:52 +0100

127 signatures, thank you to each and every one of you for signing, please please please share an rally up more signatures. We need to make the council listen! x

2017-08-09 21:44:16 +0100

Yay we've reached 100 signatures please please keep going xx

2017-08-09 21:20:30 +0100

100 signatures reached

2017-08-09 20:37:04 +0100

Come on folks we are now on 89 signatures... Thanks for the support but still more signatures needed. Keep signing and sending on please. Many thanks

2017-08-09 17:19:03 +0100

Thank you to everyone who has signed this petition so far but we need more signatures and more momentum. Please sign and share share share. Thanks so much x

2017-08-09 16:38:15 +0100

50 signatures reached

2017-08-09 08:36:31 +0100

25 signatures reached

2017-08-08 22:40:09 +0100

10 signatures reached