Welcome to PCAN

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Lesley

Welcome to the PCAN! We are the independent, parent-led forum in Kirklees for all parents and carers of children and young people with additional needs aged from birth to 25 years.

You are in the right place to find lots of good information, links to social media for networking with other parents, and to help us to develop a strong, collective voice so that we can work in partnership with service providers across Kirklees.  Together we can improve services for our  children and young people with additional needs!

We welcome all parents or carers, whether you are just beginning to become aware that your child or young person may have additional needs, or if they have confirmed diagnosis or disability.

It is free to join, so please click the “join us” link above!

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PCAN New Social Event Dates

Posted on March 7, 2023 by PCAN Admin
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Free Information Sessions

Posted on February 27, 2023 by PCAN Admin

Our members always talk to us about how hard it is to get the information they want, when they want it. A group of PCAN parents helped to co-produce the Kirklees Local Offer – a website that should contain all the information you need to know as a parent/carer or guardian of a child or young person with special educational needs and disabilities (aged 0-25). Every effort has been made to make it user-friendly.

If you’re struggling to find information, please come along to one of our sessions and we can help you with that. People from the Local Offer Team will be on hand to present it and talk you through how to use it. Trustees will be there from PCAN to offer signposting, and we will have our usual information table there.

There will be chance to relax and chat with other parents, share information and enjoy lovely refreshments. If you have any feedback about the Local Offer, the LO Team will happy to receive and discuss it.

It would be really helpful if you could book a place especially if you have special dietary requirements. Dates, times and links to booking a place are below:

Day time events:

Tuesday 14th March 10 am to 12.30 pm at Royds Mill, Calder Road, Lower Hopton, Mirfield, WF14 8PJ

Friday 17th March, 10 am to 12.30 pm at Cathedral House, 1 St Thomas’ Road, Huddersfield HD1 3LG

Evening events:

Wednesday 15th March 6 pm to 8.30 pm at Brian Jackson Centre, 2 New North Parade, Huddersfield HD1 5JP

Monday 20th March 6 pm to 8.30 pm at Dewsbury Town Hall, Wakefield Old Road, Dewsbury, WF12 8DG

Click here to choose your event and book a place.

We will be holding an additional virtual event on Wednesday 29th March. After registering you will receive an email with instructions on how to join the webinar. You can book a place here

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Local Offer Live 17th November 2022 at John Smith’s Stadium 10-3

Posted on November 2, 2022 by PCAN Admin

Come along and chat face to face with a range of teams and services who support children and young people with special additional needs and disabilities in Kirklees. This event is being hosted by Kirklees Council in response to demand from parents so please support it – it’s very rare to get all of these people under one roof on the same day!!

Stall holders include activity providers, early support, KIAS, careers and education information, social care, benefits information (and of course ourselves) – a full list can be found here

There will also be some 30 minute workshops on:

Mental Health, Anxiety and Autism hosted by Northorpe Hall

Managing Sensory Needs, hosted by Locala

Managing Behaviour that challenges hosted by Marcus Farrington

The EHCP Process hosted by SENDACT

Benefits and Financial Help hostd by Carers Count

If you want to book tickets in advance for any of these sessions, please click here to get to the Local Offer Live website, then scroll down to the individual workshop and click on the link there to book your place. It should be a great event!!

Feel free to come and see us at our stand, and also if you wish, you can attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Big Meet Up in the Big Red Suite at the Stadium at 1.45. If you wish to attend our AGM, please click here to book a place

Look forward to seeing you there,

The PCAN Team

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PCAN AGM and Big Meet Up 17th November 2022

Posted on November 2, 2022 by PCAN Admin

Hi folks, it’s that time again when PCAN will be hosting our Big Meet Up with guest speakers from Kirklees Council and an update on PCAN’s activities.

As a registered charity, we need to hold an Annual General Meeting(AGM) for our members every year. This year the AGM will take place at the Big Red Suite at the John Smith’s Stadium at 1.45 pm on 17th November 2022 and as usual we will share what PCAN has been working on. We will also have two speakers from Kirklees Council who will talk about planned improvements to educational provision in Kirklees and answer questions – Jo-Anne Sanders (Service Director for Learning and Early Support) and Kelsey Clark-Davies (Head of Educational Safeguarding and Inclusion). Councillor Viv Kendrick will also be in attendance. Lunch (sandwiches and wedges) will be available. Please book your ticket here.

The Local Offer Live information event is also taking place at the John Smith’s Stadium and starts at 10. The event has lots of stall holders across all sorts of services and activities so we hope that it will be really helpful for parents of children and young people with SEND in Kirklees.

It’s lovely to be able to meet up in person again, and we really hope to see you there. We will also have Maxcards available for sale.

Regards The PCAN Team

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Carers’ Treat Session by Carers’ Trust

Posted on March 14, 2022 by PCAN Admin

Carer’s Trust are running some lovely events for carers. tobook a place ring 01484537036 (choose option 1) or email info@ctmy.org.uk

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Kirklees Council Local Area SEND Inspection – please take part

Posted on February 2, 2022 by PCAN Admin

Kirklees Council will be having its Local Area SEND Inspection next week. This is an inspection connected with how the Council supports children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) since the Children & Families Act came into force in September 2014. We have included a copy of the letter from CQC/Ofsted below and the links to a survey and an email address where you can send information if you wish. A short video telling you what the inspection is about can be found at the beginning of the survey.

The focus of the inspection will be how well the various departments in Kirklees Council have carried out the requirements of the above Act.

A couple of us have completed the survey and it takes about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how much you want to say in the free text boxes. 

There will be some events where you may get chance to meet the inspectors:

If your child/young person attends any of the following, watch out for a letter or call from them with more information:
Castle Hill School, Newsome High School, Woodley School, Royds Hall, Windmill Primary, Kirklees College.

PCAN will also be holding a Zoom event next Tuesday 8th February 11.30 am to 1 pm where you can share your views with one of the inspectors.  Although we are hosting, the inspector will direct the event.  Numbers are limited so please book quickly if you know you can attend.  It would still be really helpful to fill in the survey.  You should have received the letter below already from your child’s education setting.

Survey Link

Email address if you wish to send further information (lasend.support@ofsted.gov.uk)

Please note that the inspectors can’t follow up or comment on individual cases/issues.

If you are struggling to complete the online survey, please contact us:

Kind regards
The PCAN Team
www.pcankirklees.org
Tel: 07754 102336

Email: info@pcankirklees.org

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PCAN AGM and Big Meet Up

Posted on October 15, 2021 by PCAN Admin

Hi – PCAN’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Monday 15th November 2021 at 9.30 am and we would be delighted to see you there. It’s a virtual one again (Zoom) – we hope we will be able to meet in person again next time.

As well as an update on PCAN’s recent activities we will have speakers from Kirklees Council including:

Tom Brailsford, Children and Families – Service Director Resources, Improvement and Partnerships

Jo-Anne Sanders, Service Director for Learning and Early Support

who will be talking about improvements that are happening across the Council in relation to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Dianna Lowe, Commissioning Manager who will be talking about the results from the recent CAHMS Survey as well as what is happening with our local services.

There will be time for you to ask questions.

If you would like to attend please click here and you will be directed to a registration page. Once you have registered, you will receive a link for the meeting.

Looking forward to seeing you there

Regards

The PCAN Team

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PCAN Social Meet Ups

Posted on September 28, 2021 by PCAN Admin

Social-meetings-Autumn-21Download
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PCAN Picnics in the Park

Posted on August 3, 2021 by PCAN Admin

You and your family are invited to PCAN’s Picnics in the Park – in Huddersfield and Dewsbury. Why not join us for peer support, good information and friendship?

Wednesday 18th August at Greenhead Park, Trinity Street, Huddersfield HD1 4DT

and

Wednesday 25th August at Oakwell Hall Country Park, Nutter Lane, Birstall, WF17 9LG

Picnics will start around 2pm till about 5 pm. There are cafes on both sites near the children’s play areas. All you need to do is bring a blanket and a little picnic so we can enjoy the afternoon together.

*Parents to stay with their children and are fully responsible for them.

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Summer Holiday Activities- Growing Works

Posted on August 3, 2021 by PCAN Admin

Growing Works (Sprout) provides outdoor based fun activities for children/young people with a disability or additional needs alongside their
siblings and parent/carers.
Activities are inclusive and for all ages, abilities and disabilities. Sessions focus on the whole family having fun together and include growing
vegetables and flowers, outdoor cooking, wildlife activities and non-competitive sporty games.
This is an all-age activity, so parents will be responsible for the supervision of the children they bring to the activity.


Venue
Crow Nest Park, Heckmondwike Road, Dewsbury, WF13 2SG


Day and Time
Saturdays 10:30am until 12:30pm All Age

Contact:

Phone: 07845 415289

Email: info@growingworks.org.uk

Web: www.growingworks.org.uk

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