PACC's Community Navigator Service offers personalised signposting and information provision for families of 0-25 years olds with SEND in Shropshire.

Buddies is part of the term time Community Support offered by the Parent Carer Council (PACC) Shropshire. The aim of Buddies is to bring together young people with SEND and their parent carers, to support the development of friendships and to build confidence in accessing activities in the community. Buddies also provides important opportunities for parent carers to come together, to share information and experiences and to benefit from peer support.

The Healthy Lives Holiday Programme is about supporting the physical and mental wellbeing of young people from the Shropshire SEND community, especially those from the Learning Disability and /or Autism communities. It is about making community-based activities accessible to this group, bringing together activity providers into one co-ordinated programme that offers meaningful opportunities to learn new skills, build confidence, make friends and get active. Importantly it provides these opportunities during the school and college holidays, a time families tell us can be difficult, when young people miss their friends and routines, and Parent Carers sometimes struggle to balance the demands placed on them.

Parent carers face increased risks of mental and physical health problems. They often prioritise the health and wellbeing of their children and their caregiving responsibilities, sometimes to the neglect of their own needs. Many parent carers don’t feel empowered to look after their own health. They may feel too tired or stressed to engage in healthy behaviours, or feel guilty about taking time for themselves. However, poor health of parent carers can have negative consequences on their wellbeing and on their children and families.

The Healthy Parent Carers programme aims to improve health and wellbeing among parents of children with additional needs and disabilities through:

• Promoting greater empowerment, resilience and confidence of parent carers;
• Taking small steps that are associated with better health and wellbeing;
• Encouraging setting achievable goals and taking a problem-solving approach.

For more information click on the button below

The Actio Partnership, consisting of PACC and Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, facilitate the All In Activity Programme on behalf of Shropshire Council. This activity programme offers a variety of opportunities, including sports activities, social opportunities, arts and music, as well as water sports, horse riding, and more. Together we aim to improve inclusion across community activities and increase participation in sports, arts, and social opportunities to help improve outcomes for families in the SEND community.