Buddies Social Network is PACC’s Term-Time activity offer. The aim of Buddies is to bring together children and young people with SEND and their parent carers, to support the development of friendships and to build confidence in accessing activities in the community. 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. We started by arranging activities for the 14 – 5 years age group, with a focus on supporting young people with SEND to prepare for adulthood. Recently we have also begun to offer activities for younger children aged 8 to 14 years.
Buddies also provides important opportunities for parent carers to come together, to share information and experiences and to benefit from peer support. When attending Buddies activities young people do need to be accompanied by a parent carer or a personal assistant. As young people grow older, build friendships and become more confident, adults providing support are encouraged to step back, while still being present to provide support and reassurance if needed. We have found that this approach enables the young people to build a network of friends and trusted adults they are comfortable to interact with and be supported by.
Buddies Social Network is run and managed through a closed Facebook Page. Each half term new timetables, one for Buddies and one for Buddies Junior will be shared. When a post about individual activities is made, you can book on the activity by commenting on that post. Buddies activities are self funded, with most costing between £7 and £10. Activities include monthly bowling sessions, group walks, theatre visits and horse riding to name a few. All of the PACC team work to support Buddies activities but you are most likely to meet Annie, Ruth and Sarah at these sessions. If you have any questions about Buddies or anything SEND, do speak to them and they will try to help.