Early years

Careers Wales

Careers Wales have a new set of web pages on their website to help young people decide what they want to do when they leave school. A careers advisor can help you plan your future. They will help you think about your options and put a plan together. You can access their website here.

Co-producing our Children's event

Back in October 2019, the Learning Disability Transformation Project held a children and young people’s event.

The Conwy and Denbighshire Child and Adolescent Learning Disability Service helped us to organise and deliver the day, including kicking things off with this video.

Musaic Minds Workshops

They also showcased their fantastic work and creations through their Musaic Minds workshops.

The event was a big success, and we learnt a lot! This report tells you all about the event, and the ten key messages we took from the children, young people, parents/carers and staff who came along. The report also contains our action plan following the event. We will continue to work closely with the Children’s and Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Transformation Programmes to make sure these messages are put into action.

Transition

Sally Holland, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, welcomed people to our children and young people’s event. Sally spoke of the importance of getting transition into adulthood right for young people with learning disabilities, and how there was room for improvement in some of the ways we currently support children and young people. You can read the full report from her office here. Making sure we get this transition support right is a big priority for our work. Joined up working is an important way that we can make sure that people get the right support during this (and other transitions).

Pilot Projects

This year we are also funding pilot projects that will test out new ways of helping young people with learning disabilities achieve what matters to them as they move into adulthood.

Whole Family Approach

This project is being delivered in partnership between Conwy Connect and the Denbigh and Conwy Child to Adolescent Learning Disability Service (CALDS).

It is about trying a ‘whole family approach’ to working with young people with more complex needs and their families as they prepare to leave specialist secondary school.

Transitions

This project is being delivered by the Gwynedd Learning Disability Service and will support individuals at different transition stages in their life.

These include both early years and the transition to adulthood. The project will be about developing a joined up, partnership approach to supporting the wellbeing of people during these important stages of their life.

In addition they will work on developing a well-being transitions toolkit which will include a handbook.

Video aids (Derwen)

We are supporting Derwen integrated team for disabled children and specialist children’s services for disabled children (Mon) to use videos to support parent/child communication. Parents will be supported to better understand their child’s communication, which will help them to feel more confident in understanding their child’s needs, and can also help with bonding. This pilot will also give staff the opportunity learn more about early years communication, and learn different ways they can have better communication with young children with learning disabilities.

Short Breaks for under 5's

This project will map out provision and demand for/from under 5’s and their families, and short-break activities for under 5’s with complex needs.

This is a need that has been raised by parents who struggle to access some mainstream opportunities and can feel very stressed and isolated.

Glan Llyn

We are supporting Glan Llyn to upskill and offer more opportunities for children with learning disabilities to have a fun-packed break.