Shropshire parent carer forums scoop Big Lottery funding
Two Shropshire parent carer forums for families with children with disabilities and additional needs were celebrating today after scooping more than £300,000 of funding.
Telford Parents Opening Doors (PODS) and The Shropshire Parent and Carers Council (PACC) won the three year funding award from the Big Lottery which could lead to the creation of up to five new jobs.
Both organisations today said the £300,556 in funding would make a huge difference to their work and parent and carers across the county.
Some of the cash will allow new co-ordinators to expand the forum services.
The money was awarded through the lottery’s Reaching Communities programme.
Jayne Stevens, co-ordinator for PODS which was set up four years ago by a group of parents with children with disabilities and additional needs, said it was a huge boost for both forums.
“Our main aim is to give parent carers a voice, to break down barriers, improve services and ultimately improve outcomes for children who have a disability or additional need.
“This funding will ensure the parent participation which both forums are built on can be developed further and the lives of those affect enhanced.
“We all know looking after a child with a disability or additional need can be extremely tough and the support our forums provide is often a lifeline, especially the Face 2 Face aspect of our service.
“We have been improving the lives of the children and their families for several years now and this funding means we can continue and improve the service we provide even further.”
The organisers behind the forums said the funding would pay for the development of the parents and carers skills and confidence so they could help make the necessary decisions for the future of their children alongside them.
Sarah Thomas, spokeswoman for PACC said they were overwhelmed with the funding and the two forums would also be using it to develop a peer-to-peer support network.
“The role of parent carer forums is becoming increasingly important as the Special Education Needs Reforms move closer to implementation in September 2014.
“The SEN Reforms highlight the need for parent carers to be fully involved in decision making both at a strategic and individual level and parent carer forums, such as PODS and PACC, are central to ensuring that this happens,” she said.
The Big Lottery funding also means the Shropshire Face 2 Face Scheme will be expanded into Telford, providing training for parent carers to become befrienders and to offer support to other parent carers.
Mrs Thomas added: “Parents of young people with disabilities or additional needs regularly identify isolation as a significant challenge, along with the emotional impact of having a child diagnosed with a long term condition. “Support from a trained parent carer befriender helps families in difficult times.”
The funding award will start in October and will enable the forums to recruit Participation Co-ordinators for both Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire, along with an increase in administrative support for each forum.
A Face 2 Face Coordinator will also be recruited to work across both areas.
