News – Page 4

New voice for parents in Oxfordshire

October 28, 2018 By OxFSN Webmaster

Press Release for Relaunch

26 October 2018 Press release

The new Parent Carer forum for Oxfordshire will be launching on 8 November at the OXFSN ‘Better Together Event’.

The forum has been set up by a group of parents with children who have special education needs (SEN) to work with Oxfordshire County Council and the local NHS to help improve services for children with SEN.

As members of the National Network of Parent Carer Forum’s we will support the development of parent carer participation, a process in which parents work together with professionals to make improvements to local services.

We believe that ‘Every Child Matters’ and that all disabled children and young people in Oxfordshire, should have access to the same opportunities, experiences and information , as any other child.

Julia Stackhouse, Co-Chair of the Oxfordshire parent carer forum said ‘Our Vision is to be a well informed, connected and empowered community of families of children with disabilities or additional needs. We want to build links with as many informal and formal groups both those of parents and professionals so that we can work in partnership with health, education and social care to create quality services that meet the needs of all parent carers and their children/young people’.

Stephanie Harrison, Co-Chair of the Oxfordshire parent carer forum added ‘If anyone has parental responsibility for a child or young person with additional needs or a disability, who is aged between birth and 25 years old and lives in Oxfordshire, please join us and share your experiences so that we can strive to improve services in Oxfordshire’.

The forum and its representative will aim to provide reasoned feedback and support to professionals and ensure young people and their families are listened to. End.

Notes to editors:For further information about the forum, please contact:

Tel: 07394 735666

Email: info@oxpcf.org.uk

Web: www.oxpcf.org.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oxpcf/

Twitter: @OxPCForum

Instagram: ox_parentcarers_forum

Address: c/o OXFSN Slade House, Horspath Driftway, HEADINGTON, Oxford OX3 7JH

National network of parent carer forums: http://www.nnpcf.org.uk/ The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) is the independent national voice of parent carer forums.
In partnership with OXFSN https://www.oxfsn.org.uk/ Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OxFSN) is a not-for-profit organisation run by and for family carers of people with learning disabilities – both children and adults.

Joint Statement from the Oxfordshire Transforming Care Partnership Board: Review into the deaths of people with learning disabilities 2017-18

July 2, 2018 By OxFSN Webmaster

Joint Statement from the Oxfordshire Transforming Care Partnership Board:
Oxfordshire review into the deaths of people with learning disabilities 2017-18

Statement from the co-chairs of Oxfordshire’s Transforming Care Partnership Board

“While we have known for many years that people with learning disabilities die earlier than the general population, the Learning Disability Mortality Review report made for grim reading and was deeply upsetting.

As co-chairs of Oxfordshire’s Transforming Care Partnership Board we feel it is important that we make public the work that is being done locally to explain how deaths of people with learning disabilities are investigated in our county. Despite the lower numbers of deaths reviewed, it is clear that there is still much work to be done to address these inequalities. We are however pleased that all deaths are now being reviewed in such detail. We welcome the recommendations contained in this report and the spirit of transparency and openness in which it has been shared.“

Gail Hanrahan (Oxfordshire Family Support Network) and Paul Scarrott (My Life My Choice)

Follow the link to read the full statement: Oxfordshire Transforming Care Partnership Board: Oxfordshire review into the deaths of people with learning disabilities 2017-18

OxFSN: Response to Proposed Changes to Adult Social Care Contributions

March 30, 2018 By OxFSN Webmaster

Proposed Changes to Adult Social Care Contributions Policy by Oxfordshire County Council and Possible implications for people with a learning disability.

Oxfordshire County Council are proposing to streamline the current policy for assessing financial contributions. The consultation on this is open until April 3rd 2018

OxFSN believes that the council are genuinely seeking to simplify and speed up this process, and we understand why there is a particular focus on older people, as the largest group of people in receipt of social care services. However, we are deeply concerned that this is likely to have a much bigger impact on those with the most complex needs…

Read the response in full here:

OxFSN-Response-to-Proposed-Changes-to-Adult-Social-Care-Contributions-Policy-Implications-for-people-with-Learning-disabilities

OxFSN: ‘Peace of Mind’ – New Film on Supported Living

March 22, 2018 By oxfsn-update

We worked with Tom Skinner from Age UK Oxfordshire on another film. This film shows some of our older family carers talking about the benefits of supported living and the difference it has made to all their lives.

The Embolden Project

July 24, 2017 By OxFSN Webmaster

This year Oxfordshire Family Support Network (OxFSN) ran a series of workshops around the county to explore, debate and create solutions for families supporting adults with learning disabilities, especially older families.

Read the first Embolden Newsletter December 2016

The Embolden Project (funded by Comic Relief) asked carers:

What are health and social care services planning for the immediate future – and how will it affect you?
How do we protect and plan for the long-term future of our loved ones when public services face hard times?
Do we need older family policies?
How do we change services to meet the needs of older people with learning disabilities?

The aim of the project is to give a strong voice to family carers and to influence and hold decision makers to account within health and social care services.

OxFSN will schedule more Embolden events and workshops in 2017.