Staff Spotlight
My name is Niamh, and I am the Service Manager for Norfolk SENDIASS, I have been the Service Manager since October 2021, but I’ve worked for the Service since March 2017 in various roles, including Independent Supporter, Training and Development Officer and Adviser/Caseworker.
Before working at Norfolk SENDIASS, I worked in a mainstream high school and as a short break’s worker, at University I did a degree in ‘Childhood and Family Studies with Special Educational Needs, Inclusion and Disability’ and I am currently the Vice-Chair of Governors of a SEND College. Supporting children and young people with SEND and their families has been a passion for me since I was very young.
As the Service Manager I have responsibility for strategic planning, service management and delivery, and quality assurance as well as working with partners to inform and influence local policy and practice. Alongside this I also write and present legally based training to parent/carers and professionals, write and create booklets and resources for the service website and will sometimes hold a small caseload representing parent/carers with processes such as tribunal.
Engagement and Outreach update
It’s been another busy month for the Engagement and Advice Team, travelling across Norfolk to attend various outreach events. We’ve been setting up our stand and the wheel of fortune has been making appearances in schools, libraries and other venues across the county.
Laura says “It has been wonderful to meet lots of different people, to talk to them about their families and offer them support. It is great to get out into the community and engage with some of our seldom heard groups, to let them know about our service and how we can help them through, what are sometimes difficult, processes.”
Some of the highlights have been the Level up Gaming Festival, organised by MAP, where we were able to engage with young people and talk to them about the Norfolk SEND Youth Forum. The young people loved taking part in the interactive activities that were available that day.
We also visited Hellesdon High School’s Wellbeing event, a great event where young people and their families were able to take part in all kinds of wellbeing activities and engage with different services. We had some good conversations with parent carers, enabling them to move forward with SEN processes.
We even visited an army barracks in Swanton Morley, where we attended a Health and Wellbeing event organised by the Family Hubs Team. Parental feedback from this event was that it was good to have all the organisations under one roof and to find out about the support that was available to them.
Laura attended the Making Sense of SEND event in Kings Lynn, it was a very busy day and she was able to give advice and information to lots of parent carers. It was lovely to speak to so many people.
We are keen to get involved in lots of community outreach events that are happening in the region, so if you work for another service and would like us to attend an event you are running please get in touch through our engagement email address: nsendiassengagement@norfolk.gov.uk. For more information about our service and how we can support you, please visit our website: www.norfolksendiass.org.uk
You can catch us at the following outreach events coming up:
- Diss Library Drop-in Session on 23rd May (1:30 – 3:30pm)
- Stay and Play at Gorleston Library on 28th May (1:15 – 2:45pm)
- SENDfest on 1st and 2nd June (10am – 1pm)
- Messy Tots Baby and Toddler Group at The Magdalen Way Methodist Church, Gorleston on 6th June (10-12pm)
- Teddy Bears Picnic at Loddon and Chedgrave Playing Field on 7th June (12:30 – 3:30pm)
