Dates
Datesto
to remember
remember
September 2016
Mon
Tue
Wed
7
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
8
9
10
Skills to care
course
Sun
3
4
5
6
Back to
School!
11
12
13
14
Skills to care
course
15
16
17
18
Central Library
Code Club
19
20
21
Skills to care
course
22
23
Kinship Support Group
24
25
Build an Android @ Central
Library
26
27
28
Skills to care
course
29
30
SGO Support
Group
October 2016
Mon
3
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
1
2
7
8
9
10
4
5
Social Work
Professionals
Event
11
12
6
Older Yet
Wiser Training Begins
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Kinship Support Group
22
23
24
Half term
week off
25
26
27
29
30
31
Halloween
28
TSDS workshops
start 1st November
& Special Guardianship
Autumn 2016
The Max Card is available to all Kinship and SGO families. To order your card please con‐
tact the Kinship Care Team on 0113‐2474654. We no longer deliver cards so we ask you to collect them from Kernel House. So what is the Max Card? The Max Card is a discount card for foster families, Special Guardians and families of children with addi onal needs.
Families simply show their Max Card upon entry to a venue in order to obtain free or discounted admission. The
scheme is designed to help those families save money on great days out at castles, zoos, bowling alleys and more.
We aim to provide a sense of community through s mula ng learning experiences and enjoyable days out for everyone. We work with local authori es and selected chari es, who administer the cards to eligible families in their areas.
Here are just some of the local a rac ons available to you at a discounted
rate:

Diggerland

Eureka

Harewood House

Hollywood Bowl

Lotherton Hall

Temple Newsham

Tropical World

Thwaite Mills

Jorvik
This years pantomime’s
presents…….. All Rudolf has ever wanted
to do is to pull Santa’s
sleigh. But only the best
reindeer get to do that and the best reindeer don’t have red noses.
When you’re the only reindeer with a bright red nose it’s difficult to fit in, but even Rudolf has to
go to school – Reindeer School. It’s not just magical sleigh rides and all you can eat carrots; it
takes a lot of hard work to make the grade to pull Santa’s sleigh especially when you’re the ‘red
nose reject’.
But, with a li le help from The Ugly Duckling, and a gentle reminder of how special he is… who
knows what can be achieved when Santa calls?
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25th November ll 31st December ckets on sale now at the box office! Support Groups 2016
Feel free to come join us, it’s a great opportunity to meet carers alike, have a cup of tea and a biscuit and be the
first to know what’s going around Leeds! For more informa on speak to your Supervising Social Worker or come
on the day.
The Special Guardianship support group will
run on the following days:
29th September
October
- Kernel House
- no group
The support group for kinship carers will run on the
following days at the Minerva Suite, Trinity Centre
22nd September
20th October
24th November
- Minerva Suite, Trinity Centre
24th November
15th December
- Minerva Suite, Trinity Centre
15th December
Please could all Special Guardianship carers provide us with an up to date
email addressed to ensure we can send out any information updates.
For more information on anything in the newsletter please don't hesitate to
contact us on 0113-3783429 or email us on [email protected]
This winter, Carriageworks Theatre is once again teaming up with one of the country’s leading
pantomime producers, Paul Holman Associates, to present the much-loved story of Cinderella.
It’s me to be charmed by the classic rags to riches fairy tale of downtrodden Cinders, forced
to serve her jealous step sisters and wicked stepmother. She’s off to the ball, so why don’t you
come too?!
With best buddy Bu ons and a magical Fairy Godmother on hand, Cinderella’s certain to escape
the misery of her dastardly diva sisters and find
true love in the arms of a dashing price. But the
course of true love never did run smooth…in fact
things may be a li le rocky and raucous before
romancing reigns supreme!
2nd December ll 7th January ckets available now at the box office!
Halloween Crafts!
Transform a rubbish bag and some tape into a skeleton you can wear!!
Instruc ons:
Lay out the bag with the opening at the bo om. Cut a
hole in the top for the head and one in either side for
the arms.
With chalk, draw on the shape of a skeleton.
You will need:
Black bag
White s cky tape
Chalk
Picture of a skeleton
Cover the chalk lines with the white tape. Tip: to do
curves with the tape cut lots of small pieces and overlap
them to create a small bit of curve at a me.
SafeBase is for all adoptive families and other permanent carers, including families with older children and teenagers.
The SafeBase Therapeutic Parenting Programme aims to strengthen
relationships between parents/carers and their children. SafeBase helps
build permanence for children to feel safe and secure.
A 4-day Therapeutic Parenting Programme
The programme has 3 parts:
A Family Session
The filmed session will take place at an
arranged venue close to your home. This
is an opportunity to observe the interaction between you and your child. We then
arrange a follow up feedback session
providing a valuable insight to any difficulties your child may have.
You will need:
Plas c bo le lid
Black acrylic paint
Wiggle eyes
Glue or double sided tape
2 black pipe cleaners
On-going Support Groups
Due to an overwhelming response from our
carers we will be running another SafeBase
Programme towards the end of 2016,
We provide regular support groups which
are a chance to meet up and refresh learning from the programme.
If you feel this would be beneficial to you
please contact your Supervising Social Worker
or the Kinship Care Team on 0113-3783429
Instruc ons:
Carefully make a hole in the rim of the lid if you intend to hang
the spider. We used a metal kebab skewer.
Paint the lid black and leave to dry. Cut the pipe cleaners in half
so that you have four pieces.
Use glue or double sided tape to a ach the middle of the pipe cleaner lengths to the back of the lid. You will
end up with eight legs s cking out. S ck on the wiggle eyes.
Instruc ons: You will need:
Paint the paper cup black and paint the ball green. Leave them to dry. Glue the ball to
the cup.
A paper cup
A polystyrene ball
Black paint
Green paint
PVA glue
Black wool
Black paper or card
Wiggle eyes
Green cra foam
Star s ckers
Cut some lengths of black wool for your witch's hair, and glue them to the top of the ball.
Draw around a small plate on to black paper or card. Cut out 1/3 of the circle. Roll into a
cone and glue the edges. Put a bit of glue around the inside of the cone and s ck onto
the ball.
Cut a rectangle of black paper or card about 10cm by 3
cm to form your witch's arms. Cut two hands from green
cra foam and glue them to either end of the rectangle.
This involves both education & practical techniques & will help you to feel more competent &
effective as a parent/carer. It will help to reduce
family stress levels & bring fun & laughter back
into your home. Parents/ Carers who have been
on the programme comment that it has helped
them to interact with their children more effectively.
IMPORTANT: FINANCIAL INFORMATION YOU
NEED TO KNOW AS A KINSHIP FOSTER CARER
Please be advised that carers are not eligible to Claim Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or any other related benefits for a child placed in their care if approved as a Kinship Foster Carer or Caring for a child on
a Temporary Fostering Basis. As a kinship foster carer whether fully approved or on a temporary basis, the
department provides a weekly maintenance allowance that is chid ‘age related’ for the duration of the placement
– this is specifically for the upkeep of the child placed. For up to date information on weekly amounts and allowance levels, please refer to the FN16 (Financial Policy) document which is reviewed annually and sent out to
carers or speak to your Supervising Social Worker.
Glue the paper around the back of the cup, so the ends reach around the
front.
We strongly advise any kinship foster carer who is in receipt of Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit or Related Benefits for any child placed in their care to stop claiming these benefits. It is regarded as fraud by the
government to knowingly claim child benefit, child tax credits or related benefits in addition to fostering allowance. If you have any concerns/queries about this, please contact your Supervising Social Worker or the Kinship Care Team Manager on 0113 247 4654.
S ck on the wiggle eyes and add a green foam nose. Decorate with star s ckers. Put your witch on display!
NB: This does not apply to Special Guardians, Special Guardians can claim Child Benefit and Child Tax
Credit if applicable.
Personal Education Plan Review
Summer in Leeds
As many of you may be aware, the current Personal Educa on Plan (PEP) and
process requires reviewing. As part of this development the Virtual School
has consulted with foster carers and facilitated a session with schools, carers
and social workers to gather opinions and feedback on how the process may
be improved to be er reflect the needs of the young person and how the
‘corporate parent’ can work together to support educa onal progress and
achievement.
Some of the key areas of discussion have been around gathering foster carers
and child’s views and how best to keep the document live. We have also considered how these mee ngs can be more produc ve by ensuring
that essen al progress and a ainment informa on is captured and
available prior to the PEP mee ng.
The Kinship Care Team would like to
say a special thank you to Maxine
Kelly for all her efforts in organising
this summers events for our carers
and their children.
We would welcome any other views, comments and sugges ons
you may have. Please send them to the Virtual School inbox:
[email protected]
Pupil Premium Plus Grant Payments
Older Yet Wiser Workshops
Free 2-hour prac cal group workshops over 6 weeks
Seacro Children’s Centre Do you ever look a er your grandchildren?
Are they 8 years old or under?
Can you a end all six free workshops?
South Parkway, Seacro , Leeds LS14 6EP
Thursdays 10 am – 12 noon
Find out more about:
October 6, 13, 20, November 3, 10, & 17, 2016
*Improving rela onships
*Our brains and emo ons
Bookings: contact ChildsSide on 07519860089
*Engaging coopera on
Or Email: [email protected]
*Coping with stress
Pupil Premium Plus (PP+) Summer Term grant payments (for Leeds children
and young people who are currently in care) have been made to schools during June.
The Pupil Premium Plus grant payment is allocated to schools/se ngs by the
Head of the Virtual School and a looked a er child is eligible for a no onal
grant payment of £1900 in the financial year 2016-17. Leeds currently splits
the full grant payment across the summer term (£634), autumn term (£633)
and spring term (£633). Children looked a er by other local authori es may be
subject to different funding arrangements.
Designated teachers may need to liaise with the school business manager or finance officer to help
them iden fy who the payment has been allocated for. Children on Special Guardianship Orders who
were previously on Care Orders and looked a er by the local authority should s ll be s ll en tled to Pupil Premium. Every school
should have a Designated Teacher for Looked A er Children who
have the responsibility from promo ng the educa onal needs of
children on Looked A er and ex Looked A er Children and young
people. The Designated Teacher role is o en fulfilled by the
school SENCO (Special Educa onal Needs Co-ordinator).
It’s A Double Celebration for Leeds Boxer
Josh Warrington
th
Josh Warrington has every reason to smile. On July 30 in front of a packed Leeds Arena of 9000 people, Josh
successfully knocked out opponent Patrick Hyland in the 9th round, winning the World Title Eliminator Fight.
No doubt one of the proudest spectators at the fight was Josh’s dad Sean O’Hagan. Sean is a kinship carer,
and together with his partner Miranda they look a er Sean’s young grandson. Prior to becoming a kinship
carer, Sean was a boxing trainer, for Josh and other young boxers. Sean said that he is s ll takes a very ac ve
role in Josh’s training but combines this with caring for his grandson. He admits that it can be a difficult balance at mes ‘but it’s l worth it’.
Willow Young Carers Service
What is Willow? Willow is a service for young carers aged 5-17 living in Leeds. We
support children who are caring for, or affected by, a family member with a physical illness, disability or mental health issue.
What support does Willow offer? We work alongside young carers to develop their skills and
strengths to achieve their own goals. Young carers may be supported by Willow to reach their goals in a variety of ways including:

One to one and group support
Sean said that the recent fight was ‘very exci ng’ and said that ‘Josh dominated from start to finish’

Speaking to other agencies and professionals about help
Just 3 weeks a er the fight, Josh and his partner Natasha had a ‘fairy tale wedding’. The couple have been in
a rela onship for 7 years, and were married at Allerton Castle. Sean described the wedding as ‘amazing and
wonderful’.

Ac vity days

Support around educa on, training and employment

Raising awareness of young carer issues

Helping parents and carers to improve the health and wellbeing of their children.
Sean and the family are hoping that the celebra ons will con nue as he explained, ‘Josh’s next fight will be at
the end of the year, and will be for the World Title’. This is definitely one to look out for!
Kinship Service Staffing
Assessment Team:
Brenda Dring—Manager
Social Workers:
David Stead
Gina Davies
Hazel Rogers
Helen Par ngton
Kevin Harley-Roberts
Leicia Price
Lauren Brooks
Michelle Graham
Riana Volker
Katerina Iacovou—Social Work Assistant
Admin Team:
Abbie Richardson
Rachel Thompson
Susan Abosch
Sessional Workers:
Hayley Hartley
Lisa Murray Sharpe
Shirelle Mcfarlane
Please note the disguises in
the photo below
Referral
Anyone can make a referral to Willow.
Simply call on 0113-2622851 and ask for a
referral form.
Or the form can be found at
www.barnardos.org.uk/willow.
Training Opportunities
Support Team:
Wendy Sanderson—
Manager
Social Workers:
Bev Hudson
Bev Sanders
Brenda Nicholas
Carly Williams
Gill Morgan
Lisa Smith
Rita Okpala
Stephen Mirfin
Social Work Assistants:
Lynne Barton
Rachel Tetley
A number of students will
also be joining the team over
the following year to
complete their placements!
TSDS Training - all kinship foster carers
must complete this training within 18
months of being approved. The course
is a 2 hour weekly session for 6 weeks
beginning on 1st November.
We have two excellent training programmes running
throughout the autumn which are open to any carers
who would like to a end. Both courses are held at Kernel House,
Killingbeck Drive, (opposite Asda on York Road), LS14 6UF
Skills to care - A four part course ran over four weeks of two
hour sessions beginning Friday the 9th of September 10 –
12am.
For more information or to book a place contact us on 0113-3783429
Introduction to Social Work Professionals
On Tuesday 4th October Leeds City Council will be holding an evening of
talks for carers where a range of professionals will explain their role.
The planned mes are as follows:
6:30 - 7:15pm Helen Pollard & Louise Tatchell In‐
dependent Reviewing Officer 7:15 - 7:45pm Shelia Looker Looked A er Chil‐
dren’s Team 7:45 - 8:15pm Mechelle Holley Independent Visi‐
tors Service 8:15 - 8:45pm Fostering Reviewing Officers
Venue: Carriage works, Millennium
Square, Leeds City Centre.
Places are very limited so please only book onto a course if you
are confident of your ability to a end, tel: 0113 3950270 to book.
There are six Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres (SILCs) in Leeds. One in each of the five areas of the city and a
further SILC for children with severe Behavioural, Emo onal and Social Difficul es (BESD SILC). A SILC school will
provide teaching to children and young people who have severe and complex difficul es and are unable to access mainstream provision.
If your child is func oning at a higher level and is academically able to access mainstream school but s ll requires specialist staff, then they may be able to a end a partnership school. A partnership school has teachers
that are employed by the SILC but work in a mainstream school.
A further op on is a resourced provision, these are based in mainstream schools and each one has its own specialist area, for example; speech, language communica on, moderate learning difficul es and severe learning
difficul es.
Children are fully included in the mainstream school, whilst receiving the specialist interven ons they need to
address their individual needs.
Please see below a list of schools in Leeds that offer specialist provision.
Resourced Schools:
Allerton Grange High
Allerton High
Gledhow Primary
Roundhay High School
Brigshaw High
Corpus Chris Catholic College
Grimes Dyke Primary School
John Smeaton Community High
Parkland Children’s Centre
Parkland Primary
Richmond Hill
Shakespeare Children’s Centre
Shakespeare Primary
Whitkirk Primary
Co ngley Primary
Middleton Primary
New Bewerley
New Bewerley Children’s Centre
Windmill Children’s Centre
Hollybush Children’s Centre
Swallow Hill
Hawksworth Wood Primary
Ireland Wood Primary
Ralph Thorseby High
SILC Primary Schools:
Hearing Impaired
Speech and Language Difficul es
Speech and Language Difficul es
Specific Learning Difficul es
Complex Physical and Medical Difficul
Severe Learning Difficul es
Speech and Language Difficul es
Severe Learning Difficul es
Generic 0-5
Moderate Learning Difficul es
Complex Communica on Difficul es
Hearing Impaired 0-5
Hearing Impaired
Complex Physical and Medical Difficul
Hearing Impaired
Speech and Language Difficul es
Complex Physical and Medical Difficul
Generic 0-5
Generic 0-5
Generic 3-5
Speech and Language Difficul es
Speech and Language Difficul es
Complex Physical and Medical Difficul
Complex Physical and Medical
Difficul es/ Visually Impaired
Kippax Ash Tree
Whitkirk
es
Windmill
Holybush
Brudenell
Rawdon St Peters
es
SILC High Schools:
Boston Spa School
es
Temple Moor
Rodillian School
Farnley Park
Priesthorpe
es
Allerton High
Benton Park
Guiesley