The Family Toolbox
The website which has loads of great information for family activities. https://familytoolbox.co.uk/family-life/holidays/
The Positivitree
website https://thepositivitree.com/events/
Crea8ing Community
Website: https://www.crea8ingcommunity.com/whats-on.html
Koala North West
Website: https://koalanw.co.uk/
SEND Local Offer Wirral
Website: https://localofferwirral.org/
Real Parents
Website: https://realparents.org/
A website offering practical advice to Parent/Carers planning for the school holidays.
Wirral’s designated Parent Carer Forum (PCPW)
Website: https://wirralparentcarergroup.co.uk/
Facebook: https://business.facebook.com/ParentCarerParticipationWirral/
Who are PCPW?
PCPW are a group made up of parents and carers for children and young people aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities who live on the Wirral. Their activities are funded by Department for Education and we are overseen by a National Charity-‘Contact a Family’. They are the recognised “voice” by Contact A Family, and the Department for Education to participate with the Local Authority.
What do they do?
PCPW offer the Local Authority, commissioners and service providers the views and concerns of parent carers in order to influence service development, design and delivery on the Wirral. They aim to be the voice of parents and to contribute to the improvement of education, healthcare and social care services. PCPW hold events to gather your views and to provide you with information on SEND.
Are you a Parent or Carer?
- Are you a parent or Carer of Wirral children and young people with SEND aged 0-25?
- Do you have experience to share, need information and/ or want to be able to participate in project to provide feedback on services?
How to join PCPW?
To get a joining form or for more information please contact: Kate McCann (PCPW Administrator) by e mail at adminpcpw@wirralparentcarergroup.co.uk
The SEND Participation and Engagement Team
Adult Integrated Disability Service
The Adult Learning Disability Social Work Team in Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, has social workers supporting adults with learning disabilities, along with their families and carers.
We are also integrated with the Community LD Health Team, who we regularly work together with.
We are based at the Millennium Centre in Leasowe.
Contact: Jeremy Hunt Tel:0151 488 8091
CAMHS
0151 488 8156 or email cwpmhsconadvice@nhs.net
or for referral information go to Access Service – Cheshire & Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust www.cwp.nhs.uk
24/7 Mental Health Crisis helpline - 08001456485 cwpmhsconadvice@nhs.net
CAMHS Contact: Debbie Harrop, Clinical Lead – CYP Learning Disability Services, LD CAMHS Wirral Team Email: cwp.telephonemessagesld@nhs.net
Children with Disabilities Team
Contact: Peter Stanley, Advanced Social Work Practitioner
e-mail: peter.stanley4@nhs.net
Children’s Respiratory Service
The Paediatric Respiratory Service at Arrowe Park Hospital looks after children with Allergies, Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis and Oxygen.
We’re a team of 4 Nurse Specialist that work alongside the Paediatric Consultants mainly in Outpatients and the Community, however, may see them if they are known as inpatients. We have started this year to pilot a new way of providing core training to schools, where they are invited to attend sessions at the Hospital - mainly on Allergy and Asthma, as well as Epilepsy and Diabetes if needed.
Contact: Lauren Knight
Children's Respiratory Nurse Specialist, Arrowe Park - Women and Children's
Mobile: 07920783381
Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) service
The children’s speech and language therapy team continue to offer a broad range of support for children with speech, language, and communication needs.
The team offer a blended approach to appointments. Virtual appointments via telephone or video are offered along with face-to-face appointments if we believe that face-to-face is more appropriate for clinical reasons. There continues to be many benefits to virtual consultations and teachers/teaching assistants/parents/carers can join the call which enables them to contribute and learn from the session.
Our trust website continues to be updated with helpful videos and links for supporting children and young people with speech, language, and communication difficulties. Please look at https://www.wchc.nhs.uk/services/childrens-speech-language-therapy/
Contact: Team Leader: Kate Gallagher
Email: wchc.childrenssaltteam@nhs.net
Direct dial: 0151 514 2334
Children’s Therapy services
Jane Fieldhouse, Team Lead Early Years Children's Physiotherapy, AHP.
Contact: E mail: janefieldhouse@nhs.net
Continence (Children’s Service)
Contact: Janice Evans, Service Lead Integrated Childrens Division
Email: janice.evans2@nhs.net
Cystic Fibrosis
Contact: Janet Dods
Email: jdods@nhs.net
Designated Clinical Officer SEND (Interim)
My Goals in Wirral:
- Short term – I will be building good foundations for the DCO role, ensuring that it performs its statutory functions. Providing information and celebrating good practice and supporting where there are concerns.
- Long Term – I wish to ensure that the DCO role is well established, and all partners are aware of the DCO role and the expectations from it. Being visible to all partners and playing a key role in implementing the Children and Families Act.
More information on the DCO Role –
Contact: Victoria Isherwood
Email: victoria.isherwood@cheshireandmerseyside.nhs.uk
Mobile: 07553013456
Diabetes (Childrens)
Contact: Jane Edmunds Paediatric Diabetes Specialist Nurse
E mail: jane.edmunds2@nhs.net
Dietetics – Children (Community)
Contact: Denise King/Helen Stanton, Clinical Lead Children’s Dietitian Tel: 0151-514 2827/extension 3126.
Email wchc.childrensdietetics@nhs.net
Dietetics - Children’s (Hospital)
Team telephone: 0151 604 7491/0151 604 7790
Team email: wih-tr.PaediatricDietitians@nhs.net
Vicky James Professional Lead/Clinical Lead Allergy & Gastroenterology
Emma Quayle Clinical Lead Cystic Fibrosis & Neonatal
Rona Cookson Clinical Lead Diabetes
Contact: Vicky James, Paediatric Dietitian/Professional Lead
Epilepsy
Contact: Jayne Murphy and Jenny O’Brien,
Children’s Epilepsy Nurse Specialists
Email:jayne.murphy7@nhs.netand Jennifer O’Brienjennifer.obrien1@nhs.net
Direct line – 0151 604 7672 extension 2187
Family Matters
We are a service that support families with children aged 0-19 years.
Each individual families’ identified needs are supported by a keyworker who will work alongside the families. We have 3 amazing teams in our service, and they are:
Adolescent Response Team – who provides support for families with children and young people aged 11 -18 years.
Targeted Family Support Team – who provide support for families with children and young people aged 0-19 years.
Family Group Conference Team – who provide support to children, young people and their families. A Family Group Conference consists, of Private Family Time and they encourage children and young people to take part in the decisions that directly affect them. We continue to deliver online bitesize sessions for Parents and Carers covering topics such as choices and consequences, managing anger and keeping children safe in the digital age. We also deliver “Who’s in charge ?” which is an 8 week programme for parents/ carers who feel threatened, hurt or intimidated by their child .The programme aims to :
- Provide a supportive environment to share experiences and ideas
- Reduce the guilt and shame that most parents feel
- Offer help and guidance to develop individual strategies for managing your own child behaviour
- Explore ways of increasing safety and well being
Please contact David Tilling for any further information on the programme davidtilling@wirral.gov.uk
We are excited to be moving to a more integrated way of working with CSC and moving into 2 localities areas to enable a more effective multi-disciplinary way of working to improve outcomes for our families by linking in more closely with services within the local communities .
Contact: Emma Meaney, Service Lead Family Matters
E mail: emmameaney@wirral.gov.uk
Local Offer
The SEND Local Offer website (https://localofferwirral.org/) provides information on the services children, young people and their families can expect from a range of local agencies, including education, health and social care as well as information about other local support services. Knowing what is out there gives you more choice and therefore more control over what support is right for you and your child. The SEND Local Offer helps you find out what services are available in Wirral for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and disabilities.
A new and improved Local Offer will be launched at 9am on the 9th of the 9th 2023. To develop the website, a project team has had input from SEND children and young people, parents, carers, third sector organisations, professionals in Early Years, Commissioning, Health, Education and Care. You’ll shortly be receiving some more information on this via your child/young person’s setting. This new Local Offer will be in line with other Wirral websites e.g. Zillo (https://www.zillowirral.co.uk/) and therefore familiar to our families, Children and Young People to use. The new web site will use enhanced accessibility tools including:
- Audio text reading
- The use of Images i.e. Widget symbols, video.
- Background exchange (colour change)
- Translation availability
In the meantime, if you are having any difficulties locating something on the Local Offer, please get in touch via our inbox:localofferwirral@wirral.gov.uk which is monitored daily by Poppy. We will respond to you as soon as we can.
Contact: Janine Barton, SEND Participation Manager
E mail: janinebarton@wirral.gov.uk
0-19 Children's Neurodevelopmental Team
We are a small branch of the 0-19 school nurse service. We provide the assessments for school age children for ADHD/ASD and DCD. Parents and SENCO's can contact us for advice and guidance around assessments or general behaviours. The team is available Monday to Friday 9am-5pm via the 0-19 duty line on 0151 514 0219.
also offer a drop in service at their hubs -The hubs are a safe and confidential environment to discuss health related topics, including:
- healthy eating
- weight management
- bedwetting
- behavioural concerns
- emotional wellbeing
- confidence/self-esteem
- sexual health and lifestyle advice
- sleep behaviour
- signposting and referrals to other services if needed.
Weekly Hub drop-in clinics (no appointment needed):
Every Monday, 3.30pm – 5.30pm Every Tuesday, 4.00pm – 6.00pm
Eastham Clinic St. Catherine’s Health Centre
Eastham Rake Derby Rd
Eastham Birkenhead
Every Wednesday, 4.00pm – 5.30pm Every Thursday, 3.00pm – 5.00pm
Greasby Clinic Victoria Central Health Road
Greasby Road Clinic Room
Greasby Mill Lane
Wallasey
Every Thursday evening 5.00pm – 7.00pm
The HIVE
Wirral Youth Zone
Birkenhead
Contact: Beckie Banks
ADHD/ASD Nurse
07584856185
Please note my working hours are 9am - 5pm
Monday to Friday (Term Time)
Occupational Health & Physiotherapy service
Therapists are mainly based at Cherry Tree House, Clatterbridge 0151 514 2525 (Early Years Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physio, School age physio and Sensory-motor OT) and Millennium Centre (School age OT)
Contact: Tel: 0151 666 4790. Phone calls are welcomed for advice.
Paediatric Dietitian Service
Vicky James, Rona Cookson & Emma Quayle are the hospital Dietitians. We see children with Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, Allergy, Gastroenterology & faltering growth who are under a hospital consultant. Please contact us on if you have any queries.
Contact: Vicky James 0151 6047491
Paediatric Dietitian
Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
0151 678 5111 extension 2914 or 0151 604 7491 Tues-Fri
SEND Youth Matters
The SEND Youth Voice Group are a group that run weekly at Pilgrim Street Arts Centre, Pilgrim Street, Birkenhead, CH41 5EH. It is aimed at SEND young people aged 13-25yrs.
It is free, fun and friendly.
The group work together to raise issues about SEND for young people in Wirral, delivering and working on ideas and plans to help better the lives of young people in Wirral. They also support in working with professionals in all fields and
Organisations. They also have the opportunity to train as peer educators and gain skills in facilitation, workshop leader, speaking in public, and varying ways to express and understand others.
Please feel free to call us to discuss any concerns or issues, we are happy to support. We also offer GIRLS and LADS projects which need to be referred into for those young people struggling and needing more support.
Email: shiraleacoldicott@wirral.gov.uk for more information on these projects.
Creative Youth Development run a range of different weekly groups and sessions. There’s something for everyone. Here’s just some of the activities on offer: Dance, Drama, Photography, Art, Anime, Technical Theatre, Rap and SEND Youth Voice Group
Contact: Seline Wakerley for more information on selinewakerley@wirral.gov.uk
Wirral SEND Partnership
Wirral SEND Partnership (SEND IASS) provides free and confidential impartial legally based information, advice and support to disabled children and young people, and those with SEN, and their parents. Wirral SEND Partnership also covers other issues related to special educational needs/disability (SEND) such as health and social care issues.
Wirral SEND Partnership offers:
- Face-to-face meetings
- Contact by telephone, email or social media
- Support in meetings with other professionals
- Help with letter writing or form-filling
- Appointments at a place to suit you
- Information about other services
Who can use our services
Information is available in a range of languages and formats if needed and Information, advice and support can be about any issue related to special educational needs or disability. You can self-refer or can ask someone else to refer on your behalf. Young people (aged 16-25)? can ask for support separately from their parents/carers if they wish. Click on the dedicated webpage for information about SEND for children aged 11-15 and young people aged 16-25.
The office is open Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. We recommend meetings are arranged by telephone appointment.
Wirral SEND Partnership also help parents to navigate Wirral’s ‘Local Offer’ of services. ?
How to access our services
Parents or young people can contact our services directly using the telephone number or email address below. Professionals can also contact Wirral SEND Partnership in the same way.
Contact: 0151 522 7990 (staffed Monday to Friday 9am – 4.30pm)
or email ias@wired.me.uk
Wirral SEND Partnership Service Manager – Michelle Jones
