does your child need extra support?
If you have a child with a disability or requires additional support you are a carer and support is available to you
are you a Parent carer?
- Your child (under 18) has a physical disability and / or additional needs, due to neurodiversity or a mental health diagnosis.
- You are doing more than other parents of a child of the same age (without additional needs). This might include, helping your child to carry out basic daily living tasks, such as washing, dressing, eating and leaving the house for school. This could also involve extra emotional, social and / or behavioural support, that is over and above what is expected for their age.
- You might also be navigating extra demands such as paperwork, meetings and communicating with professionals, such as SENDCos, EHCP Coordinators or health professionals. All forming a part of your caring role.
Parent carers are unlikely to see themselves as a “carer” as they are first and foremost parents. However, if you have a child with a disability or requires additional support you are a carer and support is available to you.
Being a parent carer to a child is a uniquely different experience from other forms of caregiving. While caregiving for a spouse, friend, or relative is often a distinct and recognised role, parenting is expected and instinctive. For parent carers, the boundary between typical parenting and caring for a child with additional needs can become blurred. This overlap can make it more difficult to identify, accept, or receive support in the role of a “carer.”
- EHCP processes – battles, tribunals, appeals - abundance of ongoing paperwork to navigate
- Knowledge of short breaks / access to breaks from caring
- Mental health difficulties, anxiety, stress, depression, sleeplessness
- Isolation
- Financial pressures
How we support parent carers
Parent carer assessments / support plans:
Give yourself some time and space to think about you and your needs by having a Parent Carers Assessment.
The assessment is centred around how caring is impacting your own wellbeing, including your physical and emotional health, amongst other things, such as day-to-day routines, running and managing the home, quality family time, breaks from caring and doing things you enjoy. This helps form a discussion about what you might want to change or achieve and how you might go about this.
We will create a tailored Support Plan which will detail services available to help with your priorities and areas you feel you need the most support in. The plan is designed for you to explore resources at a time that suits you. It combines services that exist for all parent carers and those that are unique to your situation.
“It gave me information about what is out there and made me feel like there is someone there to support me”
Reviews carried out over the last 12 months have told us that 99% of parents were happy with their assessment and 95% found it helpful.
Carer's Card
When you register with our service you will receive a carers I.D. which you can use to highlight you are a carer.
You can also use this in emergency situations, get reduced rates and concessions into local tourist attractions, theatres and swimming in Solihull.
You can find our concessions list here
As much as we aim to keep our concession lists up to date, we encourage carers to always check concessions in advance to avoid disappointment. If you know of any changes to current concessions or others not noted, please let us know.
Events & Activities
As a registered parent carer, you can access all of our events and activities. Although most of our activities are for all carers, we do run some sessions that are tailored just for parent carers.
Day Trips – local attractions / theatre / family beach days
Relaxation Sessions – free relaxation appointments for carers including massage, Reiki and Reflexology
Vouchers – opportunities to receive a cinema or eat out voucher to use independently for a break.
Monthly meet ups – Where carers join us for a cuppa and chat.
On many of our day trips, the person you care for can come along with you (subject to age and capability).
You can find out what’s on and register your interest here on our online calendar.
Subscribe to our monthly e-Newsletter for the latest updates, activities, and last-minute opportunities.
Training & Workshops
We offer a variety of free training workshops to help carers to feel confident and supported in their caring role.
Specific for parent carers
- EHCP / SEND workshop
- Transitioning to adult services session
All carers
- Contingency planning
- Wills and Power of Attorney
- Benefit advice
- Stress management
- End of life
- And more..
Our sessions are held face to face and online. Check out our what’s on page here to find out about what sessions we have coming up.
Resources
EHCP & schooling support
- Not Fine in School: Not Fine in School – Families, Information
- Investigate the advice service available through IPSEA regarding EHCP: http://www.ipsea.org.uk
- Look into SENDIASS – EHCP support and guidance: Solihull SENDIAS – Family Action
Reducing isolation & gaining parental peer support:
- Safe Space Solihull, SEN Support Group | Facebook. Just follow online to share experiences and connect with others remotely.
We meet twice a month; once on a Thursday evening at 7.30pm at the Family Renewal Centre, Vulcan Road, Solihull, B91 2JY and once on a Tuesday morning at 9.30am at Shirley Heath Children’s Centre, Coombe Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3DS
- North Solihull Additional Needs Group run coffee mornings, meet ups, workshops and more – or just follow online to share experiences and connect with others remotely.
- Parent Carer Voice are independent parent carers working together to raise awareness and improve outcomes for all children with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND 0-25)
- Super SEN CIC support for neurodiverse , and more.
Knowledge of short breaks, SEN activities, holiday schemes:
- Solihull Council Short Breaks are leisure opportunities for children and young people with disabilities which give their parent/carer a break/respite from their caring responsibilities. Short breaks are intended to have positive benefits for both children and young people with a disability and their parents/carers.
- The HAF scheme (Holiday Activities and Food). You can ask about a HAF referral code from some services and professionals supporting your child, or if they are in receipt of free school meals.
- Signpost Inclusion works with children and families of those with special needs, including both physical and hidden disabilities. Our main cohort being on the autistic spectrum.
- Inclusive Sports Academy deliver well-being and physical activity to audience with Special Education Needs and Disabilities across the West Mdilands.
Adult mental health support, including self-help:
- Solihull Oasis Services offer counselling / drop ins / crisis café / activities, socialising and practical help including benefits / finances and accessing social work / mental health teams.
- The Healthy Mind Service – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for reduced feelings of anxiety, stress and low mood and sleeplessness, self help resources available to download.
- Every Mind Matters show you simple and practical ways to ease anxiety, manage stress, lift your mood and sleep better, through proven approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).
Find what works for you and keep doing it, because even the smallest actions can make a big difference to how you feel.
- Mindfulness
It can be easy to rush through life without stopping to notice much.
Paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you – can improve your mental wellbeing.
Some people call this awareness “mindfulness”. Mindfulness can help us enjoy life more and understand ourselves better. You can take steps to develop it in your own life.
- Mental Health Support from Carers Trust Solihull – Whether you just need a quick pick me or are feeling isolated due to your caring role, we have support, tips, guides, and information to help improve your mood in a variety of ways. No matter how you feel, help is available.
Financial Support
Family Fund believes that families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people should have the same choices, quality of life, opportunities and aspirations as wider families. We try to make this happen every day by:
- Giving grants to families on a low income for items they may not otherwise be able to afford. For example family breaks, digital equipment, white goods, clothing, bedding, furniture and play equipment.
- Offering services to help parents and carers to achieve the outcomes they want for their child and family. This includes where to go for support with money, benefits and budget planning, information on mental health and wellbeing. And practical workshops to help people get online and use digital tools.
- Providing ways for families to share their experiences, so they can influence lasting change on issues that matter to them.
Turn2Us is a national charity providing practical help to people who are struggling financially., with benefits support and calculator, PIP helper, grants support and more.
- Financial Support from Carers Trust Solihull
We understand how important financial support can be for unpaid carers. The obligations and implications of providing care for a friend, family member or neighbour can leave many carers feeling the strain.
Here you will find information, guides and resources that will provide financial support.
Subscribe to the Newsletter
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carer stories
There are around seven million carers in the UK, that’s one in ten people. It is estimated that three in five people will be carers at some point in their lives.
Here is a selection of stories from carers sharing their experiences of caring. If you’re a carer and would like to share your story, please contact us by clicking here
- 18 minutes |
- 3 minutes |
- 11 minutes |
- 5 minutes |
- 8 minutes |
- 1 minute |
- 35 minutes |
- 3 minutes |
- 1 minute |
