New Centre for Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs

People stood outside building

A new centre for children with special education needs and disabilities is set to be located in Rotherham Town Centre.

This is part of a project between Rotherham Parent Carers Forum Ltd and Rotherham Council.

The SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) Hub will be based in the Eric Manns building and will offer recreational activities for children and young people, as well as support for families, with a changing room, calm sensory spaces and outdoor area.

Although specific details are still to be agreed, Rotherham Parent Carers Forum is looking to develop a timetable of daily activities, inviting organisations to deliver specific sessions based on their areas of expertise.

The timetable will be developed with young people and families to ensure that it provides a wide and varied offer to meet their interests and needs. The activities will all be focused on developing positive friendships in a safe and familiar environment, thereby reducing social isolation and improving wellbeing.

Families will have access to activities on weekends or in school holidays.

The Rotherham Parent Carers Forum already work with young people up to the age of 25 and beyond, including delivering the Rotherham Adult Neurodiverse Support service. Once the Hub is established, the forum will continue to develop the SEND offer, exploring the support provided to young people as they leave school and transition to adulthood.

This could include activities, training and workshops, peer support, counselling, sibling support, signposting and facilitating face-to-face and online opportunities with partners on topics such as claiming disability related benefit, accessing health and education services, and housing advice.

The safe disability friendly space will encourage young people with special educational needs and disabilities and neurodiverse adults to reach their full potential by developing their skills, allowing them to become more independent, confident, and part of their community.

Jayne Fitzgerald, Strategic Manager at Rotherham Parent Carers Forum, said: “This move is an exciting and potentially life changing opportunity for our children, young people and families.

“A new Rotherham town centre location will allow us to provide more activities, events and workshops at no extra cost to our families and the special educational needs and disability community as well as maximise families’ opportunity to use the town centre.

“Families with children with special needs and disabilities tell us that the face-to-face support we provide is hugely valued but it is currently limited by lack of space and accessible venues that are low cost and readily available.

“This is a dream in the making for our organisation, our families, and the whole special needs and disabilities community in Rotherham. Inclusion in the heart of town, leading to accessible daily living, a real and tangible sense of belonging as this community develops the space and makes it their own, and better outcomes for our children and young people as they teach us what is important for them, will absolutely enrich our whole Rotherham borough and beyond.”

Rotherham Council’s Leader Cllr Chris Read said: “We are really pleased to be working with the Parent Carers Forum on this project, which we know they have wanted to secure for a long time. Their vision for all families to be able to access the same services and opportunities, and for all children to have the chance to realise their potential is also our vision. We have the chance now to be able to use our building space to be able to provide something really special in Rotherham. By ensuring the experience of some of our most vulnerable residents helps to shape services and impacts change, we will build a more inclusive borough.”

Jayne added: “We have a fantastic team of staff and volunteers who co-design and bring the living experience of our families into all our developments. Everything we do is based on partnership and transparency. We therefore look forward to being able to work with our teams, families, partners, schools, settings and services, our marginalised communities, private and voluntary community and businesses, in shaping the future of the new hub and what that will look like.”

Further details on plans for the new SEND Hub will be released in the coming months.

Published: 25th January 2024