What is the Additional Needs Showcase?
Recently our Family Information Service team has been in Ripley (18 June) and Ewell (2 July) as part of the Additional Needs Showcase.
The Additional Needs Showcase is a series of marketplace events happening across Surrey. The Family Information Service (in collaboration with others) host a number of different services from the local area and invite parent, carers and the practitioners who support them to drop in across the day to find out more about the support services available to them. To ensure attending is as easy as possible, there is no need to book and attendees can drop in at any time across the day.
If you have not been before, please do consider coming to a Showcase. You’ll be guaranteed a very friendly and welcoming reception. There are lots of useful and helpful services who you can talk to about your circumstances or who can signpost you to further support.
Michael Pipe Surrey Family Information Service Manager
Ripley showcase
The marketplace event at Ripley Village Hall was organised in collaboration with Family Voice Surrey and the Guildford Borough Council community wellbeing team was a great opportunity for families and professionals to connect with local services.
We want to ensure families understand what services are available to them locally and nationally so they can navigate the system and get all the help and support that they need for their families.
Kate Goode, Participation Manager at Family Voice Surrey
Ewell Showcase
A further event took place in early July at Bourne Hall in Ewell, a well known venue among locals. We were delighted and grateful to have over 25 services present. The day was well attended, with a great atmosphere, and attendees provided very positive feedback about their experiences.
We just wanted to say a huge thank you for the opportunity to be at this amazing Showcase. The team and I had a fantastic day. We met so many interesting people that gave feedback on how we can support them better in libraries and equally connecting with so many impressive services.
It was very well organised and covered such a range of services, it's definitely the best event I have been part of.
Jan Howard Branch Manager Ewell Library
Over the last 12 months we have with support from Family Voice Surrey held Showcases across Surrey including at venues in Leatherhead, Cranleigh and Egham. Feedback received from all of these events has been very positive. Of those that completed a feedback questionnaire from the events; the large majority agreed that they had 'found the showcase and the services present helpful to them or their child and felt that more should be organised.
Given this feedback we hope to hold more events soon, so be sure to visit our dedicated page regarding the Showcases to find out where and when.
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- Response to Local Area SEND Inspection Report – Improvement Plan