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SSKY project in kent - I need to hear from anyone who as accessed it

5 replies

shrinkingsagpuss · 13/11/2007 09:12

Hi,

I work informally with a family who have a DS wih ASD, he currently attends mainstream school, and is in year 6. His mother is (rightly) concerned about the transition to ssecondry school next year.

He hs no statement, and is unlikely to get one. I have been advised to try and get him linked up with SSKY - but have no experience of it..

HELP!!!

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AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/11/2007 09:21

Hi,

How is her DS finding year 6?.

Why is he unlikely to get a statement?. Have they said he is "too able". Such words are often spoken by officious people to parents in the earlier years with the intention of putting off such people from applying.

It's never too late for his Mum to apply to the LEA asking for her son to be assessed and I'd still apply for this document. She needs to be prepared for the LEA to say no to assessment in which case she must appeal. IPSEA are very good and would suggest their website www.ipsea.org.uk.

I had a look on Kent County Council's website and found the following re SSKY:-

An innovative new service for children and teenagers from Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood, Malling, Cranbrook, Tonbridge and Malling is being launched on 8 June.

The Ssky service is for those aged between five and 18 who are experiencing emotional distress, perhaps because of bereavement, family breakdown or problems within their family. They may become anxious, sad or angry, all of which can impact on their learning and behaviour.

How Ssky works

School clusters identify youngsters they believe would benefit from the service, and if parents agree, Ssky workers assess them and appropriate intervention is offered.

The project aims to help them recover their sense of wellbeing at an early stage, avoiding any risk of them developing longer-term problems. To do that, it offers up to eight sessions using a range of approaches with the child, young person and his or her parent.

Some are group sessions - perhaps aiming at raising their self-esteem or looking at how to avoid abusive relationships. Other youngsters may be offered one-to-one sessions or the work may be with the family as a whole.

The Ssky team, which is funded by Kent County Council, has five social work assistants - each of whom looks after one of the five areas and deals with up to 15 families at any one time.

The team also gets support and training from a specialist children's mental health worker from the Tunbridge Wells Children and Families Mental Health Team.

The launch

Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Children and Families Dr Tony Robinson will officially launch the service at its base in Long Mead Primary School, Waveney Road, Tonbridge on 8 June.

He said: "Early intervention is so important in helping to avoid far more serious problems later. I hope and believe this excellent service will be of great benefit to children and young people in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood, Malling, Cranbrook and Tonbridge and their families."

To find out more about Ssky ring 01732 366634.

shrinkingsagpuss · 13/11/2007 11:42

ATM - He is doing ok in yr 6 - the problem is, the family have funded a 1:1 and its a very small school. The local independant schools have said no to him, and they are looking at comprehensive schools that are huge.

His biggest problems are touchign people - he has real difficulty if people he doesn't know touch him, or barge past him, he has to wash his hands or even change his clothes. I'm planning on trying to work with them on some coping mechanisms for him (long story, I'm an LD nurse, but I actually worked for many years with his older brother who has CP) and there are v positive signs - he has just got a hamster, and he has no problems changing the hamster bedding, so I'm hoping we can build on that.

In terms of the statement, the family are waiting for the results of an appeal, to see if they are going to tribunal. They have a lot on their plate with the older DS, and the LEA aswell, so they are failry well versed in LEA politics.

I didn't think if going on the KCC website!! I googled SSKY, and got some paper pulled up, which corrupted on my system. The local LD team won't touch him unless he has a statement, which I think is awful as his social functioniing is quite poor and I think he has potenital to have rela problems mental health wise in the future if he isn't helped now.

Being part of the systme myself, I am shocked at how he falls through, I really didn't beleive that services could wash their hands so quickly. The LD won't even assess him.

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shrinkingsagpuss · 13/11/2007 11:43

sorry - didn't think OF going on kcc website!

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shrinkingsagpuss · 14/11/2007 08:23

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shrinkingsagpuss · 14/11/2007 13:00

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