sooooooooooooo, what help are you having over the six week period?

[Fio2]

I have been offered 3 days playscheme place, which i have to pay for, provide transport, packed lunch etc for. 1 of the days is also a school day (!!) and I have asked to change but no reply, so acvtually I have 2 days playscheme place thats it.

My Mother has decided to come down in September instead of during the holidays for a week

Mil said she will come but as of yet we havent organised anything concrete.

Please enlighten me to what help you will be having

[jayzmummy]

Bloss....Stay and Play??? tell me more???
I was chatting with another mum at the special school about trying to get something off the ground in our area where families with SN children could meet up during the holidays on a weekly basis.

Who is funding your stay and play?
Who has organised it?

[Blossomhill]

JM - Hello

Well the stay and play has been run for 3 years by the council and was set up by the inclusion co-ordinator.
Every Tuesday for 2 hours familes with sn come along and there is an outside and indoor play area. With activities, this year they have sensory stuff too. It's great as we get a chance to meet up with other families and the kids get to play. Also have coffee, tea, juice and biscuits.

Well worth it if you can set it up!

[Blossomhill]

Oh this year dd's old sn playgroup are running it on behalf of the council!

[Blossomhill]

Well I have lots organised too. As mon and weds dd does to play scheme so I can take ds to the cinema and generally do things dd finds hard.
Tuesday stay and play
Thursday - support group I go to meets up/or meet friends in Park
Friday - Go to local leisure centre where they hold stuff for sn kids, indoor play area, bouncy castle and trampolines/or go to farm/beach.chessington etc
Will try and have at least 1 - 2 days a week in though or it gets too much!

[ThePrisoner]

I look after SN children (any ages) during school hols as I do any other children. I know other childminders who are more than happy to look after SN children (we just never get the phone calls!!) Could be worth looking at minders in your local areas?

[JOSIE3]

If anyone needs help in the Richmond/ Twickenham (and surrounding) areas take a look at free help thread.

[BitchbagProfDavrois]

I got a letter yesterday offering us 3 days at SN playscheme for the week he's back at school!!!! Mind you, £45 per day. Maybe one of you poor sods can come up here and pretend to be me and DS

[coppertop]

LOL at the name-change!!!!

[TheRealMrsF]

I'm paying out £200 for 4 weeks of various sessions.... 2 weeks are for all 3 to go to a general SN scheme...1:1 support for 4 sessions from 10-3...and 2 weeks are for WEDs & Thurs 10.30- 3 at a Autistic Scheme.

It sounds alot of money...but works out at less than £17 per week per child....

A day at the local sports centre holiday club is £18 per child per day!

[onlyjoking9329]

now then let me get my calender out and see, huummm, no not a thing, now you might think having three kids with autism may mean at least one of them would get a place on the NAS playscheme, but this year as of the last three years they have given us nothing, oh well.

[TheRealMrsF]

that is awful....i have given up expecting 'free' places...wish like always..there was 'uniformity' etc about what is available in what area....sorry OJ... i don't know how i'd manage all 6 weeks without some respite .....someob=ne suggested i advertise for volunteers/cheap earners ...and get social services to 'check them out' ref child protection issues....but i just feel WE shouldn't have to do that.

[Blossomhill]

MrsF - you have to pay for your summer schemes?

[Blossomhill]

Posts crossed

[TheRealMrsF]

yep.... each is only £5 per child per day.

I really don't think it's bad value really...and when you hear of people like OJ who have nothing...well...i'd happily pay double...to get what i get.

(for me this helps me 'justify' getting DLA.... i guess each year i spend close on £500 on playschems...which is only £10 a week....)

[Jimjams]

Oh dear OJ- so what do you have to do to get a place on the NAS playscheme- or dare I ask?

[onlyjoking9329]

if only i knew the answer Jimjams, looks like we will be doing a few days out to the seaside i guess

[Blossomhill]

I didn't realise it was only a fiver and yes I agree it is not far on poor OJ Really think it depends on the borough you live in unfortunately
Reason I go through SS as well is dd need 4:1 support and can't get it without!

[onlyjoking9329]

i have asked for three places at the village playscheme but still waiting to hear about that as it depends if they can get the support workers to support my three

[Blossomhill]

Fingers crossed OJ, you really deserve some respite over the holidays xxx

[Fio2]

out of interes (you kniow i am clueless with mainstreaming issues0 how do you find out where the 'other' playschemes are??? i only have an idea about the SS one for SN kids

[PeachyClair]

Nothing, SocialServices won't return my call

[KarenThirl]

Fio - Gateshead council produce a magazine in the summer with details of what activities are available across the borough for kids of varying age groups. That's for mainstream kids, though anyone can access them if their parents feel they are able to cope with them.

I found mine by making some phone enquiries to the council. I started with Leisure Services who told me about the above mentioned activities, and I was referred to someone in Children's Services who organised the SN playschemes I've now got J on. Even so, I was told at the time (about a month ago now) that I might not get places because forms had been sent out at Easter, so I guess I was lucky. It seems that there hasn't been as much demand for them as previous years and that's why there are so many last-minute places available. I can only suggest you move to Gateshead!

[Davros]

We don't get much via the Council, but happen to have two local charities that both do a playscheme, one autism-specific and the other all disabilities. There are 3 local council ones though, 2 for SN and one "integrated". This is the second year I've got the autism-specific one and the first year I've got the other charity and the Council one. As DS is nearly 10 it just shows that it takes time to find out what's available and then to get on the lists etc. Our Council has a play service for disabled children, the woman who runs it is great, maybe try your council and ask for Play Service then ask for person dealing with disabled children?

[Blossomhill]

My dd goes to a ms one and just has extra support.

[onlyjoking9329]

the playscheme forms are sent out to the local schools, not much good for us as my two DD'S go to a special school 10 miles away, my son goes to mainstream but not the local catchment school, so he didn't get the playscheme stuff either