We understand it can be difficult trying to navigate your way through all of the support that is out there. We hope you will find some of the information below useful.
The Local Offer for SEND
A Local Offer gives children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families’ information about what support services the local authority think will be available in their local area. Every local authority is responsible for writing a Local Offer and making sure it is available for everyone to see.
Oldham’s Local Offer is an online resource that provides support and guidance to families with children and young people aged 0–25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). It also has information about local and national organisations and services. You can find out about the Local Offer for families in Oldham on the council website here.
POINT Oldham
POINT is a local support organisation who aspire to an inclusive community and society without compromise, where all children and young people with additional needs and/or disabilities are treated equally and fairly.
POINT’s mission is to ensure that our work with families:
- Delivers person centered support which enable improved outcomes and opportunities for children and young people and their families.
- Promotes an inclusive society through the development of co-production and partnership working.
- Empowers parents, children and young people by developing their confidence, resilience and knowledge.
- Deliver a culture of peer support to reduce social isolation.
You can find out more about POINT via their website. They also have a new telephone helpline service. You can find out about this here.
Oldham SENDIAS
Oldham Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Information, Advice Support Service (IASS) is commissioned by the council to help parents and carers of children who have, or may have, special educational needs and/or disabilities; and children and young people themselves, in matters relating to their Education, Health or Social Care provision. They offer a range of services including providing independent information about Special Educational Needs & Disability (SEND), advice about working with those involved with you and your child, and support with SEND Tribunal claims.
Oldham’s SENDIAS services is run by POINT, and you can find out more about this here.
Oldham’s Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)
The Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) is Oldham’s first point of contact for:
- safeguarding referrals to protect children, young people or adults from harm, abuse or neglect; and
- care and support services which help individuals or families to meet their long-term needs, access the Early Help Service and mental health support, prevent or delay needs becoming more serious, lead independent lives and reduce dependence on public services.
A range of organisations make up the MASH including:
- Social services for children and adults
- Greater Manchester Police
- Early Help
- Education and Early Years
- Pennine Care and Bridgewater NHS Trusts
- Healthy Young Minds Oldham
- Positive Steps
- National Probation Service
- Greater Manchester & Cheshire Community Rehabilitation Company
Where there is a concern, these organisations share information to decide the most appropriate intervention to prevent harm to the person. This gives a full understanding of the situation so we are able to respond quickly and effectively.
The MASH can also:
- Help with caring for someone or enabling them to live at home, or
- Support with problems such as housing, finance, family relationships, giving up smoking or weight management.
The Early Help Service works with children, young people, their families and adult only households. The service takes a person, family-centred approach and provides help at the earliest possible opportunity.
It was developed to support people to help themselves, focusing on their strengths, giving them problem solving skills and enabling them to manage their own lives.
Workers in the service support people to build on their positive aspects and look to strengthen resilience rather than solely focusing on needs and problems.
Early Help is a consent driven service and as such we require consent at the point a referral is made. If you are considering making a referral to the service, or would like to make a self-referral, and would like more information please contact the Early Help team on 0161 770 7777 (option 1).