We’re delighted to have donated £1,000 to the West Midlands based charity, Special Educational Needs Advocacy and Inclusion Development (SENAID), through our Community Impact Fund.
SENAID supports parents and caregivers of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), to build confidence and inclusion.
The funding is specifically targeted at families in our Hall Green locality in Birmingham, where we have over 1,000 homes in Balsall Heath, Sparkhill, Moseley, Kings Heath and Billesley.
Many of the residents who will benefit are from disadvantaged backgrounds, where financial constraints and limited access to information make it hard to secure the right support.
The project will include parent/carer support workshops, one-on-one advocacy for families struggling to access the right education and care for their child, and signposting to essential services. It aims to increase confidence and knowledge about their rights by teaching strategies to support their child’s development.
The outcome of this will be enhanced mental health and wellbeing for parents/carers, a supportive local network of peers, and improved education outcomes for SEND children who will have better access appropriate educational placements.
Umar Adil, Senior Social Worker/Operational Lead at SENAID, said: “The funding from GSA will allow us to run tailored workshops and one on one sessions for up to 35 families in Hall Green.
“The initiative was developed based on direct feedback from local families, who often feel isolated and overwhelmed when advocating for their children and dealing with complex SEND processes.
“Our goal is to remove barriers to education, increase inclusivity and ensure every child receives the support they deserve to positively impact their future.”
Our Hall Green Early Help team have worked closely with SENAID to reach families most in need of this support, and our Operational teams will be able to directly refer families into the project.
Kirsty Arrowsmith, our Early Help Team Operational Manager, said: “SENAID really add that extra value to the work we already deliver. They offer advocacy around many educational issues our families encounter. They also support schools to ensure children and young people thrive in education and receive the correct support.”
The donation was given to SENAID through our Community Impact Fund, which grants up to £2,000 to charities and voluntary organisations in our localities to improve their local community.
Find out more about the Community Impact Fund here.
