Independent Support is one of our newest contracts. Deb Naylor, Contract Manager, talks about progress to date.

At its heart, Independent Support is intended to provide targeted support so parents get the right information, at the right time, to make the choices they need to. Even though this contract is still very new, we are making excellent progress towards achieving the contractual requirements for this quarter.

So far:

• We have a Memorandum of Understanding in place with the Parent Partnership Service and the county’s Parent Carer Forum.
• We have a referral protocol in place.
• We have delivered training to all of our area teams.
• Fourteen members of staff have taken part in the regional training.
• We have seven volunteers in place who are working their way through the on-line training and will undertake face to face training in January.
• We have organised two events for volunteers; the first will take place in the West Cumbria on the 15^th December and is aimed at volunteers from across this area; the second will take place in the south of the county on the 7^th January. The aim of these events is to give volunteers more information about our organisation and the support they can expect from us in their volunteering role.
• We have marketing material in place that we are distributing to young people and parents.
• We are working closely with the LA and schools to raise awareness about IS.

These are all contract deliverables for the contract as set out by the Children’s Disability Council.

Information about Independent Support and how to access it has been produced for parents and young people. This information is also available on Inspira Independent Support and is part of the Local Offer:  Cumbria’s Local Offer

Recruitment for Independent Supporter volunteers generated some interest with eight people attending an information day jointly organised by Inspira and the Parent Partnership. To date ten people will begin working their way through the Independent Supporter on-line training package.

We are working closely with the Local Authority to promote the service to families whose children are involved in Transfer Reviews – the process of converting a Statement of Special Educational needs to an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Along the way we have established good working relationships with both the Parent Partnership and the Parent Carer Forum in the County, and we are very grateful to staff for the way that they have embraced this contract.