Supporting Naval children with special needs

Are you the parent of a young child that potentially has special needs and are finding yourself struggling with the system? Both the Naval Children’s Charity (NCC) and the Naval Families Federation (NFF) have noticed that they are receiving enquiries from families on this issue.  

For many families with young children some indications of potential special needs show at a young age, often picked up by health visitors or as they start nursery or school. Getting the right assessments, therapies and support for your children can be a long and bewildering process.  

The NCC are often approached by families in these situations looking for advice, support and, on occasion, financial assistance to facilitate the journey which can lead to getting an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP) put in place.  

All children and young people may experience learning difficulties at some point. This is not unusual. For most children the difficulties are temporary and are soon overcome with help and encouragement from home and school.

The term ‘Special Educational Needs’ is used to describe learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for children to learn than most children of the same age. Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) are likely to need extra or different help from that given to other children their age. This help is known as special educational provision.

There are four main categories of special educational needs as set out in the SEND code of practice: 0-25 years   

Children may have difficulties in one or more areas, such as:

  • Thinking, understanding and learning: these children may find all learning activities difficult, or have particular difficulties with some learning activities such as reading and spelling. They may learn at a slower pace than others, find the curriculum difficult, or struggle with organisation and memory.
  • Emotional and behavioural difficulties: these children may have very low self-esteem and lack confidence. They may find it difficult to follow rules or settle down and behave properly in school. They may find relationships difficult, appear withdrawn or isolated or do things that impact on their health and wellbeing. 
  • Speech, language and communication: these children may have difficulty in expressing themselves or understanding what others are saying to them. They may find it hard to make friends or relate to others, find conversations and play confusing or challenging. They may find it difficult to make sense of the world around them or to organise themselves.
  • Physical or sensory difficulties: these children may have a disability or a medical condition that has an impact upon their learning. They may have a physical difficulty such as a visual or hearing impairment. These difficulties can be age related and may fluctuate over time meaning they may find it hard to access a school because of their disability or might need extra support or specialist equipment. 

The first and most important thing to remember is that all children with SEN are entitled to receive a broad, balanced and suitable education which includes the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (for children aged 3 to 5) or the National Curriculum (for children aged 5 to 16).

Most children with SEN have their needs met in a mainstream school or early settings, although some children with more complex needs benefit from the more specialist help offered in a ‘special’ school.

You should be told if the school thinks your child has or may have SEN and how the school will be helping your child. Your views are very important and so are your child’s own views. The school should make sure that you are involved in all decisions that affect your child because you have a vital role in supporting your child’s education.

If you are a serving family and are looking for advice and support for a child with SEN then the Education Advisory Team (EAT(UK)), part of the MOD’s Defence Children Services (DCS), can help. Other advice for all children can be found through the Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (IPSEA). 

However, we know that finding support can be difficult. There can be long waiting lists for assessments and then for the recommended therapies. In some cases, the NCC can support your family with navigating this process.  

Therapeutic support. If your child has been recommended therapy, such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) it can be difficult to find a practitioner that has availability and that your child connects with.  

We know that there is a backlog within the system for children waiting for specialist help, as of Nov 2022 there were 65,000 children under the age of 18 on the NHS waiting list for SALT. Evidence shows that early intervention is beneficial, leading to better outcomes in speech, language and communication.  

The NCC have partnered with a new online resource to help families and professionals find the right therapist for your child. TAC Access is a directory of Therapists across the UK who work both face to face and virtually. We can also, in some circumstances, support your family in funding SALT and other therapies.  

There is a new app which has been developed to support parents with speech delayed children, called Pippin Speech. The app includes activities, resources and ideas to try with your child at home.  

The NHS has resources for parents to support children with speech and language difficulties which are available regionally through your local NHS Trust.  

The Naval Children’s Charity (NCC) has also developed a partnership with the National Autistic Society (NAS) to offer experienced and bespoke support to Naval parents who have children with Autism, whether diagnosed or not. To find out if your child meets the criteria for support from the NAS, you can contact the NCC directly, or come to the NCC through RN FPS/other agencies, and our caseworking team will carry out an in-depth assessment to establish the circumstances and needs of your child.

This may then lead to a referral to the NAS and, if required, financial assistance from the NCC towards additional support following recommendations from the NAS. The NAS have centres that can provide assessments for children which are recognised by Local Authorities. 

Clare Scherer, CEO of the Naval Children’s Charity said: 

“We are delighted to be working in partnership with the National Autistic Society to help improve the support given to our children and young people with Autism and to provide professional and tailored support to the families. As part of our programmes supporting the Health and Wellbeing of our families this is a significant partnership for us.”  

The RNRMC, through their Strengthening Families programme, are working with organisations such as the NCC and Kids Charity to develop support to parents with neurodiverse children. 

Any financial support from the NCC is means tested but we offer much more than just financial grants. If you think you would like to discuss any issues facing you and your children please contact us on caseworkers@navalchildrenscharity.org.uk or call 023 9263 9534. Visit the education section of our help page, to find out more. 

Forces Children’s Trust – Week Adventure Holiday in the Lakes

A week’s adventure holiday in the Lake District for 10 – 22 year olds.

This year the Naval Children’s Charity has formed a partnership with the Forces
Children’s Trust, to offer up to six young people from Naval families (serving and ex-serving) the opportunity to take part in a fully inclusive, residential activity week in the Lake District from the 19th – 23rd August 2024. This exciting event will be run by The Outward Bound Trust, who specialise in outdoor learning courses that provide an alternative education and give young people the confidence to tackle the real world head on.

The event will be held at the Howtown Centre, located in a secluded and sheltered
bay on the shores of Ullswater. All Food and accommodation will be provided. We are
also able to consider support with travel costs. Young people aged 10-22 are eligible
to attend as long as they are still in full-time education.


Criteria for participation
  • A young person whose parent has died whilst serving as a member of the British Armed Forces
  • A young person whose parent has sustained life-changing injuries whilst
  • serving as a member of the British Armed Forces
  • A young person whose serving parent is suffering with PTSD
  • A young person from a British Armed Forces family who is a carer for someone or who may be dealing with domestic violence.

If you fit within these criteria and you’re interested in taking part in this exciting opportunity, please get in touch with Denny Wise at the Forces Children’s Trust to register your interest, explaining where you heard about the opportunity. Places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis so please apply early to avoid disappointment: denny.wise@forceschildrenstrust.org.uk

Other Life Chances

LEADERS UNLOCKED

THE ANNINGTON CHALLENGE & THE OUTWARD BOUND TRUST – Adventure of a Lifetime

HRH King Charles III – Coronation Day – 6th May 2023

The Naval Children’s Charity is proud to have been supported by the Royal Family for many years, both HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and the late Queen, HM Queen Elizabeth II, were Patrons for many years.  We wish HRH King Charles III and Her Majesty Queen Camilla a long and happy reign.

This is how we celebrated MOTMC and a massive thank you to everyone that got involved

April is the Month of the Military Child, this is a wonderful initiative that both celebrates and brings awareness to, the experiences of military children across the UK.

To celebrate this month, we ask our Naval Children to send us in videos telling us about the positive impact being a military child has had on them.

Well, we asked, and you certainly delivered, we had so many wonderful videos sent in that we have made a little montage of our favourite bits. Have a watch…

Thank you so much to all who took part.

Crown fit for a King – Design a Crown Competition

Welcome to the Design a Crown competition, where children get to showcase their creativity and design skills! In honour of the King’s Coronation on 6th May, we’re calling all young artists to join in the fun and participate in this exciting competition.

How it works: We’ve created a design template for you to add your designs to. All you need to do is let your imagination run wild and create your own unique crown design. It’s that simple! Once you’re happy with your design, snap a picture and send it to us with your name, age, and address.

And what’s the best part? Every participant will receive a special commemorative gift for taking part in the competition! It’s our way of thanking you for sharing your creativity and supporting the King’s Coronation.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your pencils, markers, or paints and start designing your crown. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

How it submit your designs:
Submit your designs to the address below
or submit your designs on our dedicated competition page

Naval Childrens Charity,
311 Twyford Avenue
Stamshaw,
Portsmouth,
PO2 8RN

Naval Children to sail coast of UK on the adventure of a lifetime

We’re delighted to announce that we will once again be offering Naval children the opportunity to sail the UK coast, in partnership with the Tall Ships Youth Trust (TSYT).

Download the Flyer

 

Four voyages are available for Naval children. For those aged 12-15 there will be three trips, with another expedition planned for children aged 16-25.

Setting sail from, or ending up in, either Portsmouth or Plymouth, the expedition lasts five days before making port.

Aboard one of TSYT’s iconic 72ft Challenger Yachts, the explorers of tomorrow will be involved in all aspects of sailing from ropework and sail handling to helming.

The crew will also learn valuable transferable skills. Working as a team, developing their communication and leadership skills, these young people will come away with the capability to overcome barriers, and excel in their transition to adulthood.

Naval Children’s Charity CEO, Clare Scherer said: “We are delighted to be able to offer more of these voyages to our children and young people again this year. Those that went on the voyages last year had the most amazing time, forging friendships and bonding with their shared backgrounds from Naval families.“

The voyages will be completely subsidised by the NCC. For families that need extra support, grants are available for travel and kit (means tested). We would like to thank The Gosling Foundation, and The Mordaunt Foundation for their financial support.

There are ten positions available on each expedition. To apply, parents will need to fill out an application form; each child will also be required to supply a short statement on why they would like to take part. Places will be allocated based on the information provided on the expression on interest form, taking into account family circumstances, with a particular focus on the young person’s reasons for applying.

This opportunity is open to the child of any parent or guardian who is serving or is a veteran of the Royal Navy, including Royal Marines, WRNS, QARNNS, Reserves and Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Please provide the service details of the parent or guardian when you enquire.

Details of voyages:

Voyage 1: Tuesday 1st August – Saturday 5th August Age 12-15yrs Portsmouth – Plymouth

Voyage 2: Monday 7th August – Friday 11th August Age 12-15yrs Plymouth – Portsmouth

Voyage 3: Monday 16th October – Friday 20th October Age 16-25yrs Portsmouth – Portsmouth

Voyage 4: Monday 23rd October – Friday 27th October Age 12-15yrs Portsmouth – Portsmouth

The closing date for applications for Voyages 1 and 2 is Friday 30th June

The closing date for applications for Voyages 3 and 4 is Friday 15th September

These voyages expand on the success of NCC and TSYT’s maiden expeditions in the summer of 2022.

Two crews sailed the coastline of Scotland on the Challenger yacht. Both sets of young people achieved their Royal Yachting Association (RYA) certificates, with three of our cohort continuing their RYA training with TSYT.

TSYT’s Director of Youth Development and Outdoor Learning, Kirsty French, said:“We are excited to welcome another cohort of young people aboard one of our Challenger yachts as part of our ongoing partnership with the Naval Children’s Charity.

“Our previous NCC voyages during the Round Britain Adventure really enabled the young people to push themselves beyond their comfort zone, learning to work together to overcome shared challenges. We are looking forward to giving even more young people the opportunity to enjoy this truly transformational experience with Tall Ships Youth Trust.”

One parent from last year’s cohort said: “Before his dad left he was a confident, outgoing boy who had a wide friendship group and loved to make people laugh. Sadly over the last few years he had become withdrawn and nervous. What a difference the voyage has made….he has become much more confident and I’ve got my happy, smiling boy who likes to make people laugh back.”

This initiative furthers the NCC’s commitment to giving Naval children, ‘Life Chances’, expanding the reach of the charity to provide for all members of the community, not just those families in need of financial support.

Scherer added: “Much of our support focuses on families in crisis. However, we want our children and young people to not just survive but also to thrive and for our charitable support to repay a dividend to each of our beneficiaries for life.

“To achieve that we aim to offer them opportunities outside the norm, so that their horizons are wide and distant, and help them to appreciate that anything is within their reach. By providing those chances and showing them what could be possible, we aim to unlock the spirit in every child and help them achieve their full potential in life.

“Our Life Chances programme offers opportunities such as our partnership with the Tall Ships Youth Trust where our Naval young people can go on sponsored voyages experiencing a fantastic adventure as well as enabling them to achieve their RYA Competent Crew Certificate and, if appropriate, contribute towards the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Or the offer from ACE London Irish for budding Rugby players.”

Celebrating during periods of deployment

Separation is part and parcel of military life. Naval families often face longer periods of deployment, resulting in missing landmarks such as Father’s and Mother’s Day or birthdays. Here are some tips for celebrating during periods of separation. Continue reading

Knitting the family: mummy and daddy dolls help children’s wellbeing while parents are on deployment

At Crofton Hammond Infant School in Fareham, Hampshire, the teachers identified a recurring issue, impacting the children’s wellbeing. 

In July 2019, 32% of the school’s pupils were from Armed Forces families, with the majority of those parents serving in the Royal Navy. The staff observed that high numbers of these children were suffering in their parent’s absence, affecting their engagement and learning. 

As per The Children’s Commissioner’s 2018 Kin and County report, primary school children can suffer from ‘sadness, worry and general unease’, due to the short- or long-term deployment of a parent. 

The teachers decided to implement a ‘deployment package’, that would help children adjust to a period of separation. 

Drawing inspiration from our ‘Knit the Family’ initiative, the school decided to create a special set of dolls for each family. 

A proficient knitter created bespoke dolls in the likeness of a child and their parent. Following a successful implementation, the scheme was extended to include civilian children whose parents worked away during the week. 

Many parents reported that the child and doll were inseparable, and that the children were overjoyed to see their doll doppelgängers out on deployment with mummy or daddy. 

Staff observed a positive impact on the pupil’s wellbeing and readiness to learn, while many parents reported a greater sense of community within the school. It has also raised awareness within the children to be sensitive around a peer when their mum or dad is on deployment. 

A Year 1 teacher at Crofton Hammond Infant School said: 

“One child, who found it particularly tricky that her dad worked away Monday to Friday, just pops her ‘Daddy Doll’ in the front of her jumper when she comes to school and consequently, she can cope a lot better, and her learning has really improved.” 

You can read more about the school’s deployment packages by downloading the report. This case study was provided by the Service Children’s Progression Alliance, a charity that strives to improve educational outcomes for children and young people from Armed forces families.   

We’re always on the lookout for knitters to volunteer their skills. We’ve found that a version of mummy or daddy, or the protagonists of our short stories, The Time Rabbit and Time Penguin, can help children struggling with separation profoundly. Please visit the fundraisers & supporters page of our website to find out more.