Getting involved

There are several ways of keeping up to date with service developments, getting involved in the planning of services for disabled children in Sunderland, and to have your say about current and future services.

Real Issues: This is a magazine which comes out three times a year and contains articles of interest to families with a disabled child, such as new services, places to visit, accessible holidays, benefits, charitable funding and parent support groups. Copies are sent out through some schools, libraries, Children's Services offices, and are also handed out by many of the professionals working with your child. Parents/carers and young people can submit articles or questions to the magazine. To read the magazine on-line click here

The Network: being a member of the Network for Disabled Children gets you on a mailing list to receive copies of any relevant new information being produced by the different agencies in Sunderland. You also get every copy of Real Issues magazine sent direct to your house.

Sunderland Carer’s Centre: Sunderland Carers Centre support parents/ carers to have a say about the way services are delivered in several ways. They run two support groups, The Gripe Group and Parent Carer Reference Group, as well as supporting a panel of parents/carers who attend meetings where the development of new services is discussed. They have a regular newsletter to enable carers to stay in touch with new developments. To get involved in any of these ways, or to get on the mailing list to receive a regular newsletter, contact Sunderland Carers Centre at 12 Toward Road, Sunderland SR1 2QF. Tel: 0191 567 3232 or visit the website

Parent Carer Forum
This is an annual event, held in the Autumn for parents and carers of disabled children and those with additional needs age 0-19 to come along and tell agencies what they think of the services they currently receive and what they would like to see developed in the future. It is an informal event, where there is a good mixture of short presentations by professionals about issues of interest, and consultation workshops for parents/carers to have their say.

The event this year ( 124kb) is taking place on Thursday 11 October, from 9.15am to 2.30pm at Leechmere Training Centre, Grangetown, Sunderland.
Please register your interest by telephoning Julia Harnett on 0191 566 1884 or by emailing child.disability@sunderland.gov.uk

The 2006 Parent Carer Forum was held on Thursday 12 October 2006. A report is now available and can be downloaded from this website.
Read the report of the 2006 Parent Carer forum	Read the report of the 2005 Parent Carer forum	Read the report of the 2004 Parent Carer forum

Back to top