SEND Community Inclusion – Examples of Good Practice
Believe Achieve
Believe Achieve is a youth club provision in the centre of Farnworth. They work across the network supporting young people and their families in a variety of ways. Their sessions focus on young people’s well-being and the centre spans several floors offering space and a variety of activities each night.
They have strong links with Birtenshaw, who access the club twice a week, they work alongside the high schools in Farnworth offering an alternative provision, in conjunction with the pastoral teams from the schools. They also run a food and data bank which is available to all of Farnworth and Kersley.
Staff are turned into the varied needs of the young people that access their club. As a club, they have recognised that to best support their young people they need to have a staff team who are aware of the diverse needs that may present on any one night. Staff have attended training courses and they have assigned members of staff for example British Sign Language, who would be linked directly with any young person who had a hearing impairment.
Believe and Achieve applied to Bolton Together funding pot for a sensory pack to use in club. The club is a busy environment and they recognised that this can sometimes be overwhelming for some young people. They identified a specific space in the club and have set up the sensory pack to support any user who may need an area to just take a breath.
“The sensory pack has been an incredible addition to our services, making a significant impact on the well-being and engagement of our beneficiaries. One of our service users, S, who is on the autism spectrum, has found the sensory pack to be a real significant change. She now looks forward to coming to our centre and actively participates in activities with increased comfort and joy. Another beneficiary, V, who has sensory processing difficulties, has shown remarkable improvements in his focus and attention during sessions since we introduced the sensory pack. He seems more at ease and relaxed, allowing him to explore and interact more confidently with others.
The sensory pack has also been a valuable resource during our outreach programs. We recently took it to a local school (“The Orchards”) to engage with children with sensory needs, and the positive response from both the students and teachers was heart-warming. In summary, the sensory pack has made a tangible and positive difference in the lives of our service users, promoting inclusion, comfort, and active participation.
