Cognus staff want to work together with families. We know how important feeling listened to, supported and understood is.
Below are the ways we work with and listen to feedback from young people and families:
Cognus Family Voice
Membership:
- Membership is for parents/carers of a child who gets support from a Cognus service.
- The group will have up to 8 parent/carers members
Commitment:
- The group will meet once every half term. The meeting may be online or in person.
- A member of Cognus senior leadership will chair the meetings. They will also take minutes.
- Other members of staff, parents or speakers may be invited to come to the meeting.
- There must be at least 3 members (as well as Cognus team members) for the meeting to go ahead.
For more information or to get involved please email: familyvoice@cognus.org.uk
#CognusandProud Family Focus newsletter
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Paving The Way Family Group
Paving the Way and Limes College have set up a new family group. The group helps parents of primary school aged children in Sutton to build good relationships with their children.
Parents can meet other parents in a safe space. They can learn about topics such as online safety, children’s mental health and anxiety. They can look at new ideas to help their child’s social and emotional growth. Parents can also learn more about their own mental health and wellbeing.
Parents will:
- Believe that they are able to help their children
- Will be more confident and have more self-esteem
- Share ideas with other parents
The group meets once a week at Sutton Youth Centre.
Lots of parents wanted to join the group and we could not fit everyone in the group. We have made a waitlist for a group in the future. We will also be running some online sessions for parents.
For more information or to put find out about a future group, please email: earlyintervention@cognus.org.uk
SIASS Steering Group
Sutton Information, Advice and Support Service (SIASS) gives free, fair information and support about education, health, and social care. The advice is confidential (private). Children, young people, parents, and carers can contact SIASS.
The SIASS Steering Group members:
- Help SIASS work towards the IAS National Minimum Standards
- Give advice to help new ideas and projects. They help SIASS keep children and parents’ views at the centre of their work.
- Tell the community about SIASS
- Give feedback and help find solutions.
- Review the SIASS development plan every year.
Membership:
- Membership is for parents/carers of a child with SEND in Sutton
- At least half (at the moment this would be 5) of the SIASS Steering Group members should be SIASS service users or be parents/carers of users. The rest of the Steering Group are from organisations like Cognus, schools or health.
Commitment:
- The group meets every 2 months
- The Chair of the group is a parent. One of the SIASS caseworkers takes minutes (notes) of the meetings.
SIASS is managed by Cognus, and is an impartial, confidential service, with its own dedicated website – for more information click here: https://www.siass.co.uk/
Parent/Carer Listening
Cognus sometimes holds listening events. The events are a chance for parents, carers and young people to tell Cognus their views and ideas. It is also a change for Cognus to share information and give updates.
Scheduled events will be promoted via our website and social media
Foster Carer events
Please see the how Foster Carers can get involved via the Virtual School: Foster Carer engagement
For more information please email: kate.leyshon@cognus.org.uk