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The Department for Education, together with Disability Rights UK have launched the Disabled Apprentice Network to gather feedback and ideas to address any issues, barriers and solutions to make apprenticeships more accessible and inclusive. Members of the group are appointed because of their personal experience and desire to champion apprenticeships for Disabled people. The group will discuss, identify and share experience, advise on key issues for Disabled apprentices, suggest solutions and support the development of practical resources and toolkits. The group meets every month for one hour. If you are a Disabled apprentice or have done an apprenticeship in the past and would like to join the network, then please contact them at getahead@disabilityrightsuk.org

John Harris, journalist & dad to an autistic teen says “Self-evidently, autistic people remain marginalised, misunderstood & far too often denied what they should have as a matter of basic entitlement”. Progress has been made, but the release of the profound film, The Reason I Jump, shows how much further we need to go.

Summer-born children are being unfairly labelled by primary schools as having special educational needs, creating needless anxiety for children and parents. Two out of five summer-born boys are categorised as having special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Among children who reached Year 6 in 2018, the study found that 26% of summer-born girls were given SEND support at some point during primary school, compared to 16% of autumn-born girls and 40% of summer-born boys received SEND help, compared to 28% of autumn-born boys. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), on average, some 39% of summer-born boys were ascribed a “good level of development” in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile at the end of reception, compared to 80% of autumn-born girls.

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) is looking to improve the way it manages referrals and appointments. The Patient Experience Team would like to hear your views about possible changes to the way UHDB books appointments. Please complete this short survey to share your views. This survey consists of four questions and should take only a few minutes to complete.

Refuge run the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which provides free, confidential support and information for any women experiencing abuse from a partner, ex-partner or family member.  They have recently launched a British Sign Language interpretation service, to allow Deaf women to communicate with our expert Helpline Advisers through qualified BSL interpreters.

The British Sign Language service is open Monday – Friday from 10.00am – 6.00pm. Here you will find a BSL video about the service and how to use it safely. Users can click on the button to connect with an interpreter via a video call, who will then connect her with the Helpline.

Refuge was delighted to work in partnership with SignHealth’s specialist domestic abuse team in shaping this service; they helped develop resources and delivered training for Refuge’s Helpline advisors, to support them in understanding the unique needs of callers who may come through on the BSL service.