Start-up parent support service
Donation protected
How much?
I am looking for £3,000 to start up a local support service for parents of children with Profound a multiple learning disabilities.
What?
I plan to use their money to create a fully operation social enterprise. The initial plan would be to create this service within one special school for children with PMLD and would offer:
• Creating network groups
• Specific support targeting fathers as well as mothers
• To provide valuable information to parents
• Increase online support
• 1-1 support sessions in person or via skype
• Out of school family fun activities
• Sibling support
• Parent forum
Why?
The current provision for family support is limited. Social services are stretched to their limits and unable to give direct support families often long for. Whilst there are some special needs networking services these often do not have specialist PMLD knowledge.In a snapshot study of parents of PMLD children within Hampshire, 20% of parents said they felt unsupported and 80% felt they were only sometimes supported. Zero percent of parents said they felt supported the majority of the time.
In a 2014 study scope, a national organisation for children with disabilities found:
Nearly half (47%) of parents of disabled children have been to see their GP due to stress, with 62% then being prescribed medication, including antidepressants (57%).
86% of parents admitted that they find it hard to talk about how they are feeling and ‘bottle up’ difficult emotions, partly because they feel guilty or worried (42%), or because they worry people will judge them (34%).
Parents responding to the survey admitted that they often feel isolated as a parent of a disabled child - nine in ten (92%) said they feel that parents who don’t have disabled children are unaware of the challenges they face.
Two-thirds (67%) of parents felt that emotional support for parents such as support groups or counselling services should be more widely available, and three in five (60%) parents said that talking to other parents with disabled children was an important source of support.
The future
My vision for this company would be to offer a service in as many schools as possible, offering all the original services and more
Questions
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me: [email redacted]
I am looking for £3,000 to start up a local support service for parents of children with Profound a multiple learning disabilities.
What?
I plan to use their money to create a fully operation social enterprise. The initial plan would be to create this service within one special school for children with PMLD and would offer:
• Creating network groups
• Specific support targeting fathers as well as mothers
• To provide valuable information to parents
• Increase online support
• 1-1 support sessions in person or via skype
• Out of school family fun activities
• Sibling support
• Parent forum
Why?
The current provision for family support is limited. Social services are stretched to their limits and unable to give direct support families often long for. Whilst there are some special needs networking services these often do not have specialist PMLD knowledge.In a snapshot study of parents of PMLD children within Hampshire, 20% of parents said they felt unsupported and 80% felt they were only sometimes supported. Zero percent of parents said they felt supported the majority of the time.
In a 2014 study scope, a national organisation for children with disabilities found:
Nearly half (47%) of parents of disabled children have been to see their GP due to stress, with 62% then being prescribed medication, including antidepressants (57%).
86% of parents admitted that they find it hard to talk about how they are feeling and ‘bottle up’ difficult emotions, partly because they feel guilty or worried (42%), or because they worry people will judge them (34%).
Parents responding to the survey admitted that they often feel isolated as a parent of a disabled child - nine in ten (92%) said they feel that parents who don’t have disabled children are unaware of the challenges they face.
Two-thirds (67%) of parents felt that emotional support for parents such as support groups or counselling services should be more widely available, and three in five (60%) parents said that talking to other parents with disabled children was an important source of support.
The future
My vision for this company would be to offer a service in as many schools as possible, offering all the original services and more
Questions
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me: [email redacted]
Organizer
Megan Rose
Organizer
