Supporting residents' safety, health and wellbeing

Wokingham Borough Council has launched three consultations this week to shape strategies and services to help residents live, learn and be well.

People are invited to give their feedback on two linked strategies aimed at creating a more inclusive borough supporting everyone to thrive. One is for children and young people under the age of 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and the other for autistic people of all ages

The council are also looking for people to share their experiences in its annual community safety survey.

These will help shape services and action plans that will support residents in the borough to have access to the things they need to thrive including secure housing, safe and strong communities and places, good jobs with fair pay, and quality education.

All three consultations can be taken on the Engage Wokingham Borough page.

Have your say

SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024-2029

The draft SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024-2029 sets out a comprehensive  shared ambition and plan to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEND.

The strategy is not solely owned by the council but reflects a shared commitment across all partners including local authority services, schools, the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System, the voluntary sector working with parents and carers and children and young people, as a local area approach.

It outlines the principles for how the local area will work as a  partnership to deliver the strategy including supporting emotional health and wellbeing, getting involved and supporting early, and being ambitious alongside priorities including effective transitions, having the right SEND services and early intervention.

All-ages Autism Strategy 2024-2029

The draft All-age Autism Strategy 2024-2029, jointly owned with Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, sets out a shared vision and direction for local area partners in supporting autistic people living in Wokingham Borough.

Following adoption of the strategy, the council and  partners will develop action plans to work together to improve the experiences of all autistic people locally.

It includes principles for working together and the ambitions we will work towards over the strategy period, under the six priority areas of neuro-inclusive environments, start well, live well and age well, improving health outcomes and improving experiences in the criminal justice system.

Co-producing the strategies

Both strategies have been developed with extensive feedback and input from stakeholders, including children, young people and adults, parents, carers, schools, health and partner organisations.

There is a statutory requirement for there to be two separate strategies, however they have been developed, and will be delivered and managed, alongside each other.

People are invited to share their feedback on the principles and ambitions that make up the draft strategies between now and 20 August.

Annual community safety survey

The annual community safety survey seeks residents’ views on a number of areas, including how well people in the community get on together, crime and disorder, and anti-social behaviour.

There is also an opportunity as part of the survey to shape the council’s new domestic abuse strategy and to join a ‘Hearing the Voices’ project which seeks to understand and tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The survey will be open for people to share their experiences until 20 August.

Shape how your council works for you

Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said: “It is important to us to get things right for residents and we can only do that if we listen to their feedback. They are experts in their own lives and experiences.

“The SEND and autism strategies have been co-produced with significant input from people who experience SEND and autism and the services available in their own lives, as well as from other organisations and partners to make sure that we’ve captured the challenges, opportunities and actions people would expect to see.

“The community safety survey is an annual survey that helps us to understand the key issues in people’s communities, which in turn helps our teams to target their work more effectively.

“We really do appreciate the time that people take to share their feedback and would encourage as many of you to take part as possible to help shape how your council works for you.”

Take part

You can take part in these consultations, and others that are currently running, on the council’s Engage Wokingham Borough page. Links to individual consultations can be found below:

• SEND and Inclusion Strategy 2024 - 2029
• All-age Autism strategy 2024 - 2029
• Community Safety annual survey

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