AS the mother of a child with a disability, Siobhan Lennon-Patience realised there was a real need for a local support group for parents and carers in the West Somerset area.
So with the help of Home-Start West Somerset and the Somerset Parent Carer Forum, Siobhan set up the JumpStart – Finding Your Way support group.
And although it has only been running since July, it is already one of the best attended groups of its kind in Somerset.
The group meets on the first Thursday of the month from 10am to noon at the Minehead Eye, which has been fully supportive of the project.
The meetings are informal and relaxed but give parents and carers a chance to share information and gain practical and emotional support over coffee and biscuits.
Siobhan said: “If you have only just found out that your child or young adult has additional needs, or have been living with a diagnosis for years, it is always good to talk to others in your situation and feel that you are not alone.
“Don’t worry if your child has not been given a firm diagnosis – we welcome all families diagnosed or not.”
The group has had visits and talks from Short Breaks, Portage, Escape Group and Compass Wellbeing as well as independent advice on the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) process, to name but a few. And it enables parents and carers in West Somerset to feed back to the Somerset Parent Carer Forum about the kind of support they need in West Somerset.
For more information about JumpStart call in to the Home-Start West Somerset office at 26A The Avenue, Minehead, TA24 5AZ, phone 01643 707304 or email [email protected].