COVID-19 Update - Information regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19)

COVID-19 Update 2^nd November 2020

Following the recent government announcement that a second lockdown will be in place from 5^th November, we will be temporarily stopping our face-to-face Friday lessons at Bodmin Road Church.

For those families affected by this, your teacher will be in touch over the next day or so to explain what we will be able to offer instead. We hope that we will be back face-to-face on Friday 4^th December if the lockdown ends as currently planned on 2^nd December. 

For those children who were already in a group delivered online, nothing changes.  Those lessons will continue online as planned throughout the lockdown period.

We also continue to offer the following:

• Support advice and resources for parents and carers – please call us on 01482 420160 or email office@downrightspecial.co.uk if you would like help or advice with anything -whether your child currently attends a group or not.
• Support, advice and resources for schools and nurseries
• Attendance at Annual Review meetings
• Reports for, and help with Education, Health and Care Plans.
• Help with completing DLA forms
• On-line training (see our website for more details or book a place on https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/downrightspecial)
  • 5^th November Curriculum Access and Differentiation
  • 12^th November Supporting Positive Behaviour
  • 3^rd December Developing Language and Reading for Children with Down Syndrome (Includes Colourful Semantics)
• Support to new or expectant parents
• A library of books and resources that you can borrow (we are happy to send anything out that you may wish to borrow).

Thank you for your continued support and understanding at this tricky time. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any comments or questions or need help with anything.

Take care and stay safe.

COVID-19 Update 14^th September 2020

In preparation of welcoming people back to our Friday sessions and looking to a return to the new "normal", the following risk assessments have been produced explaining some of the mitigations we look to put in place.

General COVID-19 Risk Assessment - for attendees to our Friday sessions

Outreach COVID-19 Risk Assessment - for situations where we operate in the community.

We continue to work on the finer details to re-establish the Friday sessions, and hope to provide more information on that soon.

COVID-19 Update 12^th May 2020

All Downright Special Friday sessions, all social and fundraising events and training courses continue to be cancelled in line with current government guidelines. 

Our teaching staff are working from home and you can still contact us by phone and email if you need help with anything. You can contact your teacher direct or contact us on 01482 420160 or email office@downrightspecial.co.uk.

We continue to offer the following services:

• Telephone support to new parents or parents who are expecting a baby with Down syndrome.
• General support and advice by telephone or email on all aspects of the care and education of children with Down syndrome in Hull and East Yorkshire.
• Weekly Facebook Live ‘Magic Bag’ singing and signing sessions for Downright Special families on our closed Facebook group for parents.( Get in touch if you’d like details of how to join).
• Resources emailed or printed and posted out to families.
• Information, advice and resources for schools and nurseries.
• Downright Special Friday ‘lessons’ via Zoom for the children who usually attend our sessions (and are in the groups who usually work at a table).
• Support with EHCP assessments, annual reviews and reports.
• A closed Facebook Group for parents / carers to share information, worries, news, keep in touch or just have a general chit-chat.
• Signposting to other services.

Latest advice on the impact of Coronavirus on people with Down syndrome can be found here:

https://www.dsmig.org.uk/covid-19-and-down-syndrome/

The Down’s Syndrome Association also has information and Easy Read resources available:

https://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/news/corornavirus-information-resources/

The latest NHS advice can be found here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Advice from the government can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Thanks everyone for your understanding. Take care and stay safe.

Best wishes from all the staff at Downright Special.