Special Needs Information

The Special Matters group offers the following services:

Support Groups

Our support groups meet in the evenings in Cheadle, and we have a daytime, one in Leek on a reguar basis. Parents are welcome to drop in for a chat, information sharing and to meet with other parents. Support groups are a great source for special needs information.

Activity Days

Special Matters organises days out for the whole family at weekends and in the school holidays. Days out include trips to many local attractions including Sailability, Blackbrook Zoo Park, The New Vic Theatre, Chatsworth, Alton Towers Santa Lunch etc.

Home Visits

If a parent prefers to discuss or meet at their own home this can be offered on a limited basis. Support can be offered on a one-to-one basis for Hospital appointments, Common Assessment Framework meetings, CAMHS meetings, etc.

Awareness Raising

Awareness to be raised through conferences, special needs, workshops with agencies & professionals.

Special Matters & the Leek & Rural Children's Centre

Special Matters is a part of the Leek & Rural Children's Centre. The Leek & Rural Children's Centre is based at the Manifold Primary School in Warslow, near to Leek in the Staffordshire Moorlands. This Sure Start Children's Centre covers the surrounding rural area, the north of Leek and borders onto Cheadle and Biddulph.

With the catchphrase “Leading the way to brighter futures through happiness, health and learning” the multi-disciplinary team works towards the “Every Child Matters” outcomes framework:

• Be healthy
• Stay safe
• Enjoy and achieve
• Make a positive contribution
• Achieve economic well-being

The Centre provides:

• Childcare
• Supports local child minders
• Family support and outreach services
• Early Education
• Links to Job Centre Plus
• Family Health Services; Ante-natal, Health Visiting, Speech and Language Therapy, Smoking Cessation, Obesity.
• Information to parents at key transition points

Families from outside this area can access our activities, support groups, etc. but home visits unfortunately cannot be offered outside the Staffordshire Moorlands area.

Individual Contacts

Faith Asplin - Parent to Parent Contact Worker for Special Matters.

Faith facilitates the support groups, provides the one-to-one support and home visits and keeps in contact with parents through the newsletter, e-mails and phone calls.

Tel: 07966 053040

E-Mail: faith.asplin@staffordshire.gov.uk

Jenny Hurst - Parent to Parent Contact Co-ordinator for the Parent Contact Team at the Leek & Rural Childrens Centre.

Working alongside Faith, Jenny supports and organises activities and meetings.

Tel: 07815 999079

E-Mail: jennifer.hurst@staffordshire.gov.uk