Meeting of Minds set out to address the needs of local Additional Support Need families during Covid-19 after the first lockdown in March 2020.
ASN families require additional support to enable their child/children to learn at school, access education/health and receive respite support. Our families are at higher risk of food poverty and unemployment. This obviously increases the impact on the families emotional health and wellbeing.
Schools Closure
The closure of schools to eradicate the transmission of Covid-19 in education hubs placed pressure on all families but especially ASN families. There is no official body in the area who are commissioned to look after their needs. It is grass-roots, voluntary charities like ourselves helping support.
Meeting of Minds supported ASN families during Covid-19 with £5000 worth of funding from Foundation Scotland.The fund allowed Meeting of Minds to engage with their members and offer the support needed for children/adults to get through this pandemic.
Essential Support
Our charity supplied activities to help with sensory regulation, outdoor garden toys/aids to encourage fresh air, self-regulation and exercise. We helped supply cleaning products and clothing to help with affected sensory overload behaviour, emotion and well being resources. We facilitated improved communications supplying tablets to allow the parent/carer to stay in contact with families and Meeting of Minds. Most importantly we helped with online food vouchers for households requiring financial support.
Essential volunteer badges were requested from Scottish Borders Council to deliver essentials to isolating households. From the 29th of April to the 18th of May, Meeting of Minds supported 58 families with:
We referred families for emergency respite.
We provided regular check-ins with members through email, text and phone calls.
Disseminated suitable resources and information to members new and familiar.
Dealt with many mental health crises amongst parent carers.
Acted as an advocate to make sure our families were not forgotten.
Meeting of Minds continues to support families in every way we can. This group of mums, who are themselves raising children with complex needs, are fully committed to supporting families who need help.
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