The POW Project is a collaboration from Wolverhampton Outreach Service and Voice4Parents Wolverhampton. The aim of the project is to inspire positive change in the language used by professionals when speaking about children with SEND.

As a service we are committed to listening to the parents of the young people that we support. We have collaborated with Voice 4 Parents on ‘Power of Words’, which aims to promote a culture of reflection around the language that we use when discussing young people who have additional support needs.

The language we use when discussing young people is incredibly powerful, and can have long lasting impacts. This project aims to empower all parties involved; empower professionals to be confident that their use of language is supportive and empower parents as a result of this also. Finally we aim to empower young people through their involvement in helpful, affirming and supportive conversations about the support that they require.

Now we invite you to join us, in our mission to ensure that we never underestimate the power that words can have in the lives of our incredible young people and their families.

We filmed a number of parent Carers and young people who volunteered to share their experiences on camera. Nothing has greater impact than hearing first hand experiences and the impact this has long term.

What we did

Voice4Parents included questions in their annual survey relating to the experiences and impact of professionals use of language when referring to their children. This survey was sent out to almost 300 Parent Carers across Wolverhampton. These responses were condensed into main themes, which are included throughout the project.

Training

We have used the experiences and main themes to devise a training package which aims to highlight the importance of language and equip professionals from a range of sectors to be part of the positive change.

Supportive

This project is not about criticising professionals. We recognise that many of these comments are made with good intention. We want to work WITH professionals to create a culture where Parent Carers feel listened to and supported. This needs to change and the best way to do this is through working together.

For everyone

The survey highlighted that use of negative language came from a range of professional sectors including; Health, Education and Social, as well as friends, neighbours and family. Therefore this project is relevant to everyone! It is a collective responsibility to engage in self reflection and make necessary changes to ensure that we truly are supporting and listening to the communities that we serve.

Language Top Tips!

"Your child could be one of the lucky ones and get a job shelf stacking in the supermarket" - Said by a SEN officer during annual review meeting for a 7 year old

Lets Reframe...

"Your son has many strengths and interests, what are his aspirations for the future?"

Top Tip! The original comment is inappropriate and unnecessary. Avoid comments or judgements about future employability and focus on the child’s current strengths and needs.

"Poor you, I don’t know how you cope..." - Said by a variety of friends, family members and neighbours

Lets Reframe...

"I can see you are working super hard to support your child. Is there any help we can offer to support you?"

Top Tip! The original comment frames the child as a burden and is dismissive, rather than supportive. Offer additional support and let them know what a good job they are doing.

"Your son isn’t disabled enough to access our services" - Said by a social worker

Lets Reframe...

"From our initial assessment your son’s needs do not meet our threshold, because xyz. Would you like to add any additional information that may support the application or maybe we could explore some alternative support services to meet all of your families’ current needs."

Top Tip! The original comment is inappropriate and invalidating. An explanation as to why the child does not meet the threshold and an offer of alternative support is much more beneficial and supportive to a family in this situation. This will avoid a family feeling let down and with no-where to turn.

"We are more like a babysitting service for your son, he does not come to school to learn" - Said by a Head teacher of a mainstream school

Lets Reframe...

"Your son seems to be struggling in school at the moment and finds the learning environment challenging. Shall we all get together and plan a way forward for your son?"

Top Tip! The original comment is unhelpful, framing it as a choice of the child or that the parent is to blame. It fails to recognise school’s responsibility in ensuring that the child can access the learning and that their needs are catered for.

"There's no point making another appointment as she won't participate"- Said by an audiologist during a hearing assessment

Lets Reframe...

"She seems to be finding it difficult to engage with the test. Can you think of anything that may make it easier for her or would you like to try at another time?"

Top Tip! Parent’s know their children best. It may be that the child has had a particularly difficult morning or that there is something in the room that is distracting. Acknowledging that the parent may be able to offer some tips as to how to engage their child, empowers parents and acknowledges the need to make the test accessible for each individual.

"They are fine in school" - Said by a Teacher

Lets Reframe...

"Tell me more about what they find difficult at home and any concerns that you have. We will work together to ensure that we identify what we can do to support your child. Some next steps could be further assessment and support from other professionals."

Top Tip! Always remain curious rather than judgemental. The original comment is dismissive and may even suggest to a parent that the professional believes the home environment is to blame for the child’s differing presenting needs. All professionals need to be fully aware of Masking as this could always be a potential reason. In any case, we need to acknowledge the parents’ concerns to ensure that they feel listened to, understood and supported.

"They don’t look autistic" - Said by a GP

Lets Reframe...

"Let’s discuss your child’s unique set of strengths and challenges to get a full picture of their profile, then we can discuss next steps."

Top Tip! Autistic people don’t have a ‘look’. It is a comment which reflects a lack of knowledge and completely invalidates the family’s thoughts/needs and knowledge of their own child.

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