Children’s commissioner praises Norwood’s holistic autism support group
Dame Rachel de Souza says initiative for grandparents is vital for better social inclusion
The children’s commissioner for England has applauded a unique support group launched by Norwood for grandparents of children with a neurodiversity.
In a visit to the charity’s Kennedy Leigh Family Centre in north London, Dame Rachel de Souza engaged with staff, children and families supported by the organisation.
Norwood’s Exploring Autism and Exploring Autism for Grandparents courses are aimed at helping family members understand the impact of neurodiversity and the services they access on their lives.
De Souza also learned about the emotional and practical support available to parents, carers and grandparents of young people aged 5-18 with autism, as well as helping them to build a peer group of other carers with similar experiences.
She said Norwood’s families “spoke so positively of the advice, advocacy and support they receive. I was especially pleased to find out more about Norwood’s Exploring Autism for Grandparents group, which is the first I’ve seen of this kind. Community resources like this are vital for building greater social inclusion and an understanding of neurodiversity, as well as helping to signpost appropriate available support and removing the stigma to seeking it.”
Norwood autism specialist Naomi Ayrton heralded the commissioner’s visit as “truly exceptional”, adding that “right from the start, it was clear that she had a genuine interest in understanding our work, the families we support and our values. Hearing both parents and grandparents speak about Norwood’s positive impact on their lives was truly inspiring and served as a powerful reminder of the important work we all contribute to.”
Norwood offers targeted family services to deliver coaching, professional advice, advocacy, therapy, peer support groups and short breaks provision to support the needs of the whole family.
More about Norwood’s services for neurodiverse children and their families can be found here.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
