Spring Newsletter 2025
Welcome to our spring edition. Not quite blossom on the trees yet here in Didcot, but the sun is shining and my daffs are in bud, so spring is in the air!
We are now in the last six months of our Embolden, older carers project, funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and the team have lots of online events planned, as well as our face-to-face conference in July.
You can read more about these and how to book further in this newsletter. We are looking for further funding to continue this important work beyond September and will keep you all posted with how we get on.
We are currently in the process of planning a new project, focused on the earlier years. We know from our own experiences that this can be a scary, emotional and pretty daunting time for families like ours and we want to target support specifically for this group and hear from families what they need. At time of writing, we’ve managed to secure a small pot of development funding and are keeping everything crossed that we are successful in obtaining a larger pot, which we should hear about one way or another, by the end of this month. If you know any families who have young children at the start of their caring journey do tell them to get in touch as we’d love to hear from them and hopefully develop this project together.
As always we will continue to raise the issues affected by families of children and adults with learning disabilities at the highest level, at lots of different groups and boards. We are pleased to be trusted strategic partners by all concerned but as always, we take our lead from you, so do get in touch with anything you want us to address.
Happy Spring
Best Wishes
Gail Hanrahan (OxFSN Programme Manager)
What we have been doing
Embolden 2
We are in our final year of the current Embolden 2 project and have had a busy start meeting with many family carers to help them with their planning ahead for their relative. For many, this is a daunting task, as there are so many factors that need to be considered when planning ahead for a vulnerable loved one. Our All About Me, planning ahead folderwhich can be downloaded from our website is designed to help families think about and pull together the key information. Click on the image to visit our All About Me, planning ahead page.
Click here for the All About Me - planning ahead folder
We have also planned a number of online information events for families, covering topics that we get asked about the most. You can find a list of the events we are running on our website or OxFSN’s Eventbrite page. Our first event of the year covered The Mental Capacity Act . If you were unable to attend the event, you can see a recording of it on OxFSN’s YouTube website by clicking the image below.
We are pleased to have both Freeth’s the Solicitors and The Office of the Public Guardian running two of our upcoming events. Freeth’s will focus on Wills and Trusts, The Office of the Public Guardian will cover Deputyship and Power of Attorney. Unfortunately these events cannot be recorded so we recommend you sign up and book your place and take the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
For those of you who like the opportunity to meet with other family carers for a chat we will be hosting a coffee and chat session on the 4th March in Abingdon. No agenda just an opportunity to let us know about some of your concerns or even what is working well. We are always there to offer a supportive hand.
In July, we will be holding the Embolden Conference and we welcome as many family carers to attend as possible as this will be an opportunity to help us shape the next steps. We are already applying for funding to continue the project as we recognise the vital support we are able to provide, but always welcome feedback both positive and critical to help us improve the service we deliver.
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in contact.
Click here to book on an OxFSN event
You can book on any of these events using the link on the button above the poster.
If anyone has any questions please get in contact with Kathy on [email protected] or Oona on [email protected]
Wills and Trusts - Online Event
Supported Living - Planning Ahead
Online Event
Adult Social Care Support Concerns
We are hearing from some family carers that they are struggling to get the right level of support for their relative with a learning disability, especially when they turn 18 and become an adult in their own right. Whilst we as an organisation can feed back and highlight families concerns to Adult Social Care, we know that in itself will not bring about change. What we recommend you do is raise these concerns directly with your local MP - the more families they hear from, the greater the possibility they will take this back to the government.
We have put together a list of MPs across Oxfordshire along with their emails so you can contact them directly with your concerns.
Sean Woodcock - Cherwell District Council
Email: [email protected]
Calum Miller - Cherwell District Council and West Oxfordshire District
Email: [email protected]
Olly Glover - South Oxfordshire District Council & Vale of White Horse District Email: [email protected]
Freddie Van Mierlo - South Oxfordshire District Council
Email: [email protected]
Anneliese Dodds - Oxford City Council
Email: [email protected]
Layla Moran - Oxford City Council & Vale of White Horse District Council
Email: [email protected]
Charlie Maynard - Vale of White Horse District Council & West Oxfordshire District Council
Email: [email protected]
If you are not sure who your MP is, you can click on the following button to see which wards they cover.
Parliamentary constituencies in Oxfordshire - click here
Within Oxfordshire, the key contact for Adult Social Care is -
Tim Bearder - Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care at Oxfordshire County Council.
Email: [email protected]
Local Information
The Oxfordshire Advice Partnership is a free service that provides advice on benefits, entitlements and debt support for people in Oxfordshire who struggle with day-to-day life due to illness or a disability.
You can find out more about them and what services they offer either on their website or by contacting them on email [email protected] or Telephone 01865410660.
Click here to access the Oxford Advice Partnership
Oxford Advice Navigator
The Oxfordshire Advice Navigator is a key tool in this initiative, providing accurate, tailored, and relevant information on benefits, entitlements and debt support.
The navigator is an online tool available at www.oxfordshireadvicenavigator.org.uk and can be accessed by both professionals and individuals looking for support, as well as those caring for them. You can access this by clicking on the button below.
For those requiring additional support, the system can generate referrals to the Oxfordshire Advice Partnership, ensuring comprehensive assistance.
Click here for the Oxford Advice Navigator
Coffee, Chat and Support Groups in Oxfordshire
Events and Activites in Oxfordshire
OxFSN Social Media/Newsletters
To keep informed on what is happening locally, head to our Facebook or Instagram page and click ‘follow’. We regularly share events and activities in the Oxfordshire area which may be of interest to you. You can find us by clicking the icons on the left for Facebook, Instagram and X.
Short Breaks Newsletter for Families with Disabled
Children and Young People
Short Breaks keep families and professionals informed through the monthly Short Breaks Update bulletin. If you would like to receive your own copy of the Short Breaks Update, click on the image below for details.
They also have a Facebook group page - Oxfordshire SEND Families Together. This is a group for parents of children and young people with impairments living in or near Oxfordshire. The group page is designed for sharing information, activities, events that will be useful and relevant to families. It is also open to professionals working with these families. You can find this, by clicking the button below.
Oxfordshire SEND Families Together Facebook Page - click here
We provide our services for free, but as a small charity, donations are always appreciated. Thank you for your continued support.
To donate to OxFSN - please click here
We are also registered with easyfundraising. It is easy to sign up and see your favourite brands donate to the cause you care about whenever you shop with them.
Click here for our easyfundraising page