Wellbeing Wise Derby

SEND parents: step away from the late-night Google rabbit holes… 😅

On 26th June, Derby Arena will be packed with amazing people and organisations ready to support SEND families 💛

Support, advice, opportunities, resources and people who get it, all under one roof.

And I’ll be there too! Come and say hello 👋

📍 Derby Arena | ⏰ 10–2pm | 📅 26th June

Sometimes finding support starts with simply walking through the door. ✨

Some of the amazing stalls include👇🏻
.solutions and so much more!!!

So many parents don’t realise they count as carers!

Under the Care Act 2014, a carer is anyone who provides unpaid care for an adult who needs care and support. And for parent carers, the law is clear: if you’re providing care over and above what’s typical for a child of the same age, you are legally recognised as a carer.

For many of us, that realisation doesn’t come all at once. It comes slowly, in the moments where you notice your parenting journey looks nothing like what you pictured. When you realise the support your child needs is far beyond what you thought you’d be providing at their age. When you feel the weight of responsibility, advocacy, and emotional labour that other parents simply don’t carry.

It’s a shift in identity, not away from being a mum, but into acknowledging the extra you do; it shapes your days, your decisions, your energy, and your future.

And the impact of this invisible role is huge:
👉 57% of unpaid carers feel overwhelmed “often” or “always” because they can’t take a break.
👉 Over a third report “bad” or “very bad” mental health, up from 27% the year before.
👉 79% feel stressed or anxious; half feel depressed; half feel lonely.
👉 43% of current or former carers have developed a new mental or physical health condition since taking on caring responsibilities.
👉 62% say they had no choice but to take on the role because no other support existed.

This is the hidden reality behind the word carer:
Parents who are exhausted.
Parents who are stretched thin.
Parents doing the work of multiple professionals.
Parents who love fiercely, and pay for it with their own wellbeing.

If you’ve ever thought,
“I’m just doing what I have to do”… please hear this:
You are a carer.
You matter.
Your wellbeing matters.
And you deserve support, recognition, and rest, not guilt, minimising, or silence.

This Carers Week, I see you and I’m standing with you!

*stats from Carers UK

Sometimes self-care looks less like a solo walk in nature and more like walking behind a child on a bike while they shout ‘MUM!’ every 14 seconds

I know that “just go for a walk” isn’t always accessible advice.
Maybe you’re a single parent.
Maybe your child won’t tolerate being left with someone else.
Maybe you’re their safe person, their regulator, their entire nervous system.

Sometimes looking after yourself means bringing them along. This morning I took my youngest on his bike while I walked.

And because every sentence currently starts with:
“But Mum...”
“And Mummy...”
Or simply...
“MUMMY!”

..I took my headphones too.

(One ear only though. I’m aiming for regulated, not negligent. 😂)

Over the last couple of years I’ve realised I don’t move my body to punish it anymore. I move because my mind needs the quiet.

Research shows that even gentle movement, especially outdoors, can help reduce stress hormones, improve mood and support emotional regulation. And one of the biggest predictors of maintaining movement isn’t motivation...

It’s simply getting started.

The motivation often comes after the doing.

So if you’ve been waiting until you “feel like it”, this is your reminder that you probably won’t.

Put your shoes on.
Walk to the end of the street.
Take the kids.
Take the dog.
Take the headphones if you need to.

You don’t need to run a marathon.

Sometimes a twenty-minute walk while someone repeatedly shouts “MUM!” is still an act of self-care.

And honestly, some days that’s more than enough. 💛

Good morning. We hope half‑term brought a chance for rest in whatever way works for your family.

Derby SEND Voice has several events and opportunities coming up, and we’re excited to share them with you.

We’ll be posting more details shortly, but if you’d like information sooner, you’re very welcome to contact us directly.

Warm regards,
Derby SEND Voice

We talk a lot about “engagement” in education… but too often what’s really being measured is compliance.

Sit still.
Look at me.
Do it independently.
Do it without asking for help too often.
Join in on MY terms not yours.

But is that engagement?
Every child and young person engages differently; through movement, through watching, through dipping in and out, through connection, through safety.

If we want true participation, we have to stop placing the “problem” inside the child and start adapting the task, the environment, and the expectations.
True engagement requires:
👉 psychological safety
👉 sensory accessibility
👉 relational trust
👉 flexible tasks
👉 communication that honours the child
👉 adults who adapt, not demand

What does engagement look like for your child or the young people you work with?
How can we move towards participation over compliance in classrooms and homes?
Please feel free to share your ideas below, because your insight might help someone else 👇

Findings from this new systematic review suggest a significant association between sleep disturbances and sensory processing differences in autistic children and adolescents. Insomnia symptoms and night wakings were most consistently linked with sensory sensitivity and avoidance, particularly within tactile and vestibular domains. Current evidence supports a meaningful relationship between sleep and sensory functioning in autism, although further longitudinal and intervention-based research using objective assessment measures is needed to clarify causality and therapeutic implications.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102302

Follow us to keep up to date on the latest research in Sensory Integration and Neurodiversity.

To learn more about supporting individuals with sensory differences across the lifespan see the link below:
https://www.sensoryintegrationeducation.com/bundles/Sensory-Inclusion-Facilitator-Certificate-B