We showcase the benefits of each of our sessions, and how they could help you or your loved one.
Here at Inclusive Sports Academy, we have several different sessions- and therefore several different ways in which we help the SEND community. We thought that it would be beneficial for those who are looking to use our services to highlight how each session can specifically benefit you or your loved one.
Inclusive Families
This service offers families a location that provides a safe and inclusive environment to make memories and spend quality time together. We all understand at ISA that it can be tough to find somewhere that is disability friendly. Our safe and secure location with a crew of inclusion trained staff ensures that we are prepared for every situation, and our equipment is adapted for both mainstream and disability accessibility.
At our Inclusive Families sessions, we will always provide a timetable of each weekly plan- so you can essentially pick and choose what to do. The sessions are also free, requiring a small donation if you can afford it. If on one or two occasions the parent or carer needs to miss a session, but the child still wants to attend- this is completely fine too!
Inclusive Youth
This youth group mainly centres around gaming, ranging from Xbox and Nintendo Switch all the way through to card and board games! As well as being after school provision, which is a lifeline for so many parents, the group gives opportunities to build friendships and spend time with other SEND children. Much like Inclusive Families it is exclusively catered to disability audiences- so all the games and activities are for every level of age and ability.
Another very good side to the group is teaching that healthy competition is never a bad thing when friendly. We also teach a lot of teamwork within the club, and how working together can have hugely positive results.
We also understand that a lot of gaming consoles can be expensive and therefore a lot of children could miss out, so we are giving them an opportunity to play with equipment they may not have before. Understanding the dangers of online gaming is also very important and hard to track, so we are also giving CYP the chance to online game with their friends in a safe and monitored space.
Community Well Group, Bowls Biscuits and Coffee and 5 for 5
Pretty much all our older people activities all have similar benefits, despite their different layouts.
One of the most important things is reducing isolation. We realise that a lot of older people find it hard to get any time out of the house and the pandemic has only made that much worse. Giving them a reason to venture out even if it’s for just a few hours can massively improve their mental well-being and social life. We cater most of our sessions to have a wind-down break during the time they spend there- and that alone has allowed our audience to make close friends that they now see out of session time.
Improving mobility is also another major beneficial aspect to the sessions. Whether that is physical exercise through the sports and activities sessions that we hold, or seated exercises that we conduct to ensure that even if you are low mobility or are just there for socialisation, you are still getting some exercise.
Inclusive Summer Camps
The summer camps are available to CYP who are eligible for free school meals and live in the Solihull area. The camps have the benefits of our after-school provision and more.
However, one of the main focuses of the summer camp is giving some respite for the parents and carers of the individuals during the summer period. We understand that is can be hard to get child-care during this period, especially for those with SEND. As well as this, giving some children opportunities that they may have never had the chance to before. Trips are often free with the option of a donation, so summer days out become astronomically cheaper.
As well as this, simply giving CYP somewhere to go with their friends as many other mainstream individuals do throughout the summer without fear of alienation, or un-accessible equipment can be the highlight of many of their holidays.
Inclusive PA Work
Our Inclusive PA work offers all the above and more. As all our sessions are scheduled each week, we understand that a lot of people may not be able to cater their timetables. Our Inclusive PA gives our CYP a mentor, a friend and someone that they can spend time with outside of school hours, getting them out of the house with new opportunities.
The activities are also meant to be catered to exactly what the individual wants when they come along. We want the PA sessions to be something they look forward to every week with someone they trust and feel as though they can confide in. We also have several different PA staff, so if there isn’t an initial bond on the first few sessions (we understand- it happens!) then we are more than happy to assign the participant to another worker.
We are currently hiring new Inclusive PA’s… so if you would like to get involved, then please send over your CV and details to caitlin@inclusivesportsacademy.org!
Inclusive Educate
Inclusive Educate is our partner company, and aims to up-skill parents, teachers, and carers to make their skill-set more varied and inclusive. We have several different workshops on offer- that all have different benefits. Here is what we are currently running:
Boccia Leader Workshop: How to set up, lead and referee an inclusive game of Boccia.
Bespoke teacher training workshop: Aimed at teachers to ensure that they know how to run an inclusive class environment.
Club matters participants and volunteers’ workshop: Teaching how to grow your club and audience and how to tailor your sessions for them.
Inclusive Activities: Teaching a range of different inclusive activities for your club or groups.
Mental Health First Aid: Training to ensure that you are equipped to react to an individual who is having a mental health crisis.
You will be rewarded with a certificate at the end of every workshop, along with the ability to be further equipped for inclusive audiences. Upcoming… We have a few upcoming events that we are beginning to start up for 2022. We thought that we would outline the benefits just in case you would like to get involved! Computer Basics Classes It is what it says on the tin! Targeted at the parents and carers of a CYP living with SEND, this class is designed to help them navigate a computer. This class focuses on a range of different skills including E-Safety, device set up and how to operate emails. This can open doors for many who may have lacked the outlet to gain these skills. A laptop will be provided, and the class will be held at multiple locations across the Solihull area. If you want to get involved with this, then please send an email over to SolihullPCV@outlook.com. VRU Evenings In collaboration with the West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit, this after school class is aimed at teenagers, teaching life skills and how to stay safe. This includes county lines risks, how to identify them, avoid them and what to do if they are involved. E-Safety will also be taught, as well as money management and other general skills. Teaching these valuable lessons to young people from an early age is extremely valuable, as many may lack mainstream support outside of ISA. MAPA Outdoor Play After we trialled the sessions at the Meriden Playground last Autumn successfully, we are bringing them back this Spring! In collaboration with our Inclusive Families project, this allows CYP to get out in the fresh air and playing in a different environment. The adventure playground has a number of different accessible pieces of equipment, allowing our CYP to play with their friends in a monitored setting. We make sure that each service we provide has some sort of benefit to the individual that we are delivering to, no matter their ability. Have you attended any of our services and found that they were beneficial to you in a way that we haven’t mentioned? Then why don’t you drop it in a comment below?