Dear Parent/Carer

From 31 January, 5-21 year olds living in Scotland will be eligible for free bus travel across Scotland with a valid National Entitlement Card. You can apply for 10 January 2022. However, in light of high levels of COVID-19 transmission, the Scottish Government is asking that you only apply to the scheme at this point if it is essential* that you, or your child, travel while restrictions are in place. All other eligible applicants will be proactively encouraged to apply at a later date.

*There is no prescribed list of what constitutes essential travel – it will differ for different children, young people and families. But it might include travel for education, training, work, care or health reasons.

Even if your child already has a National Entitlement Card or Young Scot National Entitlement Card,  they must apply for a new or replacement card to travel by bus for free.

You can visit theTransport Scotland websiteto find out how to apply and more.

Staying Safe

Please follow the latest Scottish Government COVID–19 guidanceat all times.

Please also see links below to a couple of videos with step-by-step instructions on how to apply for a NEC and free bus travel through getyournec.scot. These first videos look at the process for a parent/carer applying for a new card for their child aged 5-15, and for requesting a replacement card with travel for a child who already has a NEC.

• How to apply for a card for your child:https://youtu.be/Ev_sEjprEDE
• How to request a replacement card with free bus travel:https://youtu.be/M7OgYZ3Fh5s

Kind regards

Angelina

Family Fund

As you will know, winter can be a particularly difficult time for families raising a disabled or seriously ill child, and many families in this situation will be looking for extra help over the coming weeks.

At Family Fund we provide grants for essential items such as clothing, computer equipment, domestic appliances and sensory toys, and we have provided grant support to more than 5,000 families already this year.

Thanks to funding from Scottish Government, we are still in a position to provide grant support to hundreds more families in Scotland.

We are accepting applications now, but we need your help.

If you have a newsletter or event aimed at families raising disabled a disabled or seriously ill young person aged 17 or under, please help us to reach out to them by including the message below.

Please note that our funding is limited to this financial year, so we are encouraging people to apply by mid-February.  Also, although we will be processing applications as quickly as we can, in most cases grant items will not be received until after Christmas, so we are deliberately not marketing this opportunity as a Christmas campaign.

Any support you can give to ensure that eligible families are able to take advantage of this funding would be gratefully received and please also let us know if there are other ways we can work together.  For example, we can supply posters or leaflets, hold digital events, or attend your in-person events to explain more about Family Fund and the support we offer.

Many thanks for your help – and please do not hesitate to get in touch on the contact details below if you require any further information on Family Fund’s activities in Scotland.  Please note that this is contact for partners, and that families should contact Family Fund through the website www.familyfund.org.uk

Salena Begley MBE

Parent Engagement Manager, Family Fund

Salena.begley@familyfund.org.uk

In 2011 Scottish Government launched The Scottish Strategy for Autism and every local area was required to create a local autism plan. As the Strategy comes to an end we would like to find out how people’s lives have been impacted by the Edinburgh plan. We have drawn up short questionnaires to help us evaluate what has been offered locally in response to the Edinburgh 10-year plan. Information shared will be looked at by a multi-disciplinary group working together to develop future plans and supports for autistic individuals and their families/ carers in Edinburgh.

These questionnaires are just one way that feedback will be gathered. The intention of the group is to seek the views of a wider audience, including autistic children and young people, through a range of approaches to ensure that future planning is informed by research evidence, practitioner knowledge and lived experience.

Please select a link from below to complete the questionnaire relevant to your personal situation:

1. Parent/ Carer of an autistic child or young person in City of Edinburgh Council provision – https://forms.office.com/r/SXB0ga0yXV
2. Parent/ Carer of an autistic child or young person enrolled in independent school or being home educated – https://forms.office.com/r/YHeWViyYpF
3. Autistic adult or parent/ carer of an autistic adult – https://forms.office.com/r/hrUVyYvByh

Apologies if you have received this email more than once. It is not expected that anyone completes this more than once, however some autistic parents of an autistic child or adult may wish to complete a questionnaire from each perspective.

Submission is anonymous and responses will be accepted until 18^th May 2021.

Thank you in advance for your time and help.

Nicola Hammond-Evans