About PACT

PACT
Who Are We?

Parents of Autistic Children Together, or PACT as we are otherwise known, is a voluntary organisation that aims to support the needs of families, carers and friends of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders living in Barking & Dagenham, Havering and surrounding areas.

PACT was formed in response to a lack of specialist service provision in this part of North East London/Essex.

Since our formation in 1995, we have provided a fully integrated activity programme for families of Autistic children, offering activities which are generally inaccessible due to lack of suitability, inadequate support and absence of specialised facilities.

In addition, we offer advice and information on the many issues which affect Autistic individuals - ranging from welfare benefits and education advice to dietary information and behaviour management.

Mission Statement.

"To empower young people on the Autistic Continuum by the provision of advice, support, information, training and educational activities, aiding them towards equal opportunities & social integration: and by the provision of the same services to their carers, families and friends, enable them to assist the young people to achieve that end"

Our Services.

• We provide Welfare Benefits advice assisting families to fill in benefits forms.
  
• We provide advocacy to our members and help to represent their child's interest at meetings with education providers.
  
• Telephone advice and information is available to both members and non-members.
  
• Weekly Youth Provision for PACT members aged between 8 - 18 years of age, including football workshops.
  
• We maintain a library of publications relevant to our members.
  
• Regular integrated activities for the families within our membership and their children.
  
• Conferences.
  
• Quarterly Newsletter highlighting current information on Autism and Asperger's Syndrome, from a variety of sources including the media, government and medical worlds.
  
• One to one support for individuals/families experiencing particular difficulties.
  
• Coordinate the Way2Say group which supports families living in Barking & Dagenham
  
• Support with speech & communication difficulties
  

What Is Way2Say?

The Way2Say group supports families living in Barking & Dagenham and the aim of the group is to deliver Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) to children (aged 2-4) and their families through a multi-agency team. Way2Say supports the implementation of PECS through parent groups and home visits. The group meets fortnightly for 12 weeks to discuss principles, share ideas and problem solve. On alternate weeks two co-workers visit the child and family at home to practice PECS, discuss strategies and leave resources. Way2Say Co-workers are recruited for a range of services including health, education, social services and the voluntary sector. They are a multi-disciplinary group which includes health visitors, community nursery nurses, portage workers, speech & language therapists, parents and inclusion staff, all co-workers have attended the two day PECS training run by Pyramid Educational Consultants. See the following website PECS for further information.

The Way2Say group provides support for children with communication difficulties through:

• Practical guidance on the use of PECS with young children for parent/carers and practitioners
  
• Visits to support the use of PECS in the home and /or pre-school setting
  
• Access to practical resources e.g. pictures/symbols, specialised resources for loan
  
• Opportunities for parent/carers and professionals to meet together and support each other
  

Who We Are.

Chris Gillbanks - Director

Trustees

Chair - Mick Hitchin
Vice Chair - Tony Fuller
Treasurer - John McKernan
Secretary - Joy Palmer
Member - Doreen Stevens
Member - Delia Rowley
Member - Denyse Lillington
Member - Marcella Cooper

Dawn Denton - Information & Advice Worker

The role of the information and advice worker is to support families to access the best provision for their children with ASD.This includes:

• Information on Autistic Spectrum Disorders
  
• Assistance with form filling, both benefits and education
  
• Advice and information on Education provision
  
• Support at meetings with Educational Providers
  
• Organising conferences, workshops etc.
  

Lynn Chapman - Administrator/Way2Say Coordinator

The role of the administrator is to promote the services that we provide and maintain the efficient running of the office by:

• Offering initial telephone advice on the services we offer to parents/carers and professionals
  
• Producing the quarterly newsletter
  
• Keeping a database of members
  
• Managing the specialised library
  
• Supporting families through the use of symbols, picture timetables and social stories
  
• General admin duties
  

The role of the Way2Say Coordinator is to support families in Barking & Dagenham with young children who have Speech & Communication difficulties by:

• Arranging two parent groups a year
• Arranging regular meetings with the rest of the Way2Say team
• Liasing with co-workers and keeping them informed
• Co-working one or two children per group
• General admin duties

Maggs Donovan - Children Services Manager

The role of the Children Services Manager is to arrange activities to empower young people to flourish as individuals and be valued members of society by:

• Coordinating and managing the four youth groups
  
• Recruiting and supervising paid & voluntary staff employed to work at the youth groups
  
• Running football workshops
  
• Organising holiday activites, family day trips, Christmas Parties etc.
  
• Organising training on ASD for in house staff training and for outside providers
  
• Supporting families in attending meetings

Support Staff & Volunteers

We have a number of staff & volunteers who support us within our various projects whose roles are to support the young people in gaining confidence and assisting them in social activities aiming for their independence.