Category: Children’s/Youth Workers

These blog posts include tips to help children’s and youth workers engage with, include, and create places of belonging for everyone, especially children and young people with additional needs.

Whatever Your Additional Needs Related Role… Be Kind

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers

Wherever you experience or notice conflict, harshness, unkindness, lack of understanding, and other forms of negativity, let our first response not be to pay it back in return, but to take a deep breath, consider for a moment what might have caused that negativity, and make the choice to show kindness instead. Let us ‘Love one another deeply. Honour others more than yourselves.’ and turn anger, barriers, and criticism into alliances, bridges, and compassion. If we work together on this, maybe, just maybe, it can be as simple as abc!

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know…

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in Children's/Youth Workers, Film/Media, Parents/Carers

As we listened to the broadcast itself, James didn’t particularly respond to his voice on the radio, but as it cut to a beautiful sung version of the song James looked up, a joyful smile spread across his face. I smiled back, and a tear welled in my eye.

Zechariah’s Story: Lessons About Non-Speaking Communication

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers, Theology/Bible Study

Zechariah’s family and friends learned how to understand his different forms of communication during the months when he couldn’t speak. We can do the same for the children, young people, or adults that we are journeying with. By adapting our communication to meet the needs and communication styles of those we know, we can enter more fully into their world, understanding them and what they are sharing with us.

What Additional Needs ‘Badges’ Do You Have?

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers

Let's celebrate our 'badges' and use them to be a help and a blessing to people who are new to our 'pack', who haven't earned their 'badge' yet, but are working towards it.

Building Supportive Community for Parents, Carers, and Guardians of Children with Additional Needs

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers

So many people said how valuable the evening had been. To gather with other parents, carers, and guardians, who are on a similar journey to themselves; to not feel so isolated and alone; to forge connections and friendships; all was hugely helpful.

Was Old Testament Character Isaac Disabled?

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers, Theology/Bible Study

If Isaac, one of the most well-known characters of the Old Testament, and ancestor of Jesus, had additional needs or disabilities, what does that say to us today?

How Our Time On Songs Of Praise Gave Learnings For Us All

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Film/Media, Parents/Carers

I hope that our segment highlighted the challenges, but also the joys, of our story, and echoed the stories of families like ours across the country.

Why The Next Government Must Prioritise The SEND Crisis

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers

If we can’t do the best we can for the weakest in our society, then that is a damning inditement on us all. The incoming Government must address the SEND crisis immediately, and we must all hold them to account to make sure that they do.

Rob Burrow: An Inspirational Life And Legacy

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers, Theology/Bible Study

‘Relentless’ is a great word to use for him; it describes how Rob Burrow played his rugby, and how in these last few years he picked up life, tucked it under his arm, and charged head down towards the try line with it. He probably kicked it over the goal for the extra two points too.

Can Churches Help Families With Children With Additional Needs Stay Together?

by The Additional Needs Blogfather, posted in All Blog Posts, Children's/Youth Workers, Parents/Carers

...In desperation, they reached out to their church and asked if there was anything that the church could do to help… and their church stepped up magnificently. Here are just some of the things the church did...