LINCOLN ADHD SUPPORT GROUP
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Mission Statement
Lincoln ADHD Support group (also knows as Lincolnshire ADHD Support Services) is a registered charity dedicated to serving individuals and their families affected by the highly prevalent medical condition, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Lincoln ADHD Support group was founded in November 1996 by a group of parents whose children were diagnosed with ADHD. Since its inception, the Support group has been committed to its mission of providing support and promoting knowledge, understanding and positive attitudes towards ADHD. Lincoln ADHD Support Group works at a local level to provide information, training and support for parents, sufferers and professionals in the fields of ADHD and related learning and behavioural difficulties Lincoln ADHD support Group supports a multi-disciplinary assessment and treatment protocol, including education and behavioural interventions, with or without medication and aims to help and support families in finding the most appropriate approach to intervention for their child or for an adult with ADHD. Core values: • Achieving recognition of ADHD and advocacy for children and adults • Providing clear and factually based information • Supporting a broad range of evidence-based interventions • Working with professional organisations in the fields of health, education and youth justice • Providing access for children, adults and families to advice from knowledgeable peers We do, however, continue to struggle to meet demand for our service as other support and local government services for ADHD continue to be cut and demand for our services continues to increase
About This Cause
About ADHD: It is estimated that between 3% and 7% of school age children in the UK have ADHD. The UK's National institute for Clinical Excellence, (NICE), suggests that it affects 5% of the school-aged population. It was thought that children ‘grew out' of the condition by the time they reached adolescence however it is now recognised that, for more than half of children with ADHD, symptoms continue into adulthood. Undiagnosed or untreated ADHD can have a significant long-term impact on a child. Without adequate support and interventions ADHD can result in: Under-performance at school and reduced educational achievement Mental health problems Difficulties in making and sustaining relationships (with peers, teachers and family) Difficulties finding and keeping a job Criminal behaviour ADHD Now: There are notable changes in the way professionals in healthcare, social or educational settings perceive ADHD as a distinct clinical entity, and the virtually universal acceptance of the need for an early diagnosis and management of this eminently treatable condition. Given the high prevalence of ADHD (3% – 5% of population according to most epidemiological studies), there is a general acceptance amongst policy-makers in the UK Government as to the economic and human cost associated with unrecognised/untreated ADHD, both personally on the lives of individuals in short- and long-term, and collectively on the society as a whole. There is now a widely held consensus as to the correlation between indicators of societal ills and ADHD. For example, increasing youth crime, growing underclass, ‘drug misuse culture’ and higher prevalence of self-harm. External lobbying groups have ensured the Green paper for special educational needs provision recognises the needs of children with ADHD in the school setting. The Challenge for Lincoln ADHD Support Group: There is a visible shortage of resources dedicated to the care of individuals with ADHD, and their families in Lincolnshire. As a result of this, many of these individuals with ADHD from all over the county have been turning to Lincoln ADHD support group for help in tackling their difficult personal circumstances within their local service contexts. As the number of individuals diagnosed with ADHD rises exponentially, there has been a corresponding increase in the demand for the services that we offer. The advocacy success of Lincoln ADHD support Group in helping to create a more conducive environment in the county of Lincolnshire for sufferers of ADHD has also led to a continuous rise in demand for our support and information services. The demand for these services exceeds what Lincoln ADHD Support group can supply in support. We are a small team of volunteer workers and staff who remain fully committed to its founding spirit of advocacy for the large number of vulnerable children, young people and older adults with ADHD and their families. How Lincoln ADHD Support Group helps families and individuals with ADHD and associated conditions: Family Support: Support is offered to families and individuals. This is in the form of face-to-face meetings, by telephone, Facebook, Zoom/Teams and by email and may consist of information, strategies or just a ‘shoulder to cry on’. Support has also been given for families and individuals considering assessment for ADHD, Behaviour Management, Accessing services, Appeals and completing Disability Living Allowance forms. We also signpost and refer to other organisations, where appropriate. Due to the increased demand for appointments, we introduced a monthly 2 hour introduction to ADHD workshop for families and individuals who are new to our service. This began in January 2019 and has freed up time for more appointments and other forms of support. In April 2020 this service moved successfully online in response to the Covid 19 pandemic and restrictions. Our Support Line is the only one of its kind in Lincolnshire – we also receive many calls from out of County. Calls are received from Parents, Carers, Individuals and Professionals, including teachers, school nurses, social workers, family support workers and youth workers. Calls from Professionals are generally referrals or queries regarding how best to support a child with ADHD and their families. We receive many invitations to attend school reviews and support meetings. We continue to offer support at TAC (Team around the Child) and Children in Need/Child Protection, with more being supported at school meetings for review, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and SEN (Special Education Needs) Meetings. Demand continues to grow and whilst the majority of our appointments are in and around Lincoln, we have travelled countywide to support families. Since moving services online, we have supported people from all across the Country. Supporting Adults: We also continue to support adults with ADHD pre and post assessment and those who are transferring from children’s services to adult services. This is in the form of one-to-one sessions as well as dedicated Monthly Support Group Meetings - delivered online and in person. In addition to this we deliver our 5 week ‘Resilience and Me’ courses to adults and are currently adapting it to be suitable for Teenagers. The course is aimed at those who have ADHD, Anxiety or other Mental Health difficulties. Families and individuals access the Support Group by: Telephone E-mail Facebook Referral from other agencies Calling in to the Resource Centre Family Activities Due to covid, we have been forced to postpone our Family activities and fundraising events, but are hopeful that we will be able to resume by Easter. Previous activities which included the following: Spring and Bounce days Family Activity days A Football day with Imps in the Community Sports Days Summer and Christmas Fayres Trip to Magna Science Centre Annual Easter egg Hunt Annual Pumpkin Party Monthly coffee and Chat Sessions Fundraising Activities Included: Mad Hatters Tea Party – funded through the Youth Social Action Fund Other Activities: Training and Workshops: Bespoke ADHD Training is delivered to schools and other organisations, including Youth and Family Support Workers and Social Workers. We also deliver ADHD Workshops to families, and our Toolkit, WhyTry and two separate 1 2 3 Magic courses for parents of 2 to 12 year olds and Teenagers. All of our training programmes have been adapted for online delivery. Referrals: We continue to refer to and/or receive referrals from many organisations, including: Community Paediatrics Children’s Services Schools Addaction WLDAS Other voluntary organisations Staff and Volunteers: The Support Group continues to employ a Project Manager on a part time/sessional basis: The Project Manager also gives time on a voluntary basis. There is also a bank of 6 volunteers who regularly give their time Future Plans: We will continue to seek funding to open a multi-function centre to develop our current services since we lost our premises during the pandemic and are currently working from home. We will continue to develop the 1 2 3 Magic Behaviour Management Programme, the Resilience and Me Programme, The Toolkit, ADHD training and Workshops. It is anticipated that revenue from these programmes will eventually sustain the Centre within 2 years, but initially we will require funds to get the ball rolling. In response to evaluation, we also intend to seek funding to develop a follow-up course to the Resilience and Me course, called Self-organisation and Me and updates to our toolkit. We will raise awareness of the condition and the lack of services in Lincolnshire, particularly at the time of transition from children’s to adult services. Supporting families and adults with ADHD continues to be our main priority and we will continue to offer Support and Information and build on the current successful format. Trustees: Mr Chris Monaghan (Chair of Trustees) Mrs Katy Edwards Mrs Carol Grey Mrs Sarah Monaghan (Secretary) Mr Calem Phillips Project Manager: Mrs Sharon O’Dell