What we do
From the early stages of diagnosis we support families through every milestone:
- from navigating an increasingly complex health service,
- finding the right school,
- getting a much-needed break from caring,
- reviewing the family finances,
- sourcing specialist equipment,
- having some fun together as a family,
- remembering not to neglect our partners, our other children, or ourselves.
The list of things that people need to know is endless so if someone at PiT hasn't done it we'll find someone who has.
However, we are much more than a support group. Having become a voluntary organisation in 2001 to campaign against closures and cuts, campaigning and advocacy is still very much a part of our work. We have had numerous successes at welfare benefit and educational Appeals and Tribunals and are in great demand for our work on Disability Living Allowance and statements of Special Educational Need.
We can call on a wide network of committed and dedicated volunteers who expertly support this aspect of our charity. We also work with the local authority and various health bodies, co-ordinating participation in Hounslow’s Parent Carers Forum – ensuring that the parental voice is heard by those designing and commissioning services for our children.
Through this we have helped develop play and leisure opportunities for children and young people that were previously non-existent, including our own youth club which launches in January 2012.
We strongly believe that access to good and accurate information is essential in empowering parents. In response to the closure of an existing service we opened our own Helpline in 2008, leading to a significant growth in our membership. We distribute a very highly regarded newsletter to all our members, with an email version going to a further 200 recipients, including many professionals working in health, education and social care.
