Is the event accessible?
If your young person has Special Educational Needs, a physical disability, or is coping with their mental health, please know they’re in safe hands.
Our Inclusion Team works with SEN, accessibility needs and wellbeing every day, both professionally and at home. We have members trained in Safeguarding, Mental Health First Aid, Positive behaviour support and managing challenging behaviour.
We understand how nerve-racking it can feel sending your young person away for the first time, and we will look after them with the care we’d want for our own.
Working together before camp
The best way for us to support your young person is to get to know them a little first. We will invite you to chat with us about what helps them feel secure, what they might find difficult, and anything you know already works well. We will also work with their leaders to understand what baseline is like on a usual night. This isn’t an assessment, it’s simply a conversation, and you, and your young person are the expert on them.
From that, we will put together a simple support plan so everyone is clear on what they need and how we can help. You and your young person will always have a say in this, and nothing is put in place without yours and their agreement.
What support can look like
Everyone is different, so we shape our approach around the individual. Some need quiet breaks, some prefer clear routines, some benefit from extra time or reassurance, and others may need physical adaptations or mobility support. For young people experiencing anxiety, low mood or other mental health challenges, we make sure they have space to pause and someone trained to talk things through.
We can offer:
- Calm, low-stimulus spaces for those who get overwhelmed
- Visual timetables or simple, clear instructions for those who like structure
- Flexibility so they can take part at their own pace
- Extra reassurance and familiar adults nearby when needed
- Agreed strategies to help with anxiety, behaviour or emotional distress
- A supportive ear from someone MHFA trained if they’re feeling low or anxious
- Practical support for physical disabilities, including some accessible routes, disabled facilities and activity adaptations. (This is improving year on year!)
Over the last few years, we have also worked hard on the infrastructure of the event site so that young people and adults with physical disabilities can join us more easily. We have accessible toilets, washing facilities and spaces designed to reduce barriers. If your young person has specific physical needs, we will work with you and with them to make their time with us as comfortable, safe and enjoyable as possible.
On the day
Our team will be around throughout the event, keeping an eye out and checking in. If something isn’t quite right, we will support the leader team to adjust. You won’t be bothering us by sharing extra information or last-minute concerns, the more we know, the better we can support your child.
After the event
We are always happy to talk things over afterwards. Many young people finish the weekend feeling proud of themselves and more confident than when they arrived. Our hope is that your young person gets that same experience, a chance to take part, feel supported and enjoy the adventure.