SEND
Early help SEND offer
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) is the business of everyone who provides early help. Work with families, children and young people acknowledges the strengths and needs of the child/young person and all members of their family with support focused on the removal of barriers.
Parent carers of children and young people need those supporting them to be empathetic and to understand the challenges they face, responding with practical help and strategies.
Collaboration with a wide range of multi-agency professionals, including colleagues from across health, education, social care and the wider community is key to providing the support children/young people and their families need. We host regular themed SEND specific drop-ins at our family hubs and spoke venues across the county that allow parent carers to drop-in and chat with a range of multi-agency professionals.
The SEND operational lead in early help takes a central role in guiding practices, overseeing the work completed by early help professionals with families, ensuring effective support for those with SEND, and actively contributing to the development and delivery of training programmes to enhance the overall assistance provided.
Find out more about the spring 2024 Meet and Chat SEND drop-in sessions that we recently hosted.
Local offer website
The local offer website has two main sections. The first is the information section, where systems and processes are explained, such as how to get extra help at nursery or school, or who to speak to if you're worried about your child's progress. This section will introduce parent carers to services that might help a family, and help them to understand what support is available from a range of services across education, health and social care.
The second section is the service directory. There's is a comprehensive list of services, clubs, support groups and businesses that might be of use to a family. It provides a brief introduction to what's offered and contact details so that they can find out more. There's also a listing of events and activities that families might find of interest.
The Family Information Service manages the SEND local offer. This is a single place for information, services, and resources for children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/ or disabilities, their families, and the practitioners who support them. It's been designed with a family's needs at the heart of the process. There is a video, an easy read document and promotional materials to explain it.
The SEND local offer on social media
The SEND local offer also has popular social media accounts for up-to-date news and information, so make sure you tell parent carers - and follow along yourself to keep up to date with news. You'll find us on:
