Warwickshire Local Offer
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities: FAQ
A child or young person has special educational needs and disabilities if they have a learning difficulty and/or a disability that means they need special health and education support. We shorten this to SEND.
What is Warwickshire's SEND local offer?
Click here to view the Local Offer in Warwickshire
Warwickshire’s SEND local offer brings together information about the local services and support available across education, health and social care for families with children and young people aged 0 to 25, who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
What is SEND?
SEND stands for Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability.
Someone has SEND if they:
- Have a learning difficulty which makes learning harder, e.g ADHD and dyslexia.
- Have a disability, e.g. physical disability and neurological conditions like autism.
You do not need a diagnosis to receive special educational provision.
What help/support can I get?
Understanding SEND: Parenting support
Parenting support for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
Some parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities will find that the workshops and family support offered through our early help programme will meet their needs. Others may feel isolated and frustrated that the ‘standard parenting advice’ doesn’t seem to work for them.
We would always advise starting with the early help parenting courses and/or discussing your concerns with a family support worker. It may be that a more targeted intervention, supported by the early help team, would better suit your needs.
Click here to find out more via the Warwickshire County Council Website.
Early help parenting courses
Early help parent courses are suitable for all families, including those with children who may have additional needs. Some of the courses are designed specifically with additional needs in mind, these include a specialist sleep programme and the Incredible Years programme.
The specialist programmes, such as Incredible Years, are intensive, targeted interventions, with limited availability. To ensure accessibility for those families most in need, it is essential that the above stepped approach is followed. Please speak with your allocated worker/school or the FSW helpline for more information.
The courses are offered on a rolling programme:
- book onto a parenting course via Eventbrite by clicking here
- contact the early help family support team, from Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm on 01926 412412
Understanding your child with additional needs
Understanding your child with additional needs is an online parenting guide specifically designed for parents and carers of children with additional needs. Anyone involved with your child can do the course for themselves as well.
It is equivalent to a 10 session group for parents so it is a big course with lots of relevant content which you can take at your own pace, when it suits you and your family. It is set out in two sections. Level 1 covers the foundation for understanding your child. Level 2 looks at some specific aspects of parenting such as sleeping and anger management, together with more about how we interact with each other.
Find your free code and to book on a course - free online courses for parents by clicking here
Community autism support service (CASS)
This service provides autism support for children, young people and adults across Coventry and Warwickshire. It is open for those with a diagnosis of autism or who are on the waiting list for an autism diagnosis. The service covers individuals and parents or carers.
Start by calling the Navigation Team to ask about available support. The team is made up of autistic individuals and those with lived experience, including parents or carers of autistic individuals.
Click here to visit the CASS website for more information about the community autism support service
CASS also run training and education sessions led by autistic individuals and parents of autistic children. The Toolbox series are short sessions with an element of ongoing peer support, and the workshop sessions are a longer format around relevant themes.
Entrust Care Partnership
Entrust Care Partnership is a Warwickshire not for profit service set up to offer support to families caring for children, young people and adults with disabilities, additional or specific needs. Entrust offers services where families can participate in group activities, attend workshops and receive support either in a group setting or one to one.
For more information on Entrust Care Partnership click here.
Contact Lynne Barton to register your interest - lynnebarton@entrustcarepartnership.org.uk
Moving up; for parents and carers of children moving up to a new school
Moving up and changing school is a big change for children and parents or caregivers. It’s a new stage of growing independence and separation. Fears and worries are normal as well as excitement, as with each stage of childhood development. As parents, your role is to help children cope with and overcome their fears, to nurture them to feel brave and capable.
The ‘moving up’ hub includes free video guides, relevant online course information and topical blogs for parents and carers on preparing for new school transitions.
Visit the moving up hub by clicking here.
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