SEND

Overview

Under section 23 of the Children and Families Act 2014 there is a duty for health bodies to inform parents of any voluntary organisations likely to be able to offer advice or assistance in connection with any special educational needs or disability their child may have.

There are local organisations who can offer FREE information, advice and or assistance to such parents.

SEND and You (SAY) SENDIAS Service

The SAY SENDIAS service is available across BNSSG.

SEND and You (SAY) SENDIAS Service – a free, confidential and impartial statutory service offering information, advice and support (IAS) to children and young people (0-25 years) with Special Educational Needs and/or a Disability (SEND), parents and carers as well as Professionals.

We offer advice about areas of SEND, including the EHC assessment process, early years, support in school, exclusions, admissions, complaints and appeals, as well as signposting. We offer an IAS Line with a 24-hour answerphone, have a contact form via our website and provide support group and/or surgery sessions. 

The website also includes short animation videos, which tell families about the support offered by SAY

Bristol

Healthwatch Bristol 

A local, independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Our role is to listen to your experiences of using services, including GPs, dentists, and hospitals, and speak out on your behalf. We collect and analyse people's views to ensure that those who run the services you use know what works and what doesn't. We can help with signposting and providing you with the information you need to access health and social care services in your local area.

Bristol Parent Carers

An independent, parent-led organisation providing support for Parents of Children with additional needs.

They support and connect parents of children and young people (ages 0-25) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Bristol.

Bristol Parent Carers Information Booklet

Bristol Parent Carers Poster

SEND Local Offer (bristol.gov.uk)

A ‘local offer’ gives children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families information to help them find the right help and support in their area. 

Early Years Support Practitioner

Children who live within Bristol City Council area also have access to Sirona’s Early Years Support Practitioners, who support preschool children with disabilities and their families.

North Somerset

North Somerset Parents and Carers

Help to shape services in North Somerset for children and young people up to 25 years with additional needs and/or disabilities. NSPCWT offers free training, events, signposting and support to Parent Carers in North Somerset, whilst gathering their collective voice to help effect positive change.

North Somerset Parents and Carers Flyer

North Somerset Parents and Carers Poster

There is an animation video about NSPCWT on YouTube.

North Somerset SEND Local Offer 

A ‘local offer’ gives children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families information to help them find the right help and support in their area. 

Healthwatch North Somerset 

A local, independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Our role is to listen to your experiences of using services, including GPs, dentists, and hospitals, and speak out on your behalf. We collect and analyse people's views to ensure that those who run the services you use know what works and what doesn't. We can help with signposting and providing you with the information you need to access health and social care services in your local area.

South Gloucestershire

South Glos Parent Carers

Helping to influence and shape services in South Gloucestershire for children and young people up to 25 years with additional needs and/or disabilities and their families.

SGPC offers informative workshops, events, signposting and Peer support to Parent Carers.

South Glos Parent Carers Information Guide for Associates explaining in more detail what SGPC offer as a service and how families can access these arrangements, along with information about how they work co-productively and an FAQ.

South Glos Parent Carers Information Guide for Families explaining the variety of ways that SGPC can support them and how they can access the support, along with an FAQ.

Digital copies of the information guides can be found at Resources — South Glos Parent Carers (sgpc.org.uk)

South Glos Parent Carers Poster

SEND Local Offer | South Gloucestershire (southglos.gov.uk)

A ‘local offer’ gives children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families information to help them find the right help and support in their area. 

Healthwatch South Gloucestershire 

A local, independent champion for people who use health and social care services. Our role is to listen to your experiences of using services, including GPs, dentists, and hospitals, and speak out on your behalf. We collect and analyse people's views to ensure that those who run the services you use know what works and what doesn't. We can help with signposting and providing you with the information you need to access health and social care services in your local area.

Self Help Resources

Incredible Kids 

https://incrediblekids.org.uk/  

Inclusive play sessions in Bristol. Whether you are looking for support, advice, friendship or fun inclusive family play you will find something for everyone in your family at Incredible Kids. Whatever additional needs or disability your child or young person has Incredible Kids is a place where you are all welcomed, accepted and understood. 

Sensory processing Advice line 

https://www.sirona-cic.org.uk/children-services/services/occupational-therapy/

Occupational therapy helpline for advice with sensory processing concerns - 07971035385. Available on Thursday mornings. Please call between 8am and 9.30am to book a 30 minute slot for that morning.  

Happymaps

A locally developed website which includes information on ADHD, SEND and Autism in children. See the Happymaps Remedy page for more details.

Diability Living Allowance 

https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children   

Advise parents that their child may be eligible for Disability Living Allowance even without a diagnosis. 

Bristol Disability Register 

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/web/bristol-local-offer/bristol-childrens-disability-register  

A voluntary register. Once registered, families will receive a pink card from Disabled Children Services, which you can use as identification if the disability isn’t obvious. It also allows you to get discounts.   

IPSEA 

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/ 

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is Nationwide charity which offers free and independent legally based information, advice, support and training to help get the right education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).  

 JIGSAW

https://www.jigsawthornbury.org.uk/ 

JIGSAW is a charity based in South Glos. which offers support and events for families and young people with additional needs. The charity supports people living within BS, BA or GL postcodes.

Efforts are made to ensure the accuracy and agreement of these guidelines, including any content uploaded, referred to or linked to from the system. However, BNSSG ICB cannot guarantee this. This guidance does not override the individual responsibility of healthcare professionals to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer, in accordance with the mental capacity act, and informed by the summary of product characteristics of any drugs they are considering. Practitioners are required to perform their duties in accordance with the law and their regulators and nothing in this guidance should be interpreted in a way that would be inconsistent with compliance with those duties.

Information provided through Remedy is continually updated so please be aware any printed copies may quickly become out of date.