SEND

Children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

In this section, you can find information about where to get help and advice around children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

SEND can affect a child or young person’s ability to learn. They can affect their:

  • behaviour or ability to socialise, for example they struggle to make friends
  • reading and writing, for example because they have dyslexia
  • ability to understand things
  • concentration levels, for example because they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • physical ability

If you think your child may have special educational needs, contact the SEN co-ordinator, or ‘SENCO’ in your child’s school or nursery.

Links to local and national sources of information and support are shown below.  Many of these will show how you can get in touch if you need to talk to someone.

Remember that you can also call into one of the Community Lounges or Family Hubs who will try to help you or put you in touch with the right organisation.

Community Lounges Community Lounge (stoke.gov.uk)

Family Hubs Family Hubs | Family Hubs | Stoke-on-Trent

Links to local organisations in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire

A good range of information about SEND and what to do if you think your child has special needs is available here: SEND 

All councils have to have a local offer for children with special needs.  You can find the link to the Local Offer in Stoke-on-Trent here: SEND Local Offer

Home – SENDIASS (sendiass-stoke.co.uk)- impartial information, advice and support to parents of children and young people with SEN and disabilities tel: 01782 234701

Email: iass@stoke.gov.uk

​The SEND Information Advice and Support Service Duty Phone is available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10.00am to 2.00pm. An answerphone service is available for outside of these times.

Search

Find Services to support around SEN children on community directory Stoke Community Directory/

Links to National websites

Helpful Government website which gives a good overview of SEND. Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND): Overview - GOV.UK 

In Car Safety Centre: Additional Needs

Sense short breaks: Short breaks 

Parents and Carers support from Mencap: Parents & Carers Support 

Mencap Helpline 10:00 – 15:00, Mon-Fri 0808 808 1111

Mencap information on challenging behaviour.  Click here: Challenging Behaviour 

SOS!SEN friendly, independent and confidential advice on SEN - 020 8538 3731

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

Tools

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access a local offer of health and support services to support their development and help them achieve their potential, usually supported with an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP).

SEN support and resources in Stoke-on-Trent: Additional resources – SEND Local Offer (stoke.gov.uk)   

The Council for Disabled Children provides a resource hub for SEND.  This includes up to date practice guidance and toolkits.  Click here to access their webpage: Resources 

Newsletters, resources and more can be found at the Challenging Behaviour Foundation.  Click here to access: The Challenging Behaviour Foundation 

Information for professionals