Useful Organisations
The Local Offer
The Local Offer sets out provision which is available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), aged 0 to 25, including education, health and social care services.
Here is the Southampton Local Offer page
If you need any more information or support, the following organisations may be useful. We have listed some national organisations and other more local ones.
Education
IPSEA
Independent Provider of Special Educational Advice offers free information to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of SEN and disabilities.
SOS!SEN
A national charity to help parents and carers of children with SEN to tackle the difficulties they face when battling for their children’s rights.
Special Needs Jungle
An advocacy platform who create easy to understand information that includes resources and articles for parents/carers of children with SEN and disabilities and health conditions to better enable them to navigate the SEN system.
Health
ERIC
The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity has been dedicated for over 30 years to improving the lives of all children and teenagers in the UK facing continence challenges.
Southampton Mental Health in Schools Team (MHST)
We provide community and mental health services to people in Southampton, Portsmouth and parts of Hampshire and IOW.
Epilepsy Action
A diverse and inclusive organisation that actively reaches out to people across all countries of the UK and welcomes everyone affected by epilepsy.
Social Care & Support
Contact
Offering advice and information about concerns a family may have about raising a child with additional needs.
Southampton Parent
Carer Forum
Southampton Parent Carer Forum aims to support parent carers to participate and have a voice in how services for disabled and special needs children are shaped and delivered locally.
Re:Minds
A parent-led organisation supporting families whose children/young people have neurodiversity/ mental health needs - with or without a diagnosis. They don’t claim to be experts, but people who understand what it can feel like to be on this journey.
No Limits
A local independent charity providing a unique combination of prevention, early intervention and crisis support to young people. Providing. information, advice, counselling and support through a range of services available “under one roof”
Carers in Southampton
A free service for adult informal carers who give their time unpaid to after a family member friend or neighbour with additional needs.
Counselling Directory
Connecting you with help for your mental health.
Condition Specific
Autism Hampshire
Creating opportunities, challenging perceptions, enhancing choices and providing high quality services to meet the diverse needs of people on the autistic spectrum.
The National Autistic Society
Aiming to transform lives by providing support, information and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK as well as their three million family members and carers.
Ambitious About Autism
Offering a variety of different services - All with the aim to make the ordinary possible for children and young people with autism.
NDCS
Their vision is to create a world without barriers for every deaf child. Overcome the social and educational barriers that hold deaf children back.
Mencap
Mencap is the leading voice of learning disability. Everything we do is about valuing and supporting people with a learning disability and their families and carers.
Royal National Institute of Blind People
One of the UK’s leading sight loss charities and the largest community of blind and partially sighted people.
Bibic
Delivering individualised developmental therapy to children and young people aged 6 months to 25 years and training to parents and professionals.
Cerebra
offering a range of free services that enrich the lives of children with brain conditions and support their families and carers.
Challenging Behaviour Foundation
Making a difference to the lives of children, young people and adults with severe learning disabilities whose behaviour challenges by providing info, support, workshops and speaking up for families on a national level.
Carers Trust
We work to improve support services and recognition for anyone living with the challenges of caring, unpaid, for a family member or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or addiction problems.
Family Lives
Working in many different areas and offering support around issues such as bullying, special educational needs and support for specific communities. Also offering a helpline, live chat and email support.
Behaviour Advice
Offering a comprehensive range of training and development in the South East for professionals, parents and carers which can be adapted to individual schools or settings, needs, locality groups or larger conference workshops.
Dimensions
supporting people with learning disabilities and autism to have a louder voice, choice and control in their lives.
British Dyslexia Association
The voice of dyslexic people since 1972. A membership organisation working to achieve a dyslexia-friendly society for all.
Other useful organisations
Breakthrough UK
Providing evidence that removing disability – related field in employment opportunities. We remain at the forefront of the battle for disability rights.
FarmBuddies
The direct link to farms in the South East for young and older people with different abilities and needs.
Family Fund
The UK’s largest charity providing grants for families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.
Disability Rights UK
Disabled Rights Uk is the leading charity of its kind in the Uk. We are run by and for people with lived experience of disabled or health conditions.
Scope
Providing practical information and emotional support when its needed and campaign relentlessly to create a fairer society.
Carers UK
National membership charity for carers, Carers UK is both a supportive community and a movement for change.
My Family Our Needs
Offering information, guidance and advice on all aspects of supporting a child or young person with additional needs from birth right up to the age of 25.
Preparing for Adulthood
Ensuring young people with SEND should have equal life chances as they move into adulthood.