Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)

If your child or young person has learning difficulties or a disability that means they need special health and education support, they may be able to get support through their school or a supporting organisation.

Types of SEND support

A child or young person with SEND may experience difficulty learning; for example, it can affect their:

  • communication and interaction – for example, speech and language difficulties
  • cognition and learning abilities
  • social, emotional and mental health
  • sensory and/or physical abilities – for example, their hearing and sight

Support available

There are several ways you can get support for your child or young person.

Croydon Local Offer

The Local Offer provides information and advice to enable young people and their families to get support from voluntary community organisations specialising in SEND support.

Visit the Croydon Local Offer.

Educational settings

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

Read about the different ways you can access SEN support for:

Find out more about SEN support for children from 0 to 15 years old and young people over 16.

Croydon Best Start service for 0 to 5 year olds

Best Start is a universal service that can give you access to early intervention support from pregnancy until your child turns 5. The service ensures that babies and children have the best start in life by giving them access to the right services and information.

Find out more on what Best Start service offers.

Search for a school and educational services

Search for SEND schools in Croydon. 

Search for other educational services – Croydon's Local Offer

Early help intervention support

If housing, family or other domestic circumstance is thought to be contributing to educational need, agencies will work together to provide support.

Early help is based on these principles:

  • early identification and intervention
  • effective integrated support for children with complex needs
  • children, young people and their families are listened to
  • agencies work together with shared responsibility
  • safeguarding and welfare of the child or young person is paramount
  • helping families to help themselves

Find out more about early help support and how you can access it.

An education, health and care plan (EHCP) assessment

If your child or young person up to the age of 25 has more complex needs that are not being met by SEN support or universal services, a parent, carer or professional can request for an EHCP assessment.

Find out more about the EHCP plan process.

For more details on SEND support, read the Local Offer's detailed guidance.

Additional SEND support

Further support is available from the following independent organisations.

Autism Central for Parents and Carers (partnership with Autism Education Trust) 

As parents and carers of autistic children, young people and adults, it can be hard to find help when you’re trying to get the right support. Autism Central aims to make it easier to learn more about autism and services available to you.

www.autismcentral.org.uk

 

Autism Educational Trust

Your child is unique with their individual profile of strengths and differences. Some autism strategies suit some children but might not work for others. The Autism Educational Trust has resources and articles to help you with transitioning your child to nursery and school. Guidance is also available to help the education staff get to know your child as an individual and map up the school’s provisions so you can work out a strategy tailored to your child’s needs.

www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk

 

Contact

Contact is an organisation that provides information, advice and support about concerns a family might have about raising a child with additional needs. They run a free helpline and offer a listening ear support service. 

www.contact.org.uk

 

GOV.UK

The following guides on GOV.UK explain how the system that supports children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND) works. It covers:

  • the law and guidance on which the system is based
  • places to go for help and further information
  • details about changes to the system from 1 September 2014

SEND: guide for parents and carers
SEND support: easy-read guide for parents

 

National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN)

Nasen is a charitable membership organisation that exists to support and champion those working with, and for, children and young people with SEND and learning differences.

www.nasen.org.uk

 

IPSEA

IPSEA help children and young people with SEND and their families get the education they are entitled to by law.

www.ipsea.org.uk

Croydon Active Voices

Croydon Active Voices are a parent and carer forum who represent local families of children and young people living with SEND in the London borough of Croydon.

www.croydonactivevoices.co.uk

Croydon SENDIASS Kids

Croydon SENDIASS Kids is a free, impartial, and confidential service offering information to young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and to their parents and carers.

www.kids.org.uk/sendiass/services/croydon-sendiass