SEND Local Offer

Every local authority has a SEND Local Offer. The purpose of the local offer is to enable parents, carers, children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities to see clearly, from a single and regularly updated source, the services available to local families and how to access them. The offer covers services from birth to 25, across education, health and social care.

Kingston and Richmond children's services are provided by Achieving for Children. The SEND Local Offer sits within their AfCinfo website or you can use this direct link: Local Offer website for Kingston and Richmond.

You can also download the: SEND Local Offer leaflet (pdf)

If you don't live in Kingston or Richmond, your home local authority will also have a SEND Local Offer.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Parent and Carer Engagement Team

The role of this team in Kingston and Richmond is to ensure that parents and carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are fully engaged with the services provided by Achieving for Children.

Find out more at: SEND Parent Engagement Team

Special Educational Needs and Disability Register

All local authorities must have a record or register of children with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) in their area. If you live in either Kingston or Richmond, we encourage anyone whose family includes a child or young person whose has a special educational need or disability to register. Young people over 13 years can register in their own right.

Everyone on the register will benefit from:
Information about support, services, activities and events
Information aimed at young people with disabilities
Opportunities to have your say about the services that are important to you
When you register you have the option to ask for a Disability Awareness Card.

Further Information:

Parent Carer Forums

Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) are independent groups run by parents for parents or carers of children/young people (aged 0 to 25 years) who have any form of special educational need or disability.

They receive funding from the Department for Education and their purpose is to ensure that the voices of parents, children and young people are heard in the planning and implementation of SEND services.

There is a parent carer forum for Richmond and one for Kingston. Again, other areas may have their own PCF.

SEND Information, Advice and Support (SENDIASS)

The Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) in Kingston and Richmond offers advice and support across a wide range of subjects. This may include help with personal budgets and how to use the Local Offer, plus:

support with understanding reports and letters, attending meetings and preparing for assessments and reviews;
information and signposting to support services in your area;
support with Transition and Preparing for Adulthood;
support with and signposting to mediation ;
advice and support on benefits.

These services offer advice to young people aged 16 and above as well as parents and carers.

Contact:

Phone: 020 3793 9596
Email: RichmondKingston@kids.org.uk
SENDIASS website