Support for SEND

Within Newham a number of agencies (including charities, parent groups, children’s centres, and youth services) provide support to children and young people with additional needs and their families.

For a small number of families due to their child’s needs or their circumstances additional support is required. In this instance professionals or families can contact the Local Authority to request a social care assessment to determine need and any support required.

If support is required from Social Care this may be through one of the Locality social care teams or for those children with more complex needs the Children and Young People with Disability Team.

The Children and Young People with Disability Team work closely with health and education partners to ensure children and young people are safe and achieve their potential. The team, depending on assessed need, can provide support to families such as:

  • Social Work Support and advice
  • Short Breaks (day and overnight)
  • Personal Care
  • Use of Direct Payments

Further information can be found through the following links:

Early Years

For parents of children aged 0-5 ,we offer support through our children centres offer, which includes access to universal stay and play sessions as well as those devised specifically for children with SEND and their families. To view the Early Years page please click here

For support just for parents, we offer the Early positive approaches to support (EPAtS) programme in partnership with MENCAP.   

Early Positive Approaches to Support

EPAtS is an 8 session group that provides sensitive support and information for families in the early years. All groups are delivered by a trained family caregiver and professional and cover:

  • Accessing services and supports
  • Emotional wellbeing and resilience for caregivers
  • Supporting sleep for children
  • Supporting communication
  • Supporting skills development
  • Positive approaches to behaviors that challenge

In EPAtS you are always the EXPERT on your child. You will have the opportunity to work alongside other families to build on ways to support yourself, your child and family. You will never be judged or told what to do.

How to access EPAtS.

To access the EPAtS programme please ask your health professional (Health visitor, speech and language therapist, occupational health), children centre or early years setting (school based nursery, nursery school, pre-school or child minder) to make an early notification (Early Notification Newham) to the local authority on your behalf. You will then be contacted by MENCAP, who will provide the information about the programme and when and where the next course will be running.

Related Information

Services

Last updated: 24/01/2024

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