Support and Signposting

Local Area Local Offers

West Sussex Local Offer: West Sussex Local Offer (local-offer.org)Brighton and Hove Local Offer: Special educational needs and disabilities (brighton-hove.gov.uk)East Sussex Local Offer: East Sussex Local Offer

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

Support for Families with Disabled Children (SFDC)

Funded by the Department for Education and managed by Family Fund, the SFDC programme provides a wide range of grant items to families in England with a low-income, who are raising a disabled or seriously ill child or young person. More information at Support for Families with Disabled Children (SFDC) - Family Fund

West Sussex SENDIAS

About us (westsussexsendias.org)

At West Sussex SENDIAS, we provide impartial information, advice and support to children and young people who have SEND (special educational needs and/ or disabilities) for those aged 0-25 and their parent carers. Every SENDIAS follows the national minimum standards for this type of service.

The West Sussex Disability Register

If you have a young person in your family aged between 0-25 who has a disability. Sign up to access discounts on local and national attractions, receive regular eNewsletters with local events, activities and information and much more www.westsussex.gov.uk/disabilityregister

Early Help

‘Early help’ describes any service that supports children and families as soon as problems emerge. All Early Help is voluntary – families do not have to participate if they don’t want to. The rationale is that the sooner a family receives the right support, the sooner they are able to improve their situation and prevent the need for prolonged support.

At Educate U we are fortunate enough to work closely with Kayleigh Maskell, our link worker from the Early Help Dedicated Schools Team.

Early help and early intervention are forms of support aimed at improving outcomes for children or preventing escalating need or risk. Because of this they are also sometimes referred to as prevention or preventative services. These services are part of a “continuum of support” and provide help to families who do not, or no longer, meet the threshold for a statutory intervention.

Kayleigh has provided training for all staff and explained the role of early help and how she can support our families by signposting and supporting them directly with both parents and children on a 1:1 basis. Kayleigh detailed a fresh approach to early help and explained how it has developed over the years, to work holistically with everyone involved in a child’s life and how even just a small piece of support / input from one of her team can make a big change.

Early help and early intervention services can be provided at any stage in a child or young person's life, from the early years right through to adolescence. Services can be delivered to parents, children, or whole families.

Support starts with universal services, such as the school, the health service and the police. Families needing additional support will receive the next level.

A 'whole family' approach ensures that children's needs and welfare are being met and maintained as well as those of the family. This is done by working with the family, local communities and others already supporting them.

Early help also includes parents-to-be and very young children where:

· their needs are not being met by routine or 'universal' services

· they do not meet thresholds for statutory interventions.

There are four elements to early help: 1. The Integrated Front Door (IFD, formerly MASH) aims to provide a single and consistent point of access to advice, guidance and decision-making about the right level of help needed to keep each child safe or achieve change. 2. Early Help Hubs that ensure families passed on by the IFD are joined to the right kind of support quickly through a co-ordinated response with partners.

3. A partnership of specialist keyworkers for families with multiple or complex needs who require coordinated multi-agency support. This aims to prevent the need for statutory social care intervention.

4. Strong local partnerships to support families in their communities and make sure they have the capacity to deliver an early help response.

As our link worker Kayleigh has offered to meet with families at the school, if you would like her input or advice on any aspect of support around your family, please contact Emma Jenkinson (DSL) or Mark Brown (DDSL) emma@educateu.co.uk; mark@educateu.co.uk for a referral.

National Autistic Society

Autism explained National Autistic Society (autism.org.uk)

Autism directory

for local services Autism Services Directory

Tourettes Sussex

is a local support group giving advice and support to adults and children and their families. If you are after education advice please contact:

Lucy at Tourettes Action via lucy@tourettes-action.org.uk

Tourettes Action (tourettes-action.org.uk)

West Sussex ADHD Support

is a parent-led, volunteer team, supporting parents, carers, professionals and families with questions or advice on ADHD.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CrawleyADHD/West Sussex Parent Carer Forum | Goring by Sea | Facebook for Local area support group

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Your mental health :: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Your Mental Health - Sussex Partnership

There are lots of ways you can get help with your mental health, whether you are experiencing a crisis or supporting someone who is.

Single point of access:

West Sussex Single Point of Access (SPoA) :: Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (sussexcamhs.nhs.uk)The West Sussex Single Point of Access (SPoA) is a dedicated service which provides a simplified single route to access specialist emotional wellbeing and mental health support. The SPoA helps direct you to the right service, eliminating the need to refer to multiple services. This is the gateway to a CAMHS referral.

Mind (West Sussex branch)

https://www.westsussexmind.org/West Sussex Mind includes outreach to help people ask and obtain support for their mental health.

The West Sussex SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIAS)

SENDIAS

provides impartial information, advice and support to parents and carers of children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

They offer a Helpline from 9am to 4pm: 0330 222 8555

Email: send.ias@westsussex.gov.uk

Youngminds

https://www.youngminds.org.uk/parent

A charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people. They publish a range of information for parents. They also have a parent helpline.

Calls are free Mon-Fri from 9:30am to 4pm 0808 802 5544

Beat

The UK's Eating Disorder Charity -

Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk) Signposting to local support groups in West Sussex and Brighton and Hove.

Afrid

ARFID - Beat (beateatingdisorders.org.uk) Signposting to information about restrictive eating.

Alcoholics Anonymous

https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

West Sussex Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup has many groups and a range of services in the West Sussex area in support of our primary purpose which is: “To stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.”

Drug and Alcohol Wellbeing Network (DAWN)

Drugs > Drugs services in West Sussex / West Sussex Wellbeing / Provided by West Sussex County CouncilThe Drug and Alcohol Wellbeing Network provides support to West Sussex residents of all ages who are affected by drugs and alcohol, to include the person who is using drugs and/or alcohol, their loved ones who offer support, and the wider community.

NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies

NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression (sussexcommunity.nhs.uk)At NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies (Formally Time to Talk), we offer a range of talking therapies that can help you feel better. Our friendly therapists can help you work through your problems and support you to live life to the fullest again. West Sussex based community hub.

Support for Children and Young people

IASS Home

IASS (iassnetwork.org.uk)

Information, Advice and Support Services – A link for young people.

Childline

https://www.childline.org.uk/Support for children, whatever the worry is.

Dialogue Counselling

Free counselling for 13-25 year olds in Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Lancing, Littlehampton, Shoreham-by-Sea and Worthing.

Call or text 07739 893707

community.counselling@ymcadlg.org

Your Space / FindItOut Centres

Advice and info for 13-25 year olds:

yourspacewestsussex.co.uk Add /finditout for FindItOut Centres, where you can talk to someone about apprenticeships, jobs, counselling, housing, sexual health, families and relationships and substance misuse.