Caring for someone with SEND
Introduction
Having a child or young person in your family with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can affect every member of your family.
We understand that for children and young people with SEND to do well, the whole family needs to be supported.
Support for the family
Sometimes it can be difficult being a parent and you may feel that you and your family need support.
Family support process
If your child has emotional and social difficulties which are affecting their behaviour, or if you are dealing with lots of professionals and feel you need support for the whole family, you might want to start the family support process to get additional help.
Support for brothers and sisters
Having a brother or sister with SEND can be difficult. One parent explains that, 'Our disabled daughter needs so much more time than other children, meaning that our eldest daughter seems to get pushed aside. Basically having a disabled child can put major strain on all members of a family.'
Young carers can offer support for brothers and sisters.
Support with bereavement
Few life events have a greater impact on children and their families than the death of a family member or close friend. Children and young people can get help to understand what has happened and adapt to a life without their loved one.
Find bereavement support for children, young people and parents/carers.
Support with sleep
The loss of sleep over a long period of time can start to affect family life. Without enough sleep a child's ability to learn, develop and flourish can be affected and this can impact on everyone around them.
Find information about the simple steps you can take to get to sleep and how to sleep better.
SEND support groups and organisations
Many families who have a child with SEND often feel isolated. However there are local support groups and organisations, national support groups and organisations and online support groups where you meet other families and/or chat online.
SEND training and courses
Many families find SEND training and courses are very helpful. We have created an online e-learning course to help parents develop their knowledge of SEND.
SEND support events
We hold free online Making Sense of SEND events for families and share SEND events run by other organisations in Norfolk on our social media channels.
Time for yourself
Looking after yourself as a carer is really important as you need to be well enough to look after your children.
You may be eligible for your child to receive short breaks services.
Work and employment
For many parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities, it is very difficult to think about paid employment, particularly if your child needs a lot of care. However, with support, some parents do manage to work outside the home. Find out how working or volunteering can affect various benefits .
You will have learned a lot of valuable skills as a parent and many of these skills can be transferred to work.
If you need to update your skills and experience there are many ways to do this.
Volunteering
Some parents start by trying voluntary work.
Find volunteering opportunities at Norfolk County Council.
Voluntary Norfolk will be able to tell you about volunteering opportunities in your area.
Gain qualifications and retrain
Our adult learning service offers a wide range of courses, careers advice and guidance.
Jobcentre Plus schemes
Find childcare
Leisure events and activities
If your child or young person struggles with friendships, you might want to find activities and events which they might enjoy so they can meet other people. You might also make friends with other families.
Support for learning
Information and guidance on:
- What happens if a child or young person is having difficulties with their learning
- Support in education
can be found in the education and learning section of our website.
Preparing for the future
It is natural to feel concerned about your child becoming an adult, especially when they have special education needs and/or disabilities.
It is a journey that you will go on together as a family, growing up and experiencing new things. The lives of parent carers also change.
We have created resources for parent carers, so you can help your young person between the ages of 14-25-years-old. It is never too early to prepare for adulthood.
Advocacy support
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is when you get support to have your say by someone speaking on your behalf to ensure that your voice is heard, your rights are protected and your views and wishes are considered when decisions are being made.
Advocacy can be helpful in situations where you find it difficult to make your views known and/or need other people to listen to you and take your views into account.
What does an advocate do?
An advocate is someone who provides advocacy support when you need it. The kinds of help they might give could include:
- Helping you to access the information you need
- Going with you to meetings or interviews, in a supportive role
- Writing letters on your behalf
- Speaking for you in situations where you don't feel able to speak for yourself.
Who can act as an advocate?
You may decide that you want to self-advocate. This means that you want to stand up for yourself and tell others about your views and wishes. But if you don't feel able to do this, you may want someone to act as an advocate on your behalf.
Anyone can act as an advocate, for example a family member, a friend, a professional who is working with you, a volunteer from a charity or a person who is specially trained to act as an advocate.
The important thing is that an advocate must be willing and able to represent your wishes on your behalf, even if they have a differing opinion. An advocate must respect that you are the expert on your life and act on your views and wishes.
Which organisations provide advocacy in Norfolk?
Community Action Norfolk
Community Action Norfolk is an independent charity, which long term focus is to build a stronger, fairer Norfolk. Among other things, the charity provides health advocacy in Norfolk through the NHS Complaints Advocacy Service which is free, confidential and independent.
Coram Voice
Coram Voice enables and equips children and young people to hold to account the services that are responsible for their care. They work to uphold the rights of children and young people to actively participate in shaping their own lives. They have trained staff called advocates who can can help if you are having problems in care or living away from home. There is a Norfolk office based in Aylsham.
Deaf Connexions
Deaf Connexions has an advocacy service for Deaf people in Norwich and East Norfolk, based in the Deaf Centre in Norwich. If you are Deaf and a British Sign Language user who needs help with letters, bills, benefits or information that you do not understand and English is not your first language or you need some support or advice, a Deaf advocate can help you.
Equal Lives
Equal Lives provides specialist advocacy support. Equal Lives website has more information about the advocacy support they provide.
Opening Doors
Opening Doors is a group run by people with learning disabilities for people with learning disabilities. They can give training, advice and support with self-advocacy..
POhWER
POhWER delivers information, advice, support and advocacy services throughout England. We aim to support people who face difficult issues and want to make their voice heard. Find out about POhWER services in Norfolk
Register of disabled children and young people
The Register of Disabled Children and Young People is a secure database of all children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who are known to us (Norfolk County Council).
This information helps us to make better decisions when we are planning and developing services for all families and children. The register also acts like a mailing list so we can send families useful information.