SEND support groups and events
Introduction
Looking after a child with special educational needs and/or disabilities can feel lonely and isolating at times. You can often feel that you are going through a maze of special educational needs and health assessments.
Life at home can be very difficult but also rewarding. It can be really good to talk with other parents and get advice from those who have been, or are going through, similar situations.
Local SEND support organisations and groups
Local support organisations include:
- ASD Helping Hands (opens new window) - support for families who have a child with an Autistic spectrum disorder
- Autism Anglia
- Norfolk SENDIASS (SEND information, advice and support service)
- Norfolk SEN Network
- SENsational families - for families with a child with SEND
- Nansa (the Norfolk and Norwich SEND Association) (opens new window)
Support groups are ideal:
- To meet other parents and carers in a similar situation
- For friendship and opportunities to socialise
- To share information
Find other local support groups
Search the Norfolk Community Directory
Contact, the national SEND charity, can also signpost you to local groups.
National SEND support organisations and groups
National support organisations include:
- Contact - for families with a child who is disabled
- Carers Trust - for parent carers
- Carers UK - for parent carers
- Down's Syndrome UK
- IASS Network - information, advice and support services
- IPSEA - independent parental special educational advice
- MENCAP - for families with a child who has learning disabilities
- Mind - mental health charity
- National Autistic Society
- Nip in the Bud - films and fact sheets about mental health and neurodiversity
- SWAN UK (Syndromes Without a Name) - for families with a child with a rare genetic condition
Support groups are ideal
- To meet other parents and carers in a similar situation
- For friendship and opportunities to socialise
- To share information
Find other national support organisations and groups
Search the Norfolk Community Directory
Contact, the national SEND charity, can also signpost you to national groups.
Making Sense of SEND events
Making Sense of SEND events give you the chance to:
- Visit information stands from a range of services
- Listen to a presentation on a specialist subject
- Ask questions
- Meet like-minded parents and carers
These free events are exclusively for parents and carers who have a child with SEND. They are coproduced with Family Voice Norfolk and Norfolk SENDIASS. At each event we aim to have between 15-20 information stands with local organisations that provide services for children and young people with SEND and their families.
Dates of the next events
- Wednesday 15 May 2024 (Knight's Hill Hotel, King's Lynn)
- Tuesday 9 July 2024 (Greenfields Community Centre, Norwich)
- Thursday 19 September 2024 (Charles Burrell Centre, Thetford)
- Tuesday 26 November 2024 (King's Centre, Great Yarmouth)
- Wednesday 23 January 2025 (Cromer Parish Hall, Cromer)
- Wednesday 19 March 2025 (Knight's Hill Hotel, King's Lynn)
These events take place in person.
Book your place
SEND support events for families
We share information about support events for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities on our social media channels.
Facebook www.facebook.com/sendnorfolk
Twitter www.twitter.com/send_offer
Other events you might be interested in
- SENsational families support groups (opens new window)
- Norfolk Portage Service fortnightly parent/carer group
Facebook SEND support groups
In Spring 2021, we spoke to parent carers to find out where they found useful information and guidance to support them.
Many parent carers mentioned they were members of Facebook groups. They found these online groups useful to speak to other parent carers virtually who are in similar situations.
These are some of the Facebook groups mentioned:
- Disability Network Norfolk Group
- Parents of children with Down's Syndrome
- Slice of Advice support network for parents carers of children with Autism
Parents also mentioned they found Facebook pages of groups and organisations a useful source of information.
These are some of the Facebook pages mentioned:
- Autism Anglia
- Norfolk SENDIASS
- Norfolk SEND Local Offer
- Newbold Hope supports families of violent children who also have an additional need.
Contact workshops and events for families
Contact is a charity for families with disabled children that provides support through information and advice, a listening ear and workshops and events.
Find out about the range of workshops, information sessions and online events on offer, where you can meet families like yours.