Social care for children, young people and families
Essex County Council and Local Offer sites offer a range of different services to support children, young people and families with sensory impairments.
The Local Offer site provides information about services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disability (SEND). Under the Children and Families Act 2014 each Local Authority was required to publish a Local Offer detailing what provision and services were available in their area by the 1st September 2014.
It provides:
- Education
- Employment and Training
- Entertainment and Leisure
- Equipment and Resources
- Health
- Social Care and Family Support
- Housing
- One Planning and Education, Health and Care Plan
- Money matters
- Transport
Specialist Teaching and Preschool Services provide specialist educational advice and support by qualified Teachers for children and young people with a sensory impairment and their families from the point of diagnosis.
Details can be found here:
https://send.essex.gov.uk/search-support-groups-and-activities/vision-impairment-vi-service
Essex County Council provides a wide range of services and support ranging from Rehabilitation for Visually impaired children and young people and Occupational Therapy to Adoption and Fostering, Blue Badges and Social Care.
Advice and information is available to parents, grandparents, guardians and carers and they also provide information about support for parents. This ranges from information about planning a family and becoming a parent to early years childcare and schools. You can find out about:
- Adoption and fostering
- Information for parents
- Protecting vulnerable children
- Family support
- Looked after children
- Youth Offending Service
- Young carers
- Children with disabilities or special needs
- Healthy child programme
Full details about the different Social Care locality teams are here:
To make a new referral for children up to the age of 18, please complete a request for support through the online portal or family members can telephone 0345 603 762718.
To make a new referral for young adults aged 18 and over, email socialcaredirect@essex.gov.uk or telephone 0845 6037630.
If you need assistance to find the information you need and would like to chat please contact us.
www.natsip.org.uk the National Sensory Impairment Partnership is a partnership of organisations working together to improve outcomes for children and young people with sensory impairment. Their website offers access to a wealth of resources, most of which are now freely available.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a national charity for people who are losing their sight or are blind or partially sighted. It has a resource section for parents of blind or partially sighted children page on their website which can be found here:
Sense is a national charity supporting and campaigning for people who are deafblind and those with sensory impairments. They also help with issues involving education and offer advice on how to access services your child may need.
Royal Association for Deaf (RAD) Children and Families Service supports all families, where one or more members of the family unit are D/deaf, by providing information, support and accessible and inclusive activities.
The National Deaf Children’s Society is the leading charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people.
Inclusive Communication Essex (ICE) Resource Service works to improve communication with children and adults who have learning disabilities.
Action for Family Carers provide support for carers in their caring role of any age. They provide practical and emotional support and advice, information on financial and legal matters, training for carers, how to access respite services.
Independent Supporters provide advice and support through the statutory assessment and Education & Health Care Plan (EHC Plan) processes to Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND), and the parents of children with SEND.
Essex Deaf Children’s Society is a registered charity who organise events to enable deaf children and their families to meet each other, share their experiences and also have some fun!
Throughout the year we host events to give deaf children the opportunity to try different activities and meet new people.
Special Needs and Parents (SNAP) support for Essex families who have children aged 0-25 years with any special need or disability.
VICTA supports children and young people who are blind or partially sighted and their families across the UK.