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SEND Central

Available help at SEND Central

You can expect to find help at SEND Central from:

There is an Integrated Hub Manager who is working alongside colleagues across statutory, community and voluntary sector to embed a plan of activities that will support families of children and young people who have Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The SEND Central manager is always looking for feedback from parents, carers, children and young people so if you have any ideas that you want to share or and feedback you can email: [email protected] for the attention of the SEND Central manager.

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The Parent Carer Forum York is an independent charity made up of parents and carers of children or young people with additional needs or disabilities (0 to 25) who live in York. They are a voluntary organisation.

The Parent Carer Forum have collaborated in the development of SEND Central from the beginning and have recruited the front of house "navigator" who will be the first person you meet when you visit SEND Central.

The Parent Carer Forum is made up of people with lived experience and are passionate about ensuring that their expertise and lived experience informs decisions made within health, education and social care to improve the outcomes of families who are navigating the world of SEND within York.

The Parent Carer Forum is independent of the Local Authority but have recruited a navigator (2 people on a job share basis) to support parents and carers to gain the right support and sign posting in their SEND journey whether your someone who isn’t sure what your child’s needs are just now or whether you have been receiving support for a long time.

Regardless of where your at, you're welcome to come and link in with the parent carer forum navigator. You can pop in Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.00pm (4.30pm on a Friday), email: [email protected] or telephone: 01904 555076. You can also contact the Parent Carer Forum if your query is not related to SEND Central.

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SENDIASS is York’s SEND Information, Advice and Support Service. SENDIASS provides free, impartial information, advice or support about special educational needs, and disabilities for 0 to 25 year olds.

SENDIASS are a confidential service that can only speak to other services if you give permission, unless there is a safeguarding concern. SENDIASS must give clear information and advice without taking anyone’s side and must be arm’s length to the Local Authority.

One of the SENDIASS team will be available at SEND Central on the first Tuesday of every month. SENDIASS will offer a private, free 20-minute time to talk together to consider your options. You may have to wait whilst the advisor is with someone else, but you'll be greeted by the SEND Central navigator who can talk to you about what is available.

To avoid not being able to have some time with SENDIASS it is advisable to pre-book a slot in their drop in by contacting the Send Central navigator in person at Send Central, by email: [email protected] or telephone: 01904 555076.

If you're unable to come to SEND Central, you can also contact SENDIASS on their helpline: 01904 554312, where you can leave a message and someone will contact you. All their contact details are on the York SENDIASS website.

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The Wellbeing in Mind Team (WiMT) are working from SEND Central on a Monday with a focus on supporting children, young people and families where they are Electively Home Educated. The WiMT is your local Mental Health Support Team with trained therapists to provide mental health and well-being support for children and young people in 3 ways:

  1. Whole Community Approach WiMT work collaboratively with families to develop a community approach to mental wellbeing. There is no ‘one size fits all’ and WiMT will be responsive to children and family’s needs.
  2. Advice WiMT provide timely advice to parents and carers, and liaise with external services, to help children young people and families to get the right support for their wellbeing.
  3. Direct Work WiMT provide an early intervention service, delivering time limited, evidence-based interventions to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing. These could take place through one-to-one, small group or parent-led support sessions.

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Portage is a home visiting, preschool, education service supporting young disabled children in the family home and the learning environment. Portage will be offering an Early Support Playgroup - a stay-and-play session for parents and carers, and pre-school aged children with additional needs or disabilities. This will take place every other Wednesday morning and there’s no need to book you can just turn up. Portage will also be running an invite only music group on a Tuesday afternoon at SEND Central for children receiving support from the York Portage Service.

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Think Together Team will work from SEND Central on a Wednesday. Their aim is to provide mental wellbeing advice and support to children, young people, families and professionals. In addition, they hope to provide a link with wider Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) available in York, enabling children, young people and families to identify the right mental health support at the right time.

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York Inspirational Kids (YIKS) run a range of different sessions and activities for children, young people, parents and carers from SEND Central. This includes the Autism Hub which runs on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday evening and also their holiday clubs.

YIKs also have a wider offer that includes:

  • a Saturday club running alternate Saturdays
  • a post-16 group for young people 16 to 25 on a Thursday evening from 6.30pm 8.00pm
  • a sibs group for siblings of children and young people with additional needs
  • a preschool drop-in that runs on the first Wed of every month and a youth voice group that meets once a month

Enquire directly with YIKS around becoming a member and attending their sessions. Visit the YIKS website where you can follow the contact us page or we can support you at SEND Central in making contact with YIKS.

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The SEND Case work team oversee the Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan’s in the City of York. York’s SEND Casework Team manager and a duty worker will be based at SEND Central on a Thursday. If your child is currently going through an EHC Needs Assessment or has an Education Health Care Plan and you would like to discuss any element of this, you can book a 20-minute consultation. Contact the navigator either in person at SEND Central, by email: [email protected] or by telephone: 01904 555076.

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You can come and seek signposting and advice and information from the navigator at SEND Central any day Monday to Friday but on a Friday there will also be specialist practitioners available in SEND Central on a Friday. This will include Health Transition’s co-ordinator and SEND Lead offering joint drop and additional representatives that will be advertised through the timetable. This will be an open drop in initially on a Friday but if you know you're coming and want to pre-book a time slot, the navigator will be able to assist. Contact the navigator either in person at SEND Central, by email: [email protected] or by telephone: 01904 555076.

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Parent carers