SEND support services for parents/carers

Local Offer: The one-stop-shop for all things SEND. Find information ranging from childcare to leisure opportunities to events in your local area and talk to other parents and carers through an online forum which suits your need.

SEND Advice Surrey: Provides impartial, confidential and free support to empower parents and SEND children to express their views and make informed decisions.

Family Information Service: Free impartial advice for parents and carers on all aspects of family life. 

Family Voice Surrey: Giving Surrey parents a strong collective voice, a forum to share knowledge and empowerment to improve opportunities for SEND children in Surrey.

National Autistic Society: UK leading charity for autistic people and their families, offering support, advice and guidance. 

National Autistic Society Surrey Branch: Volunteer run group founded by parents to support other parents. They offer regular support meetings and signpost to clubs for young people.

Surrey Learning Disability and Autism Information Hub: Find information and links to services in Surrey. 

Guildford Family Centres: Familiy centres based in Bellfields and Park Barn. They provide 1:1 family support where family circumstances are having a significant impact on health, development or wellbeing of the child/children. 

Action for Carers: Offers information and practical support to carers.

Surrey Independent Living Charity: Offers a range of services, including advocacy for disabled people 16+, understanding direct payments and support making a complaint about NHS services.

Citizens Advice: Provides free, confidential advice on everything from employment rights and benefit entitlements to family and social care services.

Surrey Adult Learning: Offer free family learning courses for parents and carers to help and support your child's learning and development.

Waverley Family Centre: Offers support and guidance for families with children aged 0-11 years old on all aspects of family life. 

Stepping Stones DS: Provide a wide range of activities and services to support children and young people with Down syndrome to fulfil their potential. 

21 and Co: A aprent run support group based around Surrey dedicated to giving support to famililes who have children and young people with Down syndrome. 

Young Epilepsy: Offers information, friendly advice and practical help for children and young people with epilepsy and their families.

Mindworks Surrey: Emotional wellbeing and mental health service for children and youing people in Surrey. They offer a crisis line for support during a mental health crisis, call 0800 915 4644 open 24/7 for children, young people and parents.  

Contact: Free advice and information helpline for parents/carers with a disabled child aged from birth to 25 living in the UK. 0808 808 3555 Open Monday-Friday, 9.30am - 5pm.

National Autistic Society benefits advice: Provides an overview fo benefits autistic children and adults may be able to claim. 

Turn2Us: Free and easy-to-use benefits calculator and grants search to check the benefits you may be able to claim and grants you may be able to apply for. 

Disability Living Allowance (DLA): Information about DLA, eligibility and application process. 

Personal Independance Payment (PIP): Information about PIP, eligibility and application process. 

Benefits and financial support: Government website outlining benefits and/or support you many be entitled to apply for. 

Crossroads Care Surrey: Offers support and information to unpaid carers and their families. 

Barnardo's Positive Parenting: A programme of support and advice for parents and carers with children with a diagnosis/suspected diagnosis of ADHD.

NSPCC Online Safety: Advice to help you learn about staying safe online as a family. 

The Zone: For families with ASD or additional needs in Hart, Rushmoor and surrounding areas. 

Surrey Welfare Rights Unit: Information for parents regarding finacial support that you and/or your child may be entitled to claim. 

BRAAIN: Information on accessing professional help, finding clubs/activites for young people and support groups for parents and carers. 

OCD UK: Provides advice, information and support services for those affected by OCD. 

OCD Action: Offers online support groups where you can connect with others with similar experiences and offering support without judgement. 

Deputyship: Information about Deputyship and how to make an application.

My Adult - Still My Child (16+): A guide for parent/carers of adults (16+) who may not be able to make decisions. 

Connect to Support Surrey: Find local services, such as advocacy, food banks, social activites and day services. 

RADAR Keys: RADAR Keys explained: What they are, where they can be used and how to apply for one. 

Bus passes and discounts: A free bus pass allows Surrey residents (aged 5 to older persons eligible age) with eligible disabilities to travel on buses free of charge. It's valid between 9.30am and 11pm from Monday to Friday, and at any time on weekends and public holidays.

Pegasus Card: A scheme offered by Surrey Police for anyone who has a disabilty or illness that would make it difficult to communicate with emergency services in an emergency. 

Surrey Connect Bus Service: The shared bus service is available in areas of the county where there are fewer or no commercial bus services, to help residents to get around by public transport. Rather than being restricted by traditional bus timetables, the accessible minibuses are available for everyone when needed. The online map shows the areas covered by Surrey Connect bus services.

Bustler Dial-a-Ride: A door-to-door transport service for Woking Borough residents who have reduced mobility. 

Beach safety: Advice on water safety at the beach.

Colin the Coastguard: Interactive website with free downloads and stories about keeping safe by the water. 

Sun Safety: CBeebies video and advice about sun safety.

NHS Sun Safety: Advice for adults and children on sun screen and sun safety in the UK and abroad. 

Gatwick Airport special assistance and facilities information: Information about special assistance available at Gatwick Airport. 

Heathrow Airport special assistance and facilities information: Find out how to get support and help you require at Heathrow Airport. 

Free mental wellbeing services: Available to support mental health and wellbeing.

Mind Matters Surrey: Talking therapies for anyone experiencing poor mental health.

Qwell: Online Emotional Wellbeing Support for Surrey parents/carers of children with SEND. Since June 2020, Qwell has offered online mental health and wellbeing support for parents and carers with children between the age of 0 to 25. Qwell is free to use and offers 1:1 online text chat counselling sessions with trained counsellors, along with access to self-help tools and forums. The Qwell counselling team are available from 12 noon to 10pm Monday-Friday and 6pm-10pm at weekends, 365 days a year.

NHS Royal Surrey: Helpful information if you need to access hospital, providing information about The Learning Disabilites and Autism Team, who can provide support, hospital passports and useful information about the hospital. 

​Social stories for Royal Surrey: Social stories about going to hospital. 

Learning Disability Register: Information on how to join the Learning Disability Register at your local GP surgery. 

Annual Health Checks (14+): Information about how to access a annual helath check if your child is regsitered on the Learning Disability Register. 

SeeAbility: Supporting finding an optometrist for people with learning disabilities.  

Sight for Surrey: Sensory Services by Sight for Surrey is an inclusinve organisation delivering specialist, hands-on, practical services for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a visual impairment. 

SILC - Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service: Provide free, confidential and independent support to help you make a complaint about an NHS service. 

Disability Grants: Your guide to grants available nationally and in your local area. 

Turn2Us: Check which benefits you're entitled to and search for grants to help with respite or equipment.

Surrey Independent Living Council: Support with managing direct payments.

Family Fund: Offers grants for clothing, equipment, furniture and respite.

Family Holiday Association: Offers breaks for families, and signposts to organisations that can fund short breaks.

GP Carer's Prescription: A scheme where your GP can ask for a donation for you to spend on something you need for yourself.

Guildford Poyle Charities: Offer individual grants to people living in central Guildford.

The Respite Association: Offers grants to fund respite care.

Revitalise Support Fund: Offers holidays, including grants towards a holiday, for young adults aged 18+.

Sullivan’s Heroes: Provide funding for home adaptations for children with additional needs.

Working Families: UK's national charity for working parents/carers and provide free legal advice regarding their rights at work. 

The Hedgehogs Charity: Registered charity who raise funds for individuals and families in Farnham and the surrounding area. 

Mustard Seed Autism Support: Provide sensory, social communication and emotional wellbeing support for autistic children. 

Equipment 4 Disabled Children (E4DC): Provide funding for equipment for children to live mroe comfortably, play creatively or enjoy better mobility. Support families who live or have a child educated in Southwest Surrey.  

Boparan Charitable Trust: Offer a wide range of support to families from help towards equipment to supporting specialist treatments.

Challengers: Provide exciting and challenging play and leisure opportunities for disabled children and young people, with play & youth centres in Guildford and Farnham, and community based projects across Surrey.

Cherry Trees: Offers short break respite care for children and young people up to age 19 with learning and physical disabilities, and sensory impairments.

Crossroads: Offers a range of support services, including respite, to families.

Disabled access and special/medical needs at Gatwick: Information for travelling through Gatwick.

Disabled access and special/medical needs at Heathrow: Information for travelling through Heathrow.

Dramatize: Provides theatrical workshops and events for young people/adults with learning disabilities aged 16+

Halow Project:  Based in Guildford and nurtures young people with learning disabilities to fulfil their potential through exceptional person-centred care.

InterAKtive: A parent-led charity for families with children with ASD or a similar communication difficulties, to help you access support and activity events.

LinkAble: Woking-based charity offering activities and breaks for children and young people with learning disabilities.

Shooting Star Chase: Hospice, respite and family support service for children 0-21 with life-limiting conditions. There are two hospices: Shooting Star House in Hampton and Christopher’s in Guildford.

White Lodge Centre: Based near Chertsey, they offer a range of services for families with children with additional needs.

YMCA East Surrey: Provide short breaks services for children with SEND aged 5-18 years, and a Friday Night Project for young people with learning disabilities aged 16+. 

Carefree: Charity transforming vacant hotel rooms into vital breaks for full-time unpaid carers. 

Activities

Play and Leisure Short Break activities: Information from Surrey CC about Play and Leisure Short Break services available in Surrey. 

Challengers - The Hub: Based at Stoke Park (Guildford), The Hub offers informal drop-ins, coffee and craft sessions, workshops and events. Free Family Fun Days are run on a regular basis.

Riding for the Disabled (RDA): Find a local RDA group. 

Odeon: Autism friendly sessions. 

CEA Card: National card scheme for UK cinemas that enables a complimentary carer ticket. 

The Angel Blue Canal Boat: A purpose built canal boat that accommodates wheelchair users. 

Surrey Outdoor Learning & Development: Four centres across Surrey that offer thrilling outdoor adventure and learning activities.

Saturday Sports Club: Based at The Spectrum, the club provides fully inclusive multi-sport sessions for children aged 8+ with SEND. 

Sailability: Based at Frensham Ponds, sailability offers people who require support the chance to experience sailing. 

Parasports Holiday Caps and Adventure Days: Holiday camps, activity days and specialist sports provision for primary aged children with SEND. Based in Farnham. 

Wheels for All Woking: A nationally recognised programme that offers all-ability cycling using a fleet of adapted bikes. 

All Aboard Club: Inclusive train play sessions for SEND children aged 4+.

Disability Football - Surrey FA: Find out how to take part in disability football in Surrey. 

Wetwheels: Wetwheels provides the opportunity for all disabled people to access the sea in a safe, stimulating and rewarding way on board specially-built, fully accessable powerboats.

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford: Information about accessibility and accessible performances.

Holidays

Harriet Davis Trust: Four self-catering adapted and wheelchair friendly holiday houses in Pembrokeshire, Wales. 

Tourism for All: A registered charity dedicated to helping families with additional needs disabled friendly holiday destinations and places to stay. 

Family Holiday Charity: Offer support for families who are on a low income, haven't had a family holiday in the last 4 years and have at least one child under 18 who will go on the holiday. 

The Thomas Centre: Holiday park for families with children with SEND. 

Gatwick Airport special assistance and facilities: Information about special assistance available at Gatwick Airport.

Heathrow Airport special assistance and facilities: Information about special assistance available at Heathrow Airport. 

National Autistic Society Surrey Branch: Parent-to-parent support group that organises local meet ups, workshops and family activities, as well hosting online forums.

Barnardo's Positive Parenting: A programme of support and advice for parent/carers with children with a diagnosis/suspected diagnosis of ADHD.

Can't Go Won't Go: Information and advice for families with children who school refuse.

Challenging Behaviour Foundation: Support with managing behaviours that challenge in children and young people with severe learning disabilities.

Counselling Directory: Offer advice and guidance on a variety of subjects including bullying, bereavement and staying safe online.

PSDS: Supports children with Down syndrome and their families.

The Zone: Runs events for children and young people with additional needs on the Surrey/Hampshire border.

Young Epilepsy: The national charity working for children with epilepsy, based in Lingfield. Support includes a helpline and training for parent carers. 

Action for Carers: Offers information and practical support to carers.

Carers UK: Information, advice and support for unpaid carers.

Face2Face Parent Befriending Service (White Lodge): Offer free and confidential 1:1 befriending service for parents of children with a disability. 

Face2Face Parent Befriending Service (YMCA): Free support and advice through 1:1 support. 

A Space for Autism: Social and emotional developemnt group for children and young people with autism.

APPEER: Offer online and in person groups and activites to support girls and women with autism.

Surrey CC Transition Team: Find out about the Transition Team and how can they support you when your young person reaches 18. 

My Family Your Needs: Provide information and guidance on all aspects of supporting a young adult with additional needs. 

Hampshire CC Independent Futures Team: Find out about the Independent Futures Team and how can they support you when your young person reaches 18.

Supporting young people with disabilities as they become an adult: Services and support for children with disabilities when they transition to become an adult and move from children services to adult services. (Surrey CC)

Halow: Community based provision that supports young adults with SEND through an informal education programme to social activities throughout the week, including evenings. 

Surrey Choices: Provide person-centred support to disabled, autistic and neurodivergent young adults and adults to enable them to live active lives in their communities in the ways they choose. 

Post 19: Life Skills and Support Centre for young adults with learning difficulties, based in Farnham. 

LinkAble: Supports children, young people and adults with additional needs in Woking and the surrounding areas. They offer evening and weekend activites for under 18's and daytime, evening and weekend activities for over 18s. 

ArtVenture: Creative day centre for adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and autism. 

The Therapy Garden: A horticulture and education charity that uses gardening to support adults with SEND. Set in a peaceful 2 acre site in Normandy.

Care Act Factsheets: Information about the Care Act and the duties and responsibilities of local authorities regarding care and support for adults. 

Access to Work:  Access to Work can support you get or stay in work if you have a disability. 

My Adult - Still My Child: A guide for parent/carers of adults (16+) who may not be able to make decisions. 

Merrist Wood: Find out more information about the Woodlands Centre and open events at Merrist Wood. 

Guildford College: Find out more information about the courses offered at Guildford College dates of the open days/evenings.

Brooklands College: Find out more information about the course offered at Brooklands College and details of the open days/evenings.  

Treloars: Specialist school and college provision for physically disabled children and young people. 

St Piers: Specialist school and college provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. 

Orpheus: Specialist college for 18-25 year olds who have a passion for the arts. 

Parkside: Registered charity that provides support services for children and adults living in Hampshire and Surrey. Based in Aldershot. 

White Lodge Centre: Fully accessible hub with a range of services and support, including social day activites, fitness and trips. Offer additional clubs at the weekend. 

Dramatize: Offers wide range of activites and workshops, including employment and life skills programme and work experience opportunities in their tea rooms in Woking and Shepperton. Offer evening workshops for inclusive theatre, band and musical theatre. 

Parity for Disability: Offer specialist services and support for PMLD adults over 3 accessable sites. 

County Care Group: Offer a wide range of tailored support services including Community Skills Project, Project Radio, Project Cafe and trips and activites. 

Grove Resource Centre: Provide support for people aged 17 +, including sensory-therapeutic sessions, social activites, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy. 

Work Wise: Free employability service who support people to find, maintain and sustain long-term paid employment. 

AS Mentoring: Specialist mentoring and employment support for young people and adults. 

National Autistic Society Employment advice: Advice and guidance for seeking work and support when in employment. 

Ambitious about Autism Employment Toolkit: Collection of toolkits to support autistic young people access sustainable and meaningful employment opportunities. 

SCOPE: Advice and support to find the right equipment and assistive technology.

Specialist equipment and safety adaptations: Information providing details of specialist equipment and safety adaptations for your home. 

Aids and Equipment: Information and advice from Contact regarding the variety of aids and equipment available for families with children with a disability to support independance. 

NHS information on accessible toys, play and learning: Signposting from NHS to websites that support accessible toys and learning within the home environment. 

Sensory Smart: Tips on choosing the right sensory toys for your child. 

Able Kidz: Aim to make a variety of learning aids accessible to children with disabilities, both on an individual basis and for use in schools. 

Every child has a preferred method of communication. At Pond Meadow we work with our students, staff, families and therapists to support communication. Please find links below for more information and ideas to support communication at home. 

Makaton is a unique language programme that uses symbols, signs and speech to enable people to communicate. It supports the development of essential communication skills such as attention and listening, comprehension, memory, recall and organisation of language and expression. At Pond Meadow we have a 'sign of the week' which encourages students and staff to have fun learning new words and signs.

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) enables communication  using pictures. People using PECS are taught to approach another person and give them a picture of a desired item in exchange for that item. By doing so, the person is able to initiate communication. A child or adult with autism can use PECS to communicate a request, a thought, or anything that can  be displayed or symbolised on a picture card.

Communication boards - other names: aided language display (ALD) or theme board. Communication boards are a page of symbol and words that can be used to support an interaction around an activity. The pictures (words) on the board will enable a child and the adult supporting them to make comments, requests or give a direction to each other.

Pragmatic Organisation Dynamic Display (PODD) book: The aim of a PODD book is to provide vocabulary for use in multiple environments, with a range of messages, across a range of topics. Selection of words and symbols in the PODD can be made by pointing, looking or other combinations of methods.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ACC): Information about types of communication aid available.