SSIF Seminar - Support Plans and Support Whilst Waiting for EHCNA or EHCP

Irvana Davies • January 6, 2025

SSIF invite ParentCarers of Children with SEND to our third Seminar this year. ‘Support Plans, ISPs, Support Whilst Waiting for EHCNA and EHCP’ is the third in a series of valuable an informative events for ParentCarers that will run throughout the year.


This seminar is aimed at ParentCarers who are not sure of the support and information available to them and their families whilst they are waiting for an Education and Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) or an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP).


We will aim to answer questions such as:


  • What is an Individual Support Plan (ISP), and who is it for?
  • What are Reasonable Adjustments and can I expect them to be made for my child?
  • What is the SEN Register? What is SEN Support?
  • What can I do to support my child or young person at home?
  • Are there any workshops or webinars I can access?


We have a panel of professionals from the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Team, Health and Education, who will talk about what support is available and how to find it. They will also bust some common myths.


We are inviting ParentCarers to submit any questions they have for the panel by email, by Monday 20th January 2025, via email, to jody@southendsendindependentforum.org.uk


There will also be an opportunity for people to participate in a co-production session to develop a useful route map/flow chart of the Support Whilst Waiting process.


Book your ticket here.

Southend SEND Information Day

November 6, 2025
On 6 November, Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the SEND Local Offer Team co-hosted the first Southend SEND Information Day . The event was attended by over 150 parent carers and professionals, with more than 50 teams and services sharing information about the support they provide. Attendees also had the opportunity to take part in three presentations covering Social Care, Health, and Education. SSIF and the Local Offer Team would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who attended, and to the many teams, organisations, services, and colleagues who gave their time, shared their knowledge, and helped make the day such a success. Your support and collaboration on the day were greatly appreciated. If you attended the event, we’d love to hear your thoughts — your feedback is invaluable in helping us shape and improve future events. Share your feedback here . Further details about the event, including information about the teams and services that attended is available on the Local Offer website . The presentation slides from the information sessions are available to view below. Thank you once again to everyone who supported or attended the Southend SEND Information Day. Please use the buttons below to access the PowerPoint presentations from the day .

Southend SEND Information Day - 6th November 2025

October 8, 2025
🌟Southend SEND Information Day 🌟 Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF), and the Southend SEND Local Offer Team are delighted to invite parent carers of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND), as well as professionals to our SEND Information Day. 📅 6 November 2025 🕘 9:00am to 3:00pm (drop in anytime) 📍 Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, SS2 6ER. Come and meet a wide range of local services and organisations who support SEND families across Southend-on-Sea at our SEND Marketplace. You'll be able to speak with teams including The Specialist Teaching Service, Educational Psychology Service, Early Years Team, and many more. There will also be talks on key topics: ▪ 10am to 11am: Transitions from the Children with Disabilities Team to adult social care ▪ 11.30am to 12.30pm: Health information session; Decision making; young people with additional needs ▪ 1pm to 2pm: Collaboration Counts: Supporting your young person with SEND in education No booking needed, just drop-in at a time that suits you. Free tea, coffee and water will be available. Food can be bought from the Civic Centre cafe, or people are welcome to bring their own. Civic Centre parking is limited, so attendees are advised to use public transport or town centre car parks. Please note, the event is for adults and there will not be a creche provision or activities for children. The marketplace is open to all, but we kindly ask that babies and young children are not brought into the information sessions. Please contact the Local Offer Team at localoffer@southend.gov.uk with any questions. We look forward to welcoming you! Visit the Livewell site for more information.

Children's Learning Disability Service (CLDS) feedback opportunity.

September 22, 2025
The Children's Learning Disability Service (CLDS) is due to be recommissioned in 2027.
An advertisement for a coffee and chat event

SSIF Coffee Mornings

September 5, 2025
One of our favourite Events is our regular monthly coffee morning, where Parent Carers can get together to share their experiences. Every month we have the Local Offer team with us and invite 1 or 2 additional special guests from for example Health, Social Care, Education and more, to offer guidance and advice. There is also a sensory play creche available for your little ones aged 0-5 with Chaos & Calm. Come along and chat to other ParentCarers, get advice from one of our SEND support service guests and enjoy a hot drink with something sweet. Booking is not required.