Southend SEND Local Offer

01/06/2026

Southend-on-Sea City Council and NHS Essex Integrated Care Board received notification today (1 June 2026) that Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) will conduct an inspection of local area arrangements for children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) from 15 June 2026 to 19 June 2026.

As part of this inspection, inspectors are seeking the views of children and young people (CYP) aged 11 to 25 with SEND, parents and carers of CYP aged 0 to 25 with SEND, and practitioners who work with CYP with SEND in education, health or care services.

Online surveys will close at 9am on Tuesday 9 June 2026 and can be found here:

• Children and Young People Survey: https://ofsted.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/AreaSEND-CYP/10436558
• Parent/Carer Survey: https://ofsted.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/AreaSEND-ParentCarer/10436558
• Parent/Carer Survey (Easy Read): https://ofsted.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/AreaSEND-ParentCarer-EasyRead/10436558
• Practitioner Survey: https://ofsted.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/AreaSEND-Practitioner/10436558

Visit this link for additional guidance: Area SEND inspections: information about ongoing inspections: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspections-information-for-families

If you cannot access the online links, or require a different format, please email [email protected]

Please share your experiences. Your views are important and will be treated in confidence.

ID: A smiling man and a young boy of Black British ethnicity sit together outdoors on a pebble beach. The boy is wearing a red jacket and pointing toward the left while looking ahead with a smile; the man sits behind him with an arm around him, also smiling in the same direction. A white text box in the lower left corner features the Care Quality Commission and Ofsted logos. The text reads: "Area SEND inspection for Southend-on-Sea Local Area Partnership. Share your views on SEND Services in Southend-on-Sea.

Southend SEND Independent Forum Southend-on-Sea City Council Sendiass Southend

01/06/2026

Have your say on the proposal for an Additional Resource Base at Earls Hall Primary School.

Visit:

news item about a proposal for a new ARB

01/06/2026

Pre-register now! Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the SEND Local Offer Team are thrilled to invite you to our 2nd Southend SEND Information Day.

Whether you’re a parent carer or a professional, this is the place to be on 16 June. We’re bringing together local support services, expert teams, and a lineup of informative talks, all under one roof.

We know how vital it is to have clear, accessible information. That’s why we’ve organised a packed day full of:
• Direct access to over 65 local support services.
• 3 informative talks on key topics.
• A space to connect with other parent carers and professionals.

Save the date: 16 June from 9.30 to 2.30pm
Venue: Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6ER
Read more and pre-register for the event: www.livewellsouthend.com/SENDInformationDay

ID: A promotional poster for the SEND Information Day feature a row of different people's profile. It contains information about the event detailed above.

29/05/2026

SEND made clearer: explore our visual routemaps!

Navigating SEND can be challenging, so we've created a suite of visual routemaps to guide families.

Explore the routemaps on our Your Say Southend page and share your valuable feedback through a short survey at the end of the webpage – we want to know what's helpful and what can be improved!

View the routemaps on Your Say Southend: https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/sendroutemaps

ID: A promotional graphic for the SEND routemaps featuring a pair of white trainers on the road and three yellow arrow pointing at different directions. The title says: SEND made clearer. Explore our visual routemaps!

28/05/2026

👉 Shape the SEND Local Offer: Your Voice Matters!

▪ Help us improve services and the Local Offer for children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) and their families in Southend.

▪ Share your feedback about the Local Offer, SEND Routemaps, Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), and Annual Reviews.

Visit Shape the SEND Local Offer on Your Say Southend: https://yoursay.southend.gov.uk/SENDLocalOffer

The surveys are anonymous and take around 10 minutes to complete. Alternative formats of the surveys are available upon request, email [email protected] or call 01702 212328

ID: A family of five. A mother, father and three young children of Asian ethnicity. They are sitting on the grass outdoors. There are tall trees on the background.

27/05/2026

📣 Join us for Southend’s Interactive Careers Day.

We’re opening the doors to the Civic Centre for a day designed specifically for young people who want to explore their next steps in a hands-on, supportive environment.

When: Tuesday 30th June | 10am – 4pm
Where: Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Ave, SS2 6ER
What: Chat with local employers, try out interactive experiences, and get expert advice tailored to you.
Who is this for:
• Young people with an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan.
• Looked After Children (LAC) and those receiving Special Educational Needs (SEN) Support in years 8 to 10.
• Electively home Educated (EHE) young people in years 8 to 10.
• SEND young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) aged 16 to 19.

Note: Children will be able to access the day through their schools who will be invited along on the day. Any young person not in school or unable to attend through the school invites are welcome to attend with parents/carers at a time which is suitable to them throughout the day.

ID: A yellow and blue promotional poster for the Interactive Career's Day. It feature a graphic of a person with a megaphone and information about the event, detailed above.

26/05/2026

📢 Don't miss out on the latest SEND support in Southend!

Get monthly updates from the Southend SEND Partnership delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now to receive our June e-newsletter: www.southend.gov.uk/SENDnews

The SEND Newsletter is a great monthly resource of information, advice, updates and upcoming events for parent carers and professionals.



ID: An open laptop on a brown wooden table. The text on the screen says SEND Partnership Newsletter, Keep up to date. There is a graphic of a white envelope and paper above the text.

22/05/2026

📞 Lighthouse Child Development Centre support lines

The Lighthouse Child Development Centre has a number of support lines which parent carers can call for advice on how to support their child.

▪ For questions about appointments contact:
Phone: 0344 257 3952
email: [email protected]

▪ Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) support line
Phone: 01702 372251
Opening times: Tuesday and Thursday 12.30pm to 2.30pm

▪ Occupational Therapy support line
Phone: 01702 372250
Opening times: Monday to Friday 12.30pm to 2.30pm

▪ Physiotherapy support line
Phone: 01702 372252
Opening times: Monday to Friday 12.30pm to 2.30pm

▪ Specialist Health Visitor for children under 8 years old with additional needs support line
Phone: 07580 167371
Opening times: Friday 12.30pm to 2.30pm

▪ Speech and Language Therapy support line
Phone: 01702 578601
Opening times: Monday to Friday 9.30am to 11.30am

Visit Lighthouse Child Development Centre support lines on Livewell Southend: https://www.livewellsouthend.com/news/article/211/lighthouse-child-development-centre-support-lines

ID: A carousel post featuring a women wearing a headset and smiling. She has dark skin and black straight hair. Details of the Lighthouse helplines detailed in the caption above are included in the images.

21/05/2026

Join free, one-hour online sessions designed for parents and carers of Year 6 students with SEND or additional needs. Led by Southend’s Specialist Teaching Service, the session will offer practical strategies to help you support your child over the summer and reduce anxiety around the move to secondary school.

While we won’t be able to discuss individual schools or pupils, all attendees will leave with useful tools, ideas, and greater confidence to help prepare for the next step.
Although these sessions are primarily aimed at families of children with SEND or additional needs, any parent or carer concerned about the transition is very welcome to attend.

Upcoming dates:
▪ Tuesday 16 June from 7 to 8pm – Let’s get organised.
▪ Tuesday 23 June from 7 to 8pm – Let’s get independent / manage sensory needs.
▪ Thursday 18 June from 7 to 8pm – Let’s talk friendship and social skills.
▪ Thursday 25 June from 7 to 8pm – Let’s get techy.

To book a FREE place email [email protected] stating which session you would like to join, and we will share the link.

For more information and resources about school transition, visit the Specialist Teaching Service (STS) Padlet: https://padlet.com/specialistteachingteam/southend-city-council-transition-toolkit-oklmsjknmlk04o4a

ID: A female teacher pointing at a notebook on a table. There is a female pupil next to the teacher paying attention. Text says Supporting Your Year 6 Child with SEND: Practical tips for a smooth transition to Secondary School.