Southend SEND Information Day - Mental Health and Wellbeing

A little space just for you Caring for a child or young person with SEND can sometimes feel like a world of its own. Our monthly coffee morning is a chance to spend some time with other parent carers who understand that world – no explanations needed. Come along for a cuppa (and a very good choice of cake!), have a chat, share experiences if you want to, and get to know other parent carers. Whether you’re looking to build your own network of people who get it, have a question you’d like to ask, or simply fancy getting out of the house for an hour or two, you’ll be very welcome. First and foremost, it’s a parent carer space. There’s no agenda and no expectation to talk about anything you don’t want to. We also know how useful it can be to speak to the right person when you do have a question. We’ll have professionals joining us who can offer information, answer questions and help signpost you to further support – they’re there if you need them, but they’re not the focus of the morning. Hot and cold drinks are available, there’s always LOTS of cake , and you’re welcome to stay for as much or as little of the morning as works for you. And because this really is meant to be a little bit of time just for you, our coffee mornings are just for parent carers – no children this time, please. Come and find your people, have a cuppa and build your parent carer network. Our 2026–2027 coffee morning dates are here - we'd love to see you at one soon!

The Government is currently consulting on proposed changes to Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) – how it should work, who it should be for and how children and young people receiving EOTAS should be supported. The consultation closes on 18 September 2026 , and it is really important that the experiences of children, young people and their families help inform what happens next. What is the consultation about? The main focus of the consultation is EOTAS and proposed changes to the way these arrangements work. The Government wants to hear views and experiences to help shape future arrangements, including what is working well, what isn't working and what could be improved. The consultation also covers two related areas : support for children and young people who cannot attend school because of physical or mental health needs how schools and local authorities use accredited online education providers for alternative provision What is EOTAS? Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) is a specific arrangement for a child or young person with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan . It applies where the local authority is satisfied that it would be inappropriate for the child or young person's special educational provision to be delivered in a school, college or other educational institution. Their provision is therefore arranged somewhere else and could include education at home or a combination of different types of provision. EOTAS is not the same as elective home education , where a parent chooses to take responsibility for providing their child's education at home. What about children who cannot attend school because of health needs? This is an important distinction. A child being unable to attend school because of physical or mental health needs does not automatically mean they are receiving EOTAS. The consultation separately considers the support available for children and young people who cannot attend school because of their health. The Government is looking at how schools, local authorities and health services work together, how children can receive suitable education while they are unable to attend school, and whether support could be provided earlier or more effectively. A child or young person does not need to have an EHC Plan or EOTAS arrangement for their family's experience to be relevant to this part of the consultation. What about online education? The consultation also considers the use of accredited online education providers as alternative provision . This includes how schools and local authorities use online education for children and young people who need alternative provision and how appropriate, high-quality provision can be ensured. Why does your experience matter? If your child or young person has experience of EOTAS , has been unable to attend school because of physical or mental health needs , or has experience of online or alternative provision , your experience could be really valuable. You don't need to understand all the legislation or read every page of the consultation to contribute. We want to understand what works, what doesn't, what has been difficult, what needs to improve – and what is working well and needs to be protected. Your feedback will help us understand what the proposals could mean for Southend families and make sure that local parent-carer experiences are represented. ➡️ Read the Government's information for parents and carers ➡️ Read the full Government consultation How can I have my say? Share your experience with SSIF We really encourage Southend parent carers with experience of these areas to complete our family feedback form. You don't need to answer every question or be an expert in SEND law. We want to hear about your family's experience. Your feedback will help us identify common experiences, concerns and priorities and inform how we represent the collective voice of Southend parent carers. COMPLETE THE SSIF FAMILY FEEDBACK FORM Respond directly to the Government Consultation You can also submit your own response directly to the Department for Education. You can do this as well as sharing your experience with SSIF. ➡️ Respond directly to the Government consultation The consultation closes on 18 September 2026. If your family has experience that relates to any of these areas, please tell us more about it.  What families tell us about what is working – and what needs to change – matters.

Firstly, a huge thank you to our SEND community Before we talk about the outcome of the Area SEND inspection, we want to start by saying a huge thank you to every parent carer, child and young person who took the time to share their experiences as part of the inspection. Whether you completed the parent carer survey, supported your child or young person to have their say, took part in a meeting or conversation, or shared your experiences in another way, your contribution was incredibly important. We know that finding the time to take part isn't always easy, particularly when you're already juggling the many demands that can come with being a parent carer. We also know that talking openly about your family's experiences – especially when things haven't gone well – can sometimes be difficult. We'd also like to say a special thank you to those of you who had the opportunity to speak directly with the Ofsted and CQC inspectors at our SEND Information Day . It was really valuable to have inspectors there listening directly to parent carers, hearing about your experiences in your own words and getting a better understanding of what life is really like for SEND families in Southend. Some of you shared positive experiences, some spoke about the challenges and frustrations you've faced, and for many families the reality is a mixture of both. All of those experiences matter. Together, they helped inspectors build a fuller picture of what is working well, where experiences remain inconsistent and where further change is needed. Your voices helped inform this inspection, and they must continue to be heard as we move from the inspection report into the work that comes next. Our Response to the Area SEND Inspection : A message to parent carers. The Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspection is an important opportunity to understand what is working well for children and young people with SEND in Southend-on-Sea, as well as where further improvements are needed. The outcome report concludes that children and young people with SEND in Southend-on-Sea experience of services and outcomes is inconsistent. It identifies areas of effective practice alongside important improvements that are still needed. The local area partnership is required to work jointly, update its strategic plan and take action in response to the report’s recommendations and a further full Area SEND inspection is expected within approximately three years. At Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) fully recognise the variation highlighted in the report. There remains an inconsistent experience of families across Southend and across different services. While considerable changes have already been made, we recognise that not every family has seen or felt the impact of those changes. SSIF as your Parent Carer Forum (PCF), will continue to work with the Southend partnership and contribute to the ongoing improvement work. Our role is to make sure that the experiences of parent carers remain central to this process and that improvements lead to meaningful and lasting changes for children, young people and their families. Your experience must inform the changes We have extensive experience of the Area SEND inspection and improvement process. We have taken part in two full Area SEND inspections and a revisit, and we attend six-monthly monitoring meetings with representatives from the Department for Education and NHS England. At these meetings, your voice and lived experience as a parent carer are central. The feedback you share helps us understand and communicate: what is working well and should be maintained; where families are experiencing difficulties or inconsistencies; where services are not meeting children and families’ needs; and where further change and improvement are needed. We do not want to hear only about problems. Positive experiences are equally important because they help us identify effective practice that could be shared and strengthened across Southend. How you can share your experience There are a number of ways you can get involved and tell us about your experiences. You can attend: our monthly coffee mornings at SAVS ; our termly drop-in sessions ; our SEND Information Day ; our Feedback Form , which is always open on our website. You can share feedback about any aspect of your child or young person’s SEND experience. Whether your experience has been positive, difficult or mixed , we want to hear from you. Everything we do, we bring the feedback and key themes we hear from parent carers. This gives you a direct route for your experiences to inform discussions, challenge where improvements are needed and help shape the work being taken forward across Southend-on-Sea. If you are a group or organisation based in or working with families in Southend, you can also join the SEND Network. The network meets termly and is a space for groups to share their families experiences and the work they do. You can find out more here: https://www.livewellsouthend.com/send-local-offer/southend-send-network The inspection is not the end of the process The inspection report gives us an important picture of where Southend is now, but the real test is what happens next. Change will take time, and it is important that we continue to listen to families throughout the improvement process. Your experiences can help us understand whether changes are actually making a difference on the ground—not just whether plans have been written or actions have been completed. Please keep sharing your experiences with us. Every piece of feedback contributes to a fuller picture of SEND services in Southend. Your voice helps us recognise good practice, identify where families continue to face barriers, hold services to account and ensure that the experiences of children, young people and their families fully inform the changes being made. The inspection is not the end. This is the start of the change—and your voice helps make the changes.