Friday 27 November 2026, 10am–2pm Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the Southend SEND Local Offer Team are excited to co-host the third Southend SEND Information Day on Friday 27 November 2026. This Information Day will have a particular focus on Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing. Following positive feedback for our previous Information Days, we’re looking forward to bringing the community together again. Why come along? We know that navigating services and support can sometimes feel overwhelming. The SEND Information Day is an opportunity for parents and carers of children and young people with SEND, and professionals to find out about local services, organisations and support. You’ll be able to meet services, ask questions, gather information and potentially discover support you didn’t know about. Whether you have particular questions, or just want to come along and explore, we hope you will join us. Mental Health and Wellbeing Marketplace At the event, you’ll be able to visit stalls hosted by a range of services. Mental health and wellbeing support can take many different forms, and children, young people and families may need different types of support at different points. This can range from activities and community-based support that promote wellbeing, confidence and resilience, through to more targeted support and one-to-one therapeutic services. Support does not have to begin at a point of crisis. The Marketplace is an opportunity to find out about the different options and routes to support that may be available at different stages of a child or young person’s journey. Participating services will be listed on the SEND Information Day webpage, so keep an eye on this in the run-up to the event: www.livewellsouthend.com/SENDInformationDay Mental Health and Wellbeing SEND Surgery For this Information Day, instead of our usual Topic Talks, we will have a Mental Health and Wellbeing SEND Surgery . At the surgery, parents and carers will be able to book a 15-minute slot to speak directly with some of the participating services about their child or young person’s needs. This is intended to create an opportunity for more direct conversations to help families understand where they may be able to access further information and support. Please be aware that Surgery slots will be available on a first come, first served basis and will be bookable on the day. Each service participating in the Surgery will also have a stall at the event, so if you are unable to speak to them at the surgery, you will still be able to visit them in the marketplace. The Surgery will be available between 10.30am and 1.30pm. Pre-register for the event If you plan to come to the SEND Information Day, we invite you to pre-register. Doing this speeds up the signing-in process on the day and allows us to email you information in advance to help you plan your day (subject to your permission). Pre-register here: Registration form - 27 November 2026 SEND Information Additional information for parents and carers Please be aware that the Southend SEND Information Day is an information event aimed at parents and carers and is not an event for children and young people . There will be no crèche or childcare facilities available at the event, so please take this into consideration when planning your visit. Getting to Southend Civic Centre Southend Civic Centre is close to Southend Victoria station and local bus routes. Parking spaces at the Civic Centre are limited and the area can be busy, so we advise allowing extra time for your journey if you are travelling by car. Alternative parking is available at The Beecroft Car Park (a short walk from the civic centre) and in the town centre car parks. On-street parking on surrounding roads is very limited. Parking charges apply to Southend car parks. Please remember to check local parking signs and restrictions before leaving your car. About the event hosts SSIF and the Southend SEND Local Offer Team work closely to co-host the SEND Information Day , bringing together two important parts of the SEND community: the experiences and voices of parent carers, and the information, services and support available to children, young people and families across Southend. As Southend’s independent parent carer forum, Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) works to ensure that the experiences and views of families of children and young people with SEND are heard and help to inform the development of local services. Co-hosting events such as the Southend SEND Information Day is one of the ways we can help bring parent carers and professionals together, create opportunities for conversations and make it easier for families to find out about the support available locally. It is also an important opportunity for us to listen to you . The conversations we have with parent carers help SSIF to understand families’ experiences, what is working well and where there may be challenges or gaps. If you are coming to the Information Day, please come and find the SSIF team and say hello . Whether you would like to find out more about what we do, share your experiences and views, or simply have a chat, we would love to meet you. The Southend SEND Local Offer on the Livewell Southend website ( www.livewellsouthend.com/SEND ) provides information about local services and support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and their families, in Southend. The Information Day enables families to meet some of the services who are featured on the Local Offer. The Local Offer is not just for when you need a particular service or are facing a difficulty. It is a useful place to explore what is available locally, discover activities and opportunities, and find information that may be helpful at different stages of your child or young person’s SEND journey. Come and meet the SEND Local Offer team at the event. They will be able to tell you about the Local Offer and show you how to find information relevant to you and your family.

Sometimes it helps just to sit down with people who understand , o ur monthly Coffee Mornings are a chance to meet other parent carers, share experiences, ask questions and enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake in a relaxed and welcoming environment. Whether you're looking to meet other families, share experiences, ask questions or simply enjoy a coffee and a slice of cake with people who understand, our monthly Coffee Mornings are here for you. There's no set agenda and no pressure – just a relaxed, friendly space where you can chat as much or as little as you like. We know that everyone is on their own journey, and sometimes it helps just knowing you're in a room with people who 'get it'. Each month, we also invite professionals from education, health and social care to join us, giving you the opportunity to ask questions and access information in an informal setting. Our Local Offer team is always there too, helping families find the right support, services and advice. If you're a regular at our Coffee Mornings, we can't wait to catch up with you again. And if you've never joined us before, we'd love to welcome you. Come along, have a coffee, enjoy some cake, meet our team and connect with other parent carers – we'd love to see you. A quick note for those who have attended in the past: unfortunately, we are no longer able to offer the Chaos & Calm crèche at our coffee mornings. We can't wait to welcome you! Everyone is welcome, and there's no need to book – just come along!

Healthy Parent Carer Programme – Starting in September 2026 - Booking Now Open! Following the fantastic success of our recent Healthy Parent Carers programme, we're delighted to be opening bookings for our next course starting this September. We were thrilled to receive such positive feedback from participants, many of whom told us they had gained practical tools and strategies to help them prioritise their own health and wellbeing, alongside the demands of caring for their family. Taking time to look after yourself isn't always easy, but it is so important, and this programme is designed to support parent carers to build sustainable habits that benefit both themselves and their families. If you're ready to invest a little time in your own wellbeing, we'd love you to join us. Healthy Parent Carers is a 6-week programme dedicated entirely to your health and wellbeing. As parent carers, you spend so much time looking after everyone else. This programme is a chance to focus on you — to breathe, recharge, and connect with others who truly understand your journey. Starts Monday 8th June 2026 Only 14 spaces are available to keep the group supportive and personal. Over the 6 weeks, we’ll explore ways to: Make time for yourself Connect with other parent carers Learn simple self-care and stress-management strategies Prioritise your own wellbeing Find a little more calm and balance Our sessions are run for Parent Carers, by Parent Carers — a safe, understanding space where your wellbeing really matters. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided, and there’s an onsite café at the Civic Centre. Parking can be limited, so please allow extra time if you're driving. To help you truly switch off and focus on yourself, babies and children can’t be accommodated during the course. Find out more: www.healthyparentcarers.org Book tickets HERE  Or Scan the QR Code on the poster.