WHAT'S ON..
OUR VISION
To build an inclusive, credible and evolving forum that provides parents and carers a vehicle to voice their opinions and influence the decisions that affect all SEND families in the future.
WE NEED YOU!
Please share our Facebook posts so that we can spread the message about what we do and how we can help. Find our Facebook page HERE
Post your ideas on our ‘Have your say’ page so we can get your views and ideas. Complete our surveys and share with us your real life experiences - HERE
Our aim is to represent all SEND children/young people whatever the disability or need.
EVENTS AT SSIF
We know that the world of SEND can be overwhelming and complicated to navigate.
In order to overcome this we organise various Events throughout the year, presenting opportunities to empower Parent Carers with knowledge, information and wellbeing techniques to make their journey a little easier.
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 and the SENDCo teams represented and available to offer guidance and advice, plus, we usually have one additional special guest too.
OUR UPCOMING EVENTS
Healthy Parent Carer Programme – Booking Now Open! We’re so pleased to share that SSIF has been accredited to deliver a brand-new 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: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../healthy-parent-carers-6... - Or Scan the QR Code on the poster.
Event details SEND Information Day Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the SEND Local Offer Team are pleased to announce the second Southend SEND Information Day on Tuesday 16 June 2026. This is a free event for the Southend SEND community. It is open to parent carers or family members of children or young people with SEND, and professionals. Venue: Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER Time: 9.30am to 2.30pm Hold the date - further information to follow soon! For a taste of what to expect at the event in June, read about the 2025 SEND Information Day and watch videos here . Pre-register for the event! You can just drop-in on the day, but why not make things easier and pre-register?! Get advance information about the event direct to your inbox, so you can plan your visit and make the most of your time.
As Southend’s Parent Carer Forum, Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF), we encourage you to share your experiences — your voice really matters in shaping support for our children and young people. We’re hosting informal drop-in sessions at Southend Civic Centre during the consultation period specifically to gather your feedback and thoughts on the proposed changes, so we can reflect the real views of parent carers in our response. Please come along to share your views or ask any questions — we’d love to see you there. The SEND Partnership is also hosting an information Event and will present an overview of the key proposed changes, highlight the areas the government is consulting on, and empower parent carers with the information needed to share their views with confidence. The SEND Partnership will require pre-booking tickets and you can do that here, tickets .
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. *Please note that the coffee mornings for 2026 will temporarily be held at the Civic Centre and will again return to SAVS in September 2026* 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.
OUR PAST EVENTS
Healthy Parent Carer Programme – Booking Now Open! We’re so pleased to share that SSIF has been accredited to deliver a brand-new 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: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../healthy-parent-carers-6... - Or Scan the QR Code on the poster.
The SEND Partnership hosted an information Event today and presented an overview of the key proposed changes, highlighting the areas the government is consulting on, and empowering parent carers with the information needed to share their views with confidence. We're pleased to share the presentation slides for parent carers who would like to revisit the information or find out more about the proposed changes. SEND Reform Information Day Slides. We hope that those who attended found the session informative and helpful in explaining the SEND reform proposals. Your views are incredibly important. We are continuing to gather feedback from parent carers through our survey, which will help shape our formal response to the SEND White Paper. We would really value hearing from as many parent carers as possible. Complete the survey. We would also encourage you to share your views directly with the government too by responding to the official consultation, so your voice is heard at a national level as well. Government Consultation . Thank you for your continued support and engagement.
Event details SEND Information Day Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) and the SEND Local Offer Team are pleased to announce the second Southend SEND Information Day on Tuesday 16 June 2026. This is a free event for the Southend SEND community. It is open to parent carers or family members of children or young people with SEND, and professionals. Venue: Southend Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6ER Time: 9.30am to 2.30pm Hold the date - further information to follow soon! For a taste of what to expect at the event in June, read about the 2025 SEND Information Day and watch videos here . Pre-register for the event! You can just drop-in on the day, but why not make things easier and pre-register?! Get advance information about the event direct to your inbox, so you can plan your visit and make the most of your time.
As Southend’s Parent Carer Forum, Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF), we encourage you to share your experiences — your voice really matters in shaping support for our children and young people. We’re hosting informal drop-in sessions at Southend Civic Centre during the consultation period specifically to gather your feedback and thoughts on the proposed changes, so we can reflect the real views of parent carers in our response. Please come along to share your views or ask any questions — we’d love to see you there. The SEND Partnership is also hosting an information Event and will present an overview of the key proposed changes, highlight the areas the government is consulting on, and empower parent carers with the information needed to share their views with confidence. The SEND Partnership will require pre-booking tickets and you can do that here, tickets .
