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 HEREο»Ώ
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
πSouthend SEND Information Day π 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. π
6 November 2025 π 9:00am to 3:00pm (drop in anytime) π 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: βͺ 10am to 11am: Transitions from the Children with Disabilities Team to adult social care βͺ 11.30am to 12.30pm: Health information session; Decision making; young people with additional needs βͺ 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.
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.
Transitions in Education
We know that some of you have shared that coffee mornings can be difficult to attend so we have organised a Drop-In Event once every half term. The session is open to everyone, ParentCarers looking to find out more about what the Forum does, professionals who want to understand our role and those who would just like to join us for a hot drink and a natter. We will be sharing the dates of the sessions on our social media channels so be on the lookout for future dates. We look forward to seeing you there!
OUR PAST EVENTS
πSouthend SEND Information Day π 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. π
6 November 2025 π 9:00am to 3:00pm (drop in anytime) π 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: βͺ 10am to 11am: Transitions from the Children with Disabilities Team to adult social care βͺ 11.30am to 12.30pm: Health information session; Decision making; young people with additional needs βͺ 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.
Education, Health, and Care Plan's
Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF) continues its series of valuable informative events for ParentCarers of children with SEND with the fourth seminar of the year: "Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA)”. This seminar is aimed at ParentCarers who have applied for or are thinking about applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), but would like to find out if it is necessary or right for their Child or Young Person. We will aim to answer questions such as: What does an EHCNA entail? Which services are involved? What happens after the assessment? What is my role and responsibility as a ParentCarer? We have a panel of professionals from the Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Team, Health and Education, who will talk about the assessment process. They will also bust some common myths. We are inviting ParentCarers to submit any questions they have for the panel by email, by Monday 10th March 2025, via email, to jody@southendsendindependentforum.org.uk . This is to save time in the room on the day as our speakers will build their presentations around the answers to these questions. 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 EHCNA process. Book your tickets here.
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.
