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When Life Changes / SEND family support

When Life Changes

SEND family support

A practical route through school support, caring pressure, appointments, disability costs and family wellbeing.

This route may help: Parents and carers supporting a child or young person with SEND, autism, ADHD or additional needs.

Start with the first checksOpen My Next Steps
Start here

First, reduce the immediate pressure

You do not need to complete the whole route. Check these three things, then choose one next action.

  • Write down the one barrier affecting the child or family most right now.
  • Check whether school attendance, safety, food, medication or housing needs urgent attention.
  • Keep copies of important school, health and council messages in one place.
Step by step

A practical order to work through

This order is a guide, not a test. Skip anything that does not apply.

  1. 1

    Describe the need in daily life

    Use examples from home, school, travel, communication and personal care.

  2. 2

    Ask the right starting service

    This may be the school SENCO, local SEND offer, health team or council assessment route.

  3. 3

    Check family and caring support

    Look at parent carer support, short breaks, disability benefits and grants.

  4. 4

    Prepare for the next conversation

    Write questions, agreed actions and a follow-up date.

Choose the right tool

What would make the next step easier?

Use one tool now. The others can wait.

National HelpFind SEND, disability and family support.OpenSelf HelpPrepare for school, health or council appointments.OpenMy Next StepsKeep assessments, calls and agreed next steps together.Open
Prepare gently

Self Help sheets for this situation

Use a sheet to organise thoughts, prepare words or remember what was agreed.

Appointment preparationKeep the main points, questions and follow-up in one place.What I need help withPut the situation into plain words before speaking to a person or service.My support circleRecord who can help with different parts of the situation.
Read only what helps

Relevant guides

These explain the most common next questions in plain English.

Support for parents of disabled childrenA route through benefits, education, social care, health and parent-carer support without assuming one assessment unlocks everything.Carer’s Allowance and parent carer supportHow Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit carer support and a parent-carer’s own assessment can overlap without being the same thing.Navigating Special Educational Needs (SEN) Transport and SchoolingHow to separate school placement, SEND support and home-to-school transport decisions—and challenge each one through the correct route.
Keep your place

Save this route for later

Save the checklist to My Next Steps, then return when you have more time or energy.

Open My Next Steps

HiddenHelp helps you organise possible routes and next steps. It does not decide eligibility or replace emergency, medical, legal, safeguarding or regulated financial advice.