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The latest news and updates for parents/carers
and children and young people 0-25 years with special educational needs
and disabilities (SEND) in the Manchester City Council area
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Our next drop in is on Wednesday 10th September, 10am-12pm at Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre, Portway, Wythenshawe M22 1QW. These monthly free events are for parents/carers and young people with SEND up to 25 in the Manchester City Council area. Your children don’t need to have a diagnosis. All welcome – including professionals.
Wheels for All will be joining us, bringing trikes for children to try!
FUTURE DROP INS, 10am-12pm
Wednesday 15th October – Moss Side Powerhouse
Wednesday 12th November – Manchester Youth Zone, Harpurhey
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Free youth theatre
TripleC, a disabled-led creative arts organisation, offer a free Youth Theatre designed for deaf, disabled and or neurodivergent young people aged 8 to 16. The new season starts on Monday 15th September until Easter 2026 at 53two in the city centre, Arch 19, Watson St M3 4LP. The sessions, led by professional actors and directors, are in two age groups: 8-11 years, 4.30-5.30pm and 12-16 years, 6-7.30pm. If anyone starts late in a new term or misses a couple of sessions, there won’t be any pressure to catch up. Sign up for the new term through Eventbrite.
Brains, Bogies and You
Flying Geese are looking for families to take part in audience research around ‘Operation Ouch! Brains, Bogies and You’ at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester. They are especially keen to hear from families with children under 12 who have:
- D/deaf, neurodivergent or visually impaired children
- Returning visitors who attended the previous Operation Ouch! Food, Poo and You Exhibition
- Families with children under 5 who’d like to visit during the week in term time
Involvement includes free entry, plus £40 in shopping vouchers. See the application form to learn more.
Relaxed concerts
Join the 26-piece Hallé ensemble for the chance to listen to popular, classical music in a relaxed and informal way. All responses to the music are welcome whether it’s singing, shaking shakers and dancing. The next relaxed concerts are Wednesday 17th September at 11.30am and 2pm at Hallé St Peter's, Blossom Street, Ancoats, M4 6BF. Tickets are £5 and can be booked via the Hallé website or you can pay on the door. Please email jessica.harper@halle.co.uk if you need further information.
Chetham’s School of Music new season of relaxed performances kicks off on Wednesday 1st October at 1.30pm. There’s no dress code and you won’t be shushed by an usher. Concerts are held in the atrium at Stoller Hall, near Chetham's, Hunts Bank, Manchester M3 1DA. Find out more and book your tickets (scroll down for dates). Here's information on accessibility.
Heritage Open Days
The Museum of Transport Greater Manchester has free Heritage Open Days later in September on Saturday 13th / Sunday 14th and Saturday 20th / Sunday 21st. This includes free heritage buses (not wheelchair accessible) between Shudehill Interchange and the site on Boyle Street, Cheetham, Manchester M8 8UW, and to and from the Science and Industry Museum and People’s History Museum. Find out more and discover other Heritage Open Days around Manchester.
Language celebration
Do you speak more than one language? Want to find out more about the languages spoken in Manchester? Join Central Library’s Big Language Celebration on Saturday 13th September, 1-4pm in the Performance Space. Expect themed activities and much more – and all for free. Just drop in.
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Educational Psychology
One Education have a great new webpage for Manchester parents/carers about the role of an Educational Psychologist (EP), including information in other languages. There are overview guides to various assessments, as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section. This answers questions like:
- I think my child is struggling at school, how can I get help for them?
- How do I prepare my child for an assessment?
- Will I be able to see what is written about my child?
SEND Talk
The SEND Talk podcasts by SENDIASS Manchester offer conversational and easy-to-understand information and advice for parent/carers. There are 15 talks, including SEND support in school, preparing for school meetings, the EHCP process, and first steps to a SEND tribunal. Listen free on the SENDIASS website or on your favourite podcast player, including Spotify and Apple podcasts. There are transcriptions of each episode too.
Just Ask Us
Just Ask Us is a set of videos created by the Greater Manchester Autism Consortium (GMAC) in collaboration with SENDCode and DISC. Aimed at senior school leaders across Greater Manchester, they’re informative for parents/carers, young people and professionals too. The series highlights how small, low or no cost adjustments can make a big difference to the school experience of autistic students. Young autistic people from the Changemakers at Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN) shared their lived experiences of what worked well and what didn’t in school. These insights were then brought to life with the help of local neurodivergent creatives, turning real stories into impactful videos.
Contact's channels
The charity Contact has a YouTube channel with lots of audio and video support. This includes a playlist of audio explainers. Listen to expert parent advisers talk you through some of the key topics you need to know about, from claiming benefits to finding a school place. They also have The helpful podcast for families with disabled children.
Autism Central
The Autism Central podcast is hosted by Holly Sprake-Hill, a neurodivergent occupational therapist, who is joined by guests including autistic people, parents, carers and professionals. The first series, 'Sensory Processing', includes sensory needs of non-speaking children and how to be a sensory supporter for your child. In the second series, 'Relationships', Holly talks to guests about friendships, neurodivergent couples, and family and sibling relationships.
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Name the new centre
A name is needed for a new centre for autism and learning disability support. It will house some Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust teams and Manchester Parent Carer Forum together in one place. Can you help with suggestions? Find out more and get your ideas in by 12 noon on Sunday 7th September.
Call for carers
Carers Manchester are looking for male carers and carers based in North Manchester to join their Lived Experience Panel. You need to be 18+ and an unpaid carer living in Manchester or caring for someone who does. The role is about making sure that unpaid carers are listened to when services and strategies are developed. You get paid for your time (£15 per hour) and travel expenses are covered. Learn more.
SEND Action event
MEaP is a consortium of African and African Caribbean-led supplementary schools delivering high quality educational, social and cultural provision across the Greater Manchester area. They invite staff, volunteers, and parent networks to a free SEND Action for Educators and Parents on Tuesday 16th September 2025, at the St Thomas Centre, Manchester, 9.30am to 12.45pm. The event brings together community educators and families to share practical tools, insights, and support around SEND. Book through Eventbrite.
Autistic burnout webinar
The Centre for Autism Wellbeing Hub has a free webinar on Thursday 18th September, 7-8.30pm – Stop the world, I want to get off: Understanding Autistic Burnout in Children and Young People. It’s with author and researcher Jodie Clarke who is neurodivergent and a parent to autistic children. Register through Eventbrite.
MMR reminder
The NHS is urging parent carers across the UK to check whether their child has had one or both doses of the MMR vaccine. It protects against measles, mumps and rubella, three serious illnesses that are spreading again. The vaccine is free and available anytime, so if your child has missed one or both doses or is now older, it’s never too late to catch up. Read Contact’s article for how to check your child’s status and book an appointment.
ESA guidance
As disabled young people approach adulthood, many families want to understand what benefits they’re entitled to. One of the most important but often misunderstood steps is making a ‘credits only’ claim for new-style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). The charity Contact explain what this means, why it matters, and how it links to future Universal Credit claims. You’ll find this particularly useful if your young person is remaining in full-time education.
Postal voting
New legislation means that all postal voters must reapply every three years. If you applied for a postal vote before 30th October 2023, this applies to you. Your postal vote is only valid until 31st January 2026. You should have had an email or letter from Manchester City Council to let you know about it. This council information tells you about the new ruling and how to apply or cancel, with contact details in case you need to get in touch. There is also this Easy Read information from My Vote My Voice.
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A rave for all
There are still tickets for the next Under One Roof party with Manchester People First on Thursday 4th September, 6-9pm, at YES, M1 7DB. DJ XANDA and Florence will be taking over the decks all night long at this accessible rave for 18+. Get your tickets on Skiddle, £5 plus booking fee - free for carers.
Get creative
MADE is excited to launch Manchester’s Creative Cultural directory with a list of opportunities for young people. Inside you can find:
- Creative careers programmes and free arts groups for young people up to 25 years old
- Workshops and exhibitions to get involved in
- Youth voice groups to make your voice heard and grow confidence
The directory is great for professionals too, including teaching staff. For more news and opportunities, sign up to MADE’s mailing list.
Your youth council
There’s still time to apply to Manchester Youth Council. You can join if:
- You're aged 11–18 or up to 25 if you have SEND or are care-experienced
- You live, study or work in Manchester
It's a way of making a positive difference in your community. You can also develop your leadership and team work skills. Check out this Manchester Youth Council booklet. Any questions, contact youthengagement@manchester.gov.uk. Get your application in by the end of Sunday 7th September!
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The UK Emergency Alert System will be tested on Sunday 7th September at 3pm. This means your mobile phone or tablet may make a loud siren-like sound – even if it’s set on silent – vibrate, and read out the alert. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert (if accessibility notifications have been enabled). It is possible to opt out of the alert test which might be useful in some circumstances.
This webpage of resources includes easy read, BSL videos and translations into community languages. There is also this easy read information.
If you would like to get our newsletters, find out how to sign up
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