Welcome to the latest edition of Shropshire's SEND newsletter, co-produced by Shropshire Council's SEND Local Offer, Shropshire's Parent Carer Council (PACC) and NHS Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin. 

The newsletter aims to provide easy access to key information for SEND families.

Please do continue to provide feedback on this newsletter, we want this to work for you and we are keen to hear what you think of it, and what articles you'd like to see in future editions. You can email us your thoughts at Local.Offer@Shropshire.gov.uk

Our Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Meet and Chat drop-ins are open to anyone in Shropshire supporting a child with SEND — whether you're a parent carer, family member, or professional.

Join us for an informal drop-in session where you can ask questions, get advice, and explore the support available to you within Shropshire. Speak to a range of professionals who can help with:

• Education, health, and Care Plans (EHCPs)
• School support and advocacy
• Health and Wellbeing for children with SEND
• Social care and family support
• Mental health and emotional wellbeing
• Advice for navigating SEND challenges

Each session will have different professionals available, so come along, have a chat, and find the help you need!

Come along to ask questions, get practical advice, and connect with professionals who understand your journey. You do not need to have an official diagnosis to access these sessions. Click below to find out then the next one is running.

Information to help families in Shropshire - Shropshire Together Community Directory

Kids Shropshire Universal Autism Support Service provides free, early intervention and person-centred support for families with autistic children and young people aged 0–19

No diagnosis is needed to access our services. We support families with neurodiverse children, including those with ADHD and PDA.

We hold regular training sessions, coffee mornings and family events.

We aim to:

• Improve understanding of autism
• Share practical support strategies
• Enhance emotional wellbeing and quality of life

To access the service complete a self-referral form which can be found on our web page, it is a quick and easy form:  Shropshire Universal Autism Support Service - Kids   you will also find information of our up and coming training and events.  Once you have completed a referral form you will be sent a link to book a telephone appointment.

The Parenting Help and Support Line are here for all parents, including those parent carers of children and young people with SEND, with a friendly listening ear and practical advice on everything from behaviours that challenge to sleep issues. No judgment, just support.

Call 01743 250950 Monday - Thursday, 9.30am - 4.30pm or Friday, 9.30am - 3.30pm or email: parenting.team@shropshire.gov.uk

It’s fair to say that all parents from time to time need some help and support with issues that impact on family life. There is help and support available in Shropshire through our Early Help coffee and chat drop ins – some of which are also stay and play sessions.

You can get free Information, advice and support on all aspects of family life, at our Family Drop-Ins.  You can chat, have a cuppa and see how we can help you with:

• Family life
• Parenting support
• Domestic abuse support
• Money worries
• Housing support
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)
• and much more

To find your local drop in please visit the Shropshire Family Information Service Directory.

The SEND Local Offer  is a single place for information, services, and resources families of children and young people aged 0-25 with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

It's been designed with a family’s needs at the heart of the process. 

Having access to good quality information to help you understand the world of SEND is really important when making decisions about your child's life. This is where websites such as the SEND Local Offer can really help.

The local offer has two main sections. The first is the information section, where systems and processes are explained, such as how to get extra help at nursery or school, or who to speak to if you're worried about your child's progress. This section will introduce you to services that might help your family, and help you to understand what support is available from a range of services across education, health and social care.

The second section is the service directory. This is a comprehensive list of services, clubs, support groups and businesses that might be of use to your family. It provides a brief introduction to what's offered and contact details so that you can find out more. There's also a feedback button for you to provide information about your experience of using a service, and a listing of events and activities that families supporting a young person with SEND might find of interest.

This video explains more about the SEND Local Offer.

A brand-new NHS service is launching on 1 April for children and young people (aged 0-25) in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who may need support for mental health, emotional wellbeing, or neurodevelopmental concerns.

This new service is designed to make it easier for families to access help, offering earlier support and bringing together different services so your child can get the right help at the right time, when they need it most.

Find out more here Emotional wellbeing and mental health - new service | Shropshire Council

PACC’s community Navigator Service offers personalised signposting and information provision to Parent Carers of 0–25-year old’s with SEND in Shropshire. The service offers support for parent carers to be able to think ahead and actively participate in decision making relating to their child’s next steps through: Information provision A non-judgemental, listening ear, with a parent carer with lived and work experience of the SEND system in Shropshire Developing effective working relationships with local services and SEND practitioners.

What have families said?

"Helps to speak directly to a person, who can answer questions or signpost you in real time and also advise what you are missing/didn’t even know you should be doing. A call with a navigator should be mandatory for anyone who has a child with an EHCP."

"Abi provided a one stop shop for all the services and provisions we didn't know about."

"“Abi has a vast knowledge of what our area offers and about the education system. Knowing she is an email away has been so helpful and reassuring."

How does the Navigator Service work?

After completing a request form, you will be allocated a 30-minute phone or Teams call to talk about any issues you are experiencing. This will be followed up with an email signposting you to support, services, legislation and useful information. 

How can we book?

More information can be found here:

https://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/home/community-support/

Shropshire Council have a statutory duty to provide travel assistance for eligible students of compulsory school age (5-16) who may have SEND or mobility difficulties and/or hold an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and although there is not duty to provide assistance for discretionary areas (0-4 and post 16-19) they currently offer assistance for this area within a contribution scheme.

To apply for school transport, you should complete the relevant application form available on the SEND Local Offer.

SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service): practical help for school transitions and reviews

Getting ready for a school meeting or planning next steps? We can help you use our new Support by School Stage: What to Ask School Now prompts (Y6 to Y7, Year 8, Years 10–11).

We also have simple templates you can fill in: Student Passport, Reasonable Adjustments Request, and Reintegration Plan.

We are impartial, confidential and free.

Contact: 01743 280019 • iass@cabshropshire.org.uk

April is World Autism Acceptance Month, and we wanted to share some of the support available to parent carers of children and young people with Autism traits or a diagnosis of Autism.

Kids – Shropshire’s universal Autism support service – no diagnosis is needed to access the support available, and it's recommended that you contact them as soon as you need information or support, as they provide families with practical tools, emotional support and confidence to help families thrive.

SEND Local Offer – find out more about neurodiversity and Autism and ADHD diagnostic assessments

Neuroaffirmative language guide For neurodivergent children and young people, the language used around them can either help them feel included and respected or cause them to feel excluded and stigmatised.

We advocate the use of neuro-affirmative language — language that's respectful, inclusive and supports an individual’s right to be themselves without pressure to ‘conform’ to neurotypical expectations.

Healthier Together – find out about the support available in Shropshire

Difficulties in getting to sleep or staying asleep can be experienced by all children, but they are even more common in children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and can be longer lasting.

Research shows that over 80% of children with additional needs also have a sleep issue and 40-80% of autistic children and young adults are also affected.

Lack of sleep can have a huge impact on a person’s mood, behaviour, and their ability to learn. Having a child in the family who does not sleep well can affect everyone.

There is a new page on Healthier Together website which looks at the causes of sleep difficulties, what might help, and local and national support services

Please share this information with families who may benefit.

Sleep difficulties in children and young people with SEND

We’ve put together a list of Easter events and activities that could make a fantastic day out for you, your family, and especially your children.

Though not every event listed is SEND specific, activities like; quieter sessions and sensory-friendly trails to hands-on crafts and calm outdoor adventures, there’s something for every child to enjoy at their own pace.  View the list on the Family Information Service online directory

If you are a member of All In Short Breaks you might want to book onto one of their activities running this Easter you can view the timetable here All In Short Breaks - Shrewsbury Town Foundation

PACC Healthy Lives Programme- The Healthy Lives Programme is PACC’s Holiday offer. Healthy Lives offers a variety of activities to support physical and mental wellbeing, providing young people with SEND in Shropshire with opportunities to catch up with friends and be active. You only need to register once for each year of the programme. More information including FAQ's and the registration form can be found here: https://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/home/community-support/healthy-lives-holiday-programme/

As children become young adults, they have more rights and control over their lives and what happens to them. The part that parent carers play in the lives of their young adults will also change to reflect this. However, parent carers of young people with SEND will continue to have an important role in the lives of their young people.

The law says that young people from age 16 have a right to make decisions about their own future. This is called the Mental Capacity Act 2004. Information on how what the Mental Capacity Act is, how mental capacity is assessed and further resources and support has been updated on the SEND Local Offer. There is also this great video explaining more.

Children and young people with SEND may experience challenges with eating, drinking and swallowing, which can impact their nutrition, health, and overall wellbeing. There is support and guidance available to parent carers to support their children.

The eating, drinking and swallowing needs website has some useful tips, downloadable resources and signposting to other websites

There is also this video on Self Restricted Eating

What is an Education, Health and Care Plan? What is a primary area of need? What is an Annual Review? Are you looking for information about EHCP's, where to get more information and someone to speak to? You can find out more on the SEND Local Offer.

PACC have also produced an information sheet covering all of this and more  

Does your young person have an EHCP and is keen to take the next step towards paid employment? This is your chance to meet the dedicated teams behind our DFN Project Search and Supported Internship Programmes.

Chat to the expert teams:

• Learn more about how our programmes work
• Ask questions directly to the people who’ll support the students
• Find out how they can help build skills, confidence, and independence for the workplace

Whether your young person is just starting to think about their future or they’re ready to explore their next move, the team would love to meet them and share how they can support their journey into meaningful employment.

To find out more about the internships visit the Shrewsbury College website Supported Internship

To book a place Book your appointment time – Project Search and Supported Internship Information Event – London Road Campus

Riding the Rapids programme to support parent carers’ understanding of behaviour and implement support strategies. 

10 week programme starting Monday, 20th April – 29th June from 10:00am – 12:00pm

Online – free to attend

What is the workshop about?

• To understand their child’s behaviour in the context of their additional needs and apply strategies to support positive behaviours.
• Develop Stress management strategies and confidence in managing their child’s behaviour
• Collaboration to develop tools they can take away with them and continue to apply once the intervention is complete

Contact For more information or to book a place email shrophire@kids.org.uk and visit Riding The Rapids  - Kids

We invite you to join us for a sleep workshop. This will be held by trained Sleep Practitioners offering support, advice and guidance for your child/young persons sleep issues.

Friday 8th May - 9.30am – 11.30am

Online – free to attend

What is the workshop about?

• Science of sleep
• Potential Triggers causing sleep issues
• Strategies and bedtime routines
• Natural production of melatonin
• Physical and Emotional wellbeing

For more information or to book a place email shrophire@kids.org.uk

Over 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents. This new online learning pathway is short and focusses on understanding particular issues that hearing parents with a deaf child may have.

The pathway explores ideas how to support children’s needs e.g. how to communicate as a family at the diner table to ensure everyone can enjoy the time together, or adjustments at school and building self-confidence in the child.

It includes helpful links such as for the National Deaf Children's Society and information on sign languages. It looks at why tiredness and listening fatigue are common issues for deaf children and how parents/carers can support their child.

We know that having specific resources, tailored as much as possible to the specific family circumstances, contribute to a better positive impact and inclusivity.

Understanding your deaf child for hearing parents - Togetherness

Learn at your pace: quick guides and e‑resources

Visit The Shropshire SENDIASS Education Support pages for plain‑English guides on EHC plans, SEN Support, transitions, timetabling and more. Read or watch in your own time before a meeting.

Start here: Education Support | Shropshire SENDIASS.

Short Breaks offer children and young people the chance to take part in activities and opportunities with their peers and for them to have time away from their family, and for their parent carer to have a break from their caring responsibilities.

There’ve been a few changes to Short Breaks recently and we wanted to share with you and update on those changes. Find out more on the SEND Local Offer.

PACC's Navigator service offers personalised signposting and information provision to Parent Carers of 0–25-year old's with SEND in Shropshire. Each term, PACC produces a summary report of key issues and themes. The service has provided 56 1:1 sessions offering personalised signposting and information for SEND families during this period.

The full summary report can be read here: https://www.paccshropshire.org.uk/pacc-community-navigator-termly-report-feb-2026/