We're thrilled to announce the return of our Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme this summer, packed with exciting activities for eligible children!

The programme runs from Monday, 28 July to Friday, 22 August 2025.

This year, we've also launched a new, improved booking system to make signing up even easier.

Need advice or guidance?

Our last SEND Surgery of the academic year takes place on Tuesday 15 July , 9am to 11am at Edwards Hall  Primary School, Macmurdo Road, Eastwood, SS9 5AQ.

Everyone is welcome, regardless of school attendance. Come along and get friendly face-to- face advice from a range of teams and services.

If you’ve been to a SEND Surgery before, and it was helpful, please complete our quick feedback form – it really helps!

The Southend Specialist Teaching Service have developed resources and are offering free training sessions for families of children in year 6 who are moving to mainstream secondary schools this September. The final session, “let’s get techy” runs on 16 July.

For more information about education transitions, visit the Local Offer.

Parents, Carers and children are invited to attend the Elective Home Education Team’s annual GCSE and Post-16 Information event on Thursday, 25 September between 11am to 2pm at The Forum, SS1 1ND.

The event is aimed at Year 8s and above that are home educated and looking to sit examinations in the future or would like information about the options open to them. 

It’s a one stop shop for everything regarding tutors, external exam centres, careers advice, examinations and Post-16 options.

We are pleased to share details of an important upcoming event being hosted by Southend Connexions, aimed at supporting young people across Southend-on-Sea as they receive their exam results this summer.

The event takes places on Friday, 22 August 2025 from 10.00am to 2.30pm at The Forum Library, Elmer Square, Southend-on-Sea, SS1 1NS.

This is a free event - No booking required

Some open evenings have already taken place, but some are still due to run in September. Visit the Southend-on-Sea City Council website for dates and times, and helpful school admissions booklets.

The Living Well User Voice Groups are residents’ forums that have been created to gather feedback and for you to share your views on local services.

• learn more about free local services and activities
• share your thoughts directly with SCC officers in person
• be part of decision-making in your community
• make new friends

Currently there are two Living Well User Voice Groups, one for people with learning disabilities and a new group which supports mental health and wellbeing. Each group meets typically every 6 weeks at a central Southend location.

Carers can apply for a Carers Card UK which provides a range of benefits including discounted access to a range of activities. This is a national scheme. 

The Southend Advantage Card offers reduced prices on a range of activities.

A CEA Card is available for people aged 5 years and over who need to be accompanied in cinemas because of their disability. It enables the cardholder to be accompanied by someone, free of charge, when they buy a ticket to visit a participating cinema with a carer.

Family Fund provide grants for days out and family breaks (subject to eligibility criteria).

The Lighthouse Parent, Carer and Young Person Network is open to all parents, carers and young people living in Southend and Essex who use services provided by the Lighthouse Childhood Development Centre in Southend. 

Meetings give you the opportunity to: 

• meet and speak to the Lighthouse team
• ask questions
• hear about service developments
• connect with other parents, carers and young people

Stay for as long or as little as you like, come with a question or simply to listen. 

The NHS Children's Physiotherapy team are excited to offer physiotherapy drop-in clinics for children aged 0 to 5.

Come along if you need advice on how to help your child learn to move, or if you are worried about the way they move or walk.

We will offer quick screening and immediate advice. No referral or appointment needed.

You can also ring us on our advice line on 01702 372252 on weekdays between 12:30pm and 2:30pm.

The Lighthouse team is holding a number of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) support sessions for families in Southend, Essex and surrounding areas. Your child does not need to have a diagnosis of ASD or ADHD for you to join these sessions, they are open to all families.

Work is already underway locally that supports the ambitions outlined in the government’s 10 Year Health Plan, framed around the three key shifts in how healthcare is planned, coordinated and delivered. These three shifts are already embedded in our local roadmap for the next five years.

Major changes are planned to councils across Greater Essex as part of the largest reorganisation of local government in over 50 years.

Final proposals must be submitted to the Government by 26 September and we can’t make an important decision like this without you. We want to know your views and the things you care about most.

The SEND Local Offer on Livewell Southend has a range of information about support for SEND for children and young people aged 0 to 25 in the local area.

Join us at Southend Civic Centre on Monday 14 July 10am to 12pm to find out more about the Local Offer and tell us what information you want and need.

The Southend Council SEND team have three surveys and are encouraging families to provide feedback about their experiences on Annual Review and Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment processes.

The surveys are anonymous and take around 10 minutes to complete. Alternative formats of the surveys are available upon request – email localoffer@southend.gov.uk or call 01702 212328.

The Southend SEND Network is a dedicated space for organisations and groups supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and their families in Southend-on-Sea. Parents and carer are welcome to join too.

Below are the latest updates from the network:

• Social and Communication Peer Support Workers extends their services until the end of December 2025
• Sparkles Story Time with Chaos and Calm
• events and workshops for parent carers organised by  Autism Central
• workshops for parent carers run by Family Fund
• downloadable "survival guides", information and resources from SNAP
• disability benefit support organised by SEND The Right Message
• meet Cake Club at Southend Pride
• New! Freedom Kids summer holiday sessions
•  Friends and Places Together open days and sponsored walk
• "6 weeks sorted" online session from SAVS: Relieving Pressure for Parents over the Summer Holiday
• workshops and training by Sibs

The Summer holidays are nearly upon us, and we know they look different for everyone.  However you’re spending them, we hope you get the change to relax and recharge.

We’ll also be taking some time out with our families, so our team will be running on a reduced schedule over the six week summer break.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on our social media channels for helpful tips and updates on any upcoming events!

We are looking forward to September and if you need a reminder of our events and coffee mornings planned for the next academic year, visit our website.

As always, we appreciate your feedback on your lived experiences of SEND services in Southend-on-Sea – the positives, the negatives and everything in-between!  Complete our family feedback form.

Summer in Southend-on-Sea is packed with fun.

To stay in the loop on all the exciting events and activities happening around the city, make sure you're following the SEND Local Offer on social media.

Find us on Facebook and Instagram.

Don't miss out on the latest news, events, and information relevant to families of children and young people with SEND in Southend-on-Sea.

Subscribe to the Southend SEND Area Partnership newsletter to receive regular updates directly to your inbox. Be the first to know about upcoming events, policy changes, local support services, and more.

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The latest three editions of the newsletter are available at the following links:

• Latest news from the Southend SEND Partnership - June edition
• Latest news from the Southend SEND Partnership - May edition
• Latest news from the Southend SEND Partnership - April edition