Southend’s Preparing for Adulthood Team are excited to announce a new series of interactive webinars designed to build practical knowledge and confidence around Preparing for Adulthood outcomes and transition pathways for young people with SEND.

Webinar topics:

1. Preparing for Adulthood – what it means and why it matters (19 March)
2. Building employment pathways – Supported Internships and Apprenticeships (16 April)
3. Navigating adult social care – preparing families and young people (14 May)
4. From NEET to employment – strategies for engagement and success (25 June)
5. EHCPs and support for young people with high needs in post-16 education (9 July)

Documents have been launched outlining the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physiotherapy offer in Southend for families, early years providers and mainstream schools.

They clearly set out universal, targeted and specialist support, helping everyone understand what’s available in Southend and how to access support early.

The Southend SEND Local Offer Team are pleased to provide dates and venues for SEND Surgeries running in 2026.

Any parent carer or family member living in Southend can come to a surgery. Each surgery has a range of teams and services available to provide friendly face-to-face advice and guidance. There is no need to book – just drop in!

Follow the link below for 2026 surgery dates and venues and details of services that will be in attendance.

Southend Family Centres are working hard to get their new timetable up and running on their website, in the meantime, please visit their Facebook page.

Their new timetable started this week. Please note there have been changes to group times to make them longer and some groups have changes to the ages.

We look forward to welcoming all our families back, old and new.

This February, The Victoria Centre is proud to host a brand new Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Event, created to celebrate young voices, boost confidence and bring our community together in a powerful, positive way.

Delivered in partnership with Southend-on-Sea City Council and Youth Health Champions, this free event is all about expression, connection and wellbeing. Whether you love to perform, create, make or support others, this is your invitation to be part of something truly special.

We know that Christmas and the New Year can look very different for all of our families, and we hope you were able to enjoy the break in a way that felt right for you and your family. As we move into the new term, we also hope that the return to school has been as smooth and settled as possible for you and your children and young people.

We’d like to let you know that our most recent Family Feedback Report is now available on our website. This report shares what parent carers have told us, the key themes from your feedback, and how this is being used to help shape SEND services locally.

We also wanted to share something new. We’ve recently launched our mini guide: What Is a Parent Carer Forum? – A Simple Guide, which is now available on our website. The guide builds on our poster and includes short videos that explain in more detail who we are, what we do, and how we support parent carers and help bring your voices into SEND decision-making.

As always, we appreciate your feedback on your lived experience of SEND in Southend-on-Sea – the positives, the negatives and everything in-between!

We know how important it is for parent carers to be kept informed about SEND developments. We’ve recently attended a number of national and local meetings linked to the Schools White Paper, including ministerial and Parent Carer Forum–specific sessions, as well as a meeting with our local MP David Burton-Sampson. We’ve shared a short update on our website about the meetings we’ve attended and our continued involvement.

The Early Years SEND Support Service host stay and play sessions, designed to support you and your child with a variety of play and sensory experiences. The sessions are available to children with SEND aged 0 to 5 and their families in Southend and run on Wednesdays 1pm to 2:30pm. A variety of different services join the sessions to provide support and information.

Brownes Boot Camp offer mobile, year-round fitness services including outdoor and indoor boot camps, one-to-one personal training, boxing, and sports massage therapy.

They specialise in working with children and adults with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in schools, workplaces, and care homes.

Cubbie is designed to help people regulate their sensory experiences in various environments.

Cubbie provides a customisable space with adjustable lighting, sound and visuals.

It allows users, especially those with sensory sensitivities, to find comfort and focus.

Remember to download the App and visit the Cubbie in the Victoria Centre this 2026!

Familes will be happy to know that Arriva Bus Service 29 will be extended to Garon Park, replacing service 6.

This change will provide direct connections to Garon Park and Southend Hospital via Fairfax Drive. Services will run:

• Monday to Saturday, up to every 30 minutes
• hourly on Sundays

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.

Read about the the network's latest news, and learn more about it in the SEND Network Hub.

Making Waves SEND Support Group now have 2 sessions running on Fridays for children and young people with SEND and their parent carers. 1 for 1 to 5 year olds, and another for 4 to 16 year olds.

SNAP Charity - Occupational Therapists from the Great Little OT Practice join the SNAP team on a termly basis to speak to parents about all things functional skills and sensory processing related. Find out the next date by contacting SNAP.

STRM Bouldering - climbing made fun and accessible. No ropes, just soft mats, colour, movement and fun!

SUFC Premier League Kicks - football sessions for 8 to 25 year olds (for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities only).

Trust Links - free yoga and mental wellbeing course for young people between 17 and 25.

You are invited to join us on one of our last free healthcare employment programmes, we have a choice of two. Email epunft.enableeast@nhs.net to book your place.

• The Forum Southend: Monday 26 January and Tuesday 27 January 10am to 2pm
• Rochford Hospital: Tuesday 3 February 9am to 1pm and Tuesday 10 February 1 to 4pm

An additional HAF programme will be running during February half term 2026. Families can access up to 4 funded days of activities. Bookings open: 29 January 2026.

Families unsure about eligibility should contact their child’s school. Parents of children in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 (universal FSM) can apply for free school meals via: Free school meals.

HAF provider opportunities: Southend-on-Sea City Council is accepting new provider applications to deliver HAF provision from 1 April 2026.

Find out more at the Provider Drop-in Session:

• Date: 27 January 2026 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
• Location: Committee Room 1, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend, SS2 6ER.
• Attendees can meet with the Procurement Advisor and HAF Coordinator.
• Contact: HAF Team HAF@southend.gov.uk

Winter 2025 offer: read about HAF activities that took place over the Christmas holiday! 

From January 2026 there will be some changes to the childhood vaccination schedule.

These updates have been introduced to give children earlier and broader protection against serious illnesses. The revised schedule ensures vaccinations are offered at the most effective times to help protect children as early as possible.

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 Lighthouse team is holding a number of Autism and ADHD support sessions for families in Southend, Essex and surrounding areas.

Your child does not need to have a diagnosis of Autism or ADHD for you to join these sessions, they are open to all families.