Additional Needs and Disabliities

• IPSEA provides free and independent legal advice and support in England to help children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• The Family and Childcare Trust has produced a guide to childcare for children with special educational needs and disabilities in England. 
• The National Network of Parent Carer Forums (NNPCF) was launched in 2011, and is funded by central government. The NNPCF is a network of local forums meeting in regional settings, working together to effect local and national service improvement through participation and co-production with parent carers.

• Forces Children Scotland provide information about what to do if your child requires extra support (see Additional Support Needs section).
• Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning.
• Capability Scotland campaigns with, and provides education, employment and care services for, disabled children and adults across Scotland. 

• SSCE Cymru’s Service Family Guide includes a section on Health, wellbeing and ALN.
• SNAP Cymru provides information, advice and support for parents, children and young people who have, or may have, SEND. It provides impartial, confidential and free advice through its helpline and specialist casework service. 

The Special Educational Needs Advice Centre (SENAC) is a charity providing confidential, independent advice and advocacy on behalf of children and young people with SEND attending schools in Northern Ireland up to the age of 19 years. 

Defence Children Services (DCS) is divided into two parts – the UK Education Advisory Team (EAT) and the Overseas Education and Supportability Team (OEST). The EAT are experienced in advising Service parents on a wide range of issues regarding the education of Service children in the UK including bespoke professional advice on special educational needs. The OEST are their counterpart that cover overseas education. EAT are also the first port of call for people considering an application for Continuity of Education Allowance. You can find their contact details and further information about the types of advice they offer here. 

A Local Offer gives children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND), and their families, information about what support services the council states are available in their local area. Councils are responsible for writing a Local Offer and making sure it is available for everyone to see. Services listed may come from the central government, the council, or the NHS, but others may come from external organisations, charities or businesses. 

Being listed in the Local Offer does not necessarily mean the service is endorsed or recommended by the council. It is important to check yourself to make sure the services are suitable for your child’s needs. 

Please click here to search your local council area to see what support is available to you.  

SEND Local Offers in the UK | WellChild 

NCC provides financial and holistic support to help children (up to the age of 25) of Naval families, serving and veterans; this includes support to children with disability, illness or special needs. NCC partners with a range of organisations, such as the National Autistic Society (NAS) and KIDS. Please see their Help page for additional information and to get in touch.

Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) have a dedicated Neurodiversity Navigator to assist Serving Personnel and their families and guide you to the right support. You can find out more about RNRMC’s commitment to neurodiversity support and make contact here.

A special educational need can be registered with the Service. Although it is not compulsory, it may be beneficial to register with the Education Advisory Team EAT (UK), so that they can liaise with your Chain of Command to ensure that your child’s needs can be met on future postings. 

The Forces Additional Needs and Disability Forum (FANDF) is a tri-Service group for current Serving families or individuals who have a child or adult dependent with an additional need and/or disability. 

• See our NFF | Additional Needs page for information about Government Support.
• GOV.UK – the official government website for citizens with a comprehensive section on Money, Tax and Benefits. Visit the website to find out if you are entitled to any disability benefits. 
• Citizens Advice Bureau – Offer advice on many subjects, including welfare and disability benefits. 

If you are considering boarding school for your child(ren), you can contact the Education Advisory Team (EAT) (UK) at RC-DCS-HQ-EAT@mod.gov.uk 

• The aim of Continuity of Education Allowance (Special Educational Needs Addition) (CEA (SENA)) is to contribute towards the additional costs associated with a specific support plan for an individual service child who has a level of SEND which cannot reasonably be met within the expected resources of a school. 
• School generated information is required to evidence the level of a child’s special needs. School staff have the experience and knowledge of individual children and should be the best source of detailed information, collected over time, as to an individual child. 
• State boarding schools work within the existing SEND Code of Practice and therefore SEND provision within those schools is easily understood as well as it being inspected by Ofsted. 

• Independent schools other than Independent Special Schools are not bound by the SEND Code of Practice but do work with the duties outlined by the 2010 Equality Act – which requires all schools to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ when working with a child with SEND. 
•  For further information, please refer to JSP 752.