SEND Support Service (SSS) - WNC

West Northamptonshire Council's SEND Support Service (SSS) offers advice and support to children, young people, families, carers, and education settings for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) aged 0 to 19 years.

Support Available Without a Referral:

•  You can request a consultation or access courses/workshops without a referral.

Courses and Workshops

The SSS offer a range of virtual and face-to-face courses and workshops to help parents understand and support their child's special educational need or disability (SEND). 

If no dates are showing or bookings have closed, email [email protected], providing the course or workshop title and your contact details. 

The team will add you to a waiting list and contact you with details of the next available sessions. Additional courses and workshops can be arranged when there are sufficient people on a waiting list.  

If there are insufficient numbers to make a course viable, the event may be cancelled, and you will be informed in advance of the start-date.  

Anger and Emotions Course

Type: Virtual or face-to-face course. Length of course: Two 90-minute sessions over two weeks.

• Learn how social communication difficulties affect anger.

Anxiety Course

Type: Virtual or face-to-face course. Length of course: Two 90-minute sessions over two weeks.

• Support with anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Food Course

Type: Virtual or face-to-face course. Length of course: Two 90-minute sessions over two weeks.

• Understand more about difficulties surrounding food and ASD

Puberty Consultations

Type: One-hour telephone consultation. 

Puberty and adolescence can be challenging times for young people and those who care for them. Talking about changes in the body, how to keep yourself safe and understanding the sometimes tricky ‘do’s and don’ts’ of being a teenager can be difficult for parents and carers. In this session, we share specific strategies and approaches to support challenges related to puberty.Please note: These consultations are not suitable for children or young people.

To book a puberty consultation please email [email protected] providing:

• your name,
• the age of your child,
• a brief description of their needs.
•  

Sensory Workshop

Type: Virtual or face-to-face workshop. Length of course: One 90-minute session.

• The workshop is designed to help you gain a basic understanding of sensory processing. 

Spectrum and Reflections Courses

These 6-week courses are for parents and carers of children with social communication difficulties and/or autism.

Each session is 90 minutes long and held once a week for 6 weeks. Sessions will enable you to develop a range of support strategies for your child.

• Reflections Course: For parents and carers of children with social and communication difficulties and / or autism aged 7 years and under.
• Spectrum Course: For parents and carers of children and young people with a confirmed diagnosis of autism aged 8 to 19 years.

Toileting Workshop

Type: Virtual or face-to-face workshop. Length of course: A single 90-minute workshop with an option for an individual follow-up consultation appointment.

 

You can find dates of the next available courses and sign up using Eventbrite.

Consultations

Anyone seeking advice for an individual child can request an SSS consultation.

Parent or Professional Consultations: Consultations for parents/carers are usually held over the telephone and last around an hour. Follow-up consultations are available on request after families or professionals have implemented the initial advice and strategies.

Request a Consultation

Please complete the online form on the Specialist Support Service webpage to request a consultation. You will be asked for the child's name, address, date of birth and a brief background of their SEND need and what you hope would be the outcome of a consultation.

You will be contacted within a week to make arrangements for the consulation and this will normally take place in the following four weeks. 

Referrals 

To make a referral for support from SEND Support Service, as a parent or as a professional please follow the links on the SEND Support Service webpages. Young people can also make their own direct request via the same link. 

Whilst there is no requirement have a diagnosis to access the SEND Support Service, clear evidence of a special educational need or disability would be required.  

Referrals will need to show that the child has difficulties which may be present at home, in the community, at their educational setting or a combination.