SEND Directory

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you are 16 or older and have a physical or mental health condition or disability.

You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of a course at a college or training provider in England.

Loan eligibility does not depend on your income and there are no credit checks.

If you’re studying a level 3 qualification, you might be eligible for an ‘Adult Education Budget’ grant instead of an Advanced Learner Loan. If you get a grant, you do not need to repay it. Ask your college or training provider about grants before you apply for a loan.

Mums In Mainstream is a support group for Mums of kids with an autism diagnosis. We provide a peer network and a supportive environment for all stages of the autism journey.

It is not a group for professionals working within the field of autism and is not a general SEN group. Our ethos is "neurodiversity-positive" meaning we exist to support ourselves and our kids through their autistic journeys and consider autism as a different way of being and not a deficit or illness which needs curing.

CARIS advice service is designed to assist homeless families in Haringey in dealing with their everyday challenges, including evictions, benefits decisions, debt, violence, unemployment, poverty, lack of opportunity and isolation. 

How to get support:

To receive support from CARIS, a referral form must be completed by a professional. However, you can contact CARIS if you have any questions.

Chance UK is a London-based charity with over 25 years of experience working with children who have faced trauma. It provides evidence-based interventions tailored to each child's needs through one-to-one mentoring, group sessions, and school workshops. It also offers specialist support to families, helping them build knowledge, skills, and resilience. When needed, it collaborates with schools and other support services.

Mentoring Programmes for Children Aged 5 to 13:

Whizz Kidz is the UK's leading charity supporting young wheelchair users up to 25 years old, providing them with the equipment and skills they need to live life as independently as possible.

Whizz Kidz offer:

• Wheelchairs and equipment 
• Skills and training
• Social activities

Newlife is the UK’s largest charitable provider of specialist equipment for disabled children.

Newlife offers a lifeline for families, providing life-changing and life-saving equipment when and where its needed. Alongside equipment, they campaign to improve the outlook for disabled children and change lives. They support parents, work with health professionals and strive for a future where all disabled children get the equipment they need and deserve.

Rapid Effective Assistance for Children with potentially Terminal illness (REACT) is a dynamic charity working to improve the quality of life for children with life-limiting illnesses living in financially disadvantaged households throughout the UK.

Helping children with life-shortening illnesses, React works to give children comfort, dignity, and, where possible, greater independence. 

Some of their support includes:

Sunny Days Children's Fund is a national registered charity that raises funds to help children under 18 with a wide range of adverse medical conditions, including Leukaemia, Cerebral Palsy, the Deaf and Blind, Terminal Illnesses, and all other life-hindering conditions.

They provide small grants to help as many children and their families as possible, whether for day trips, medical equipment, respite, hospital travel, or making children's remaining time as comfortable as possible, to include, where achievable, children's last wishes.