Local and national organisations
Local organisations
There are lots of local organisations who can help people with SEND in Enfield:
- BeeZee Bodies - offers free family weight management programmes to help improve your family's health and wellbeing
- Carers and Parents in Enfield (CAPE) (PDF, 104.71 KB)
- Centre 404 - SEND Information, Advice and Support Service
- Cheviots children's disability service - supports families and children or young people with special educational needs or a disability
- Children's Centre
- Enfield Advisory Service for Autism (EASA) - supports autistic children and young people aged 0 to 25. They work with educational settings and parents to increase understanding of autism, and develop services and support.
- Enfield Autistic Society
- Enfield Carers Centre
- Enfield Disability Action - have a team to help people using individual budgets and direct payments
- Enfield Local Safeguarding Children Board (ESCB)
- Enfield Mencap - a local voluntary organisation for people with learning disabilities. It runs a club for disabled people aged 18 to 25, with a friendly environment for friendships to develop, existing activities and new opportunities.
- Healthwatch Enfield
- Home Start (PDF, 871.92 KB) - a voluntary organisation that promotes the welfare of families with children up to the age of 25. Their volunteers visit families in their homes weekly, offering friendship and practical and emotional support. View their referral policy and guidelines (PDF, 482.76 KB)
- Informed Families
- MyLife - supports adults with learning disabilities to access education, work and social opportunities
- One-to-One - a local charity for adults with learning difficulties to be actively involved in the community. They also encourage getting out and about and making new friends.
- Our Voice - a parent and carer forum supporting the families of children and young people with SEND up to age 25
- Parent engagement panel (PEP)
- STARS - offers social and academic learning, including life skills, for young adults aged between 18 to 25 with additional needs
- The Samaritans
National organisations
You can also find information about national organisations who can help people with SEND:
- Bobath - supports families living with cerebral palsy and similar neurological conditions
- Brainwave - helps children with disabilities and additional needs to achieve greater independence. Through specialist therapies, they aim to improve mobility, communication skills and learning potential.
- Children's Education Advisory Service within the Ministry of Defence provides advice and guidance to service parents, educational establishments and local authorities on educational issues relating to service children, including SEN
- Council for disabled children
- Disability Rights UK - campaigns for all disabled people to be included in every aspect of life, challenging policy makers, institutions and individuals to remove barriers
- Downs Syndrome Association - information, advice and support
- Hotaach Project - a support group for parents and carers of autistic children and dependents
- Independent Parental Special Education Advice
- Lifeline4Kids
- Mencap
- National Apprenticeship Service
- National Autistic Society
- National Deaf Children's Society
- New Life Foundation - support, information and access for disabled children
- Not Going to Uni
- NSPCC
- REACT - for children with life-limiting illnesses living in financially disadvantaged household
- Remploy - employment opportunities for disabled young adults
- Royal Society for Blind Children - offers support for you and your family if you have a blind or partially sighted child aged 0 to 25
- SCOPE - national charity that provides support, information and advice to disabled people and their families, including those with cerebral palsy
- Shine - support for those with spina bifida or hydrocephalus
- Sickle Cell Society - the only national charity in the UK that supports and represents people affected by a sickle cell disorder to improve their overall quality of life
- Sunny Days Fund - grants for day trips, medical equipment and hospital travel
- SWAN UK (Syndromes without a name) - the only dedicated support network for families of children and young adults with undiagnosed genetic conditions in the UK. SWAN UK is run by the charity Genetic Alliance UK.
- Teenage Helpline
- The Children's Trust - rehabilitation and services for those with acquired brain injuries
- The Communication Trust - support with speech, language and communication
- UCAS - help and advice to apply for higher education
- Unique - for those affected by a rare chromosome disorder
- Whizz Kids - mobility equipment for disabled children
- Wizzybugs - an innovative powered wheelchair provided free of charge to preschool physically disabled children
- Young Minds
Support if a parent is in prison
The following organisations offer support if your partner or a parent is in prison:
Child bereavement
The following bereavement charities offer help, support and information for parents, siblings and other family members who are grieving the loss of a child.
All helplines are run by trained parent volunteers, who themselves have sadly experienced the loss of a child. Many of the websites have sites specifically for siblings to access support. Others run online forums, providing bereaved families the opportunity to make contact, share experiences and offer support to one another.
- Child Bereavement UK
- Child Bereavement Network
- Children of Jannah (Muslim support)
- Cruse - support, advice and information to children, young people and adults when someone dies
- Enfield Bereavement Service
- Grief Encounter
- Noah's Ark Hospice
- Sands National
- The Bereavement Guide (PDF, 1413.3 KB) - supporting children and young people through grief and loss
- The Compassionate Friends
- The Child Death Helpline
- Winston's Wish
Financial support following a death
- Child funeral charity offers financial assistance for families with funeral payments for a child under 16
- Funeral payments offer help for those on a low income for payment towards funeral expenses
Hospitals
Enfield has the following hospitals:
Families in Transition to Adulthood
Families in Transition to Adulthood was set up by Jane Richards, the parent and carer of a young man who has successfully transitioned into adulthood.
Jane works closely with the council, attending meetings to represent the views of parents and carers, and co-producing the transition information that is available. She also attends the preparing for adulthood events to offer advice and answer your questions.
Jane has a wealth of knowledge and is happy to offer support as your young person transitions into adulthood.
You can contact Jane by email at jane.fta@hotmail.com or call 07816 070098.
Palliative care
Haven House Children's Hospice is run by Sue Irwin, a registered nurse and health visitor, along with friends and colleagues. The charity provides free care to life-limited children and their families.
Noah's Ark Hospice is a community based hospice service providing support for children and young people with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions and their families in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington and Hertsmere. The children they work with have a range of conditions and often have very complex needs. Their services aim to help the children, their siblings and parents make the most of the time they have together, and we continue to support the families after bereavement.
Rainbow Trust’s family support workers join the family in their own home and provide practical support when needed. They may attend hospital appointments with parents, sit with your sick child to give parents a break or take worried siblings out for the day.
The Sapphire Service provides health care assessments, nursing support, and play and bereavement services to families. The team aim to support children who need palliative care and their siblings, or children who meet the continuing healthcare threshold.
Children who have multiple complex health needs may meet our criteria for continuing healthcare funded support. This enables families to receive care for their child, which is currently provided by external agencies.
Children are assessed by a nursing team and any necessary funding is agreed. This is reviewed regularly with the family and may change depending on the child’s health support requirements.
Assessments are usually carried out within 13 days and reviews within five days of the planned date.
For more information, contact the team on 020 8375 2945.
Our Voice parents' forum
Having a child with special needs can be challenging, and whilst families can be a source of support, sometimes getting understanding can be problematic.
Through meeting other parents and carers, learning from them and sharing similar experiences, you know you are not on your own. Our Voice is a parent-led organisation working with parents and carers, as well as statutory and voluntary sectors.
Our Voice works closely with Enfield Council to implement new SEND Reforms and ensure that parents’ voices are heard. They also work hard to improve services for children and young people with disabilities or special educational needs in Enfield.
Our Voice offers:
- coffee mornings in your school to support parents and cover a range of topics
- a family network support helpline
- network meetings, covering different themes and topics
- consultancy services, such as running parent consultations or training
For more information, email info@ourvoiceenfield.org.uk.
Joint Service for Disabled Children
The Joint Service for Disabled Children (JSDC) is an important partnership which works with third-party organisations to support and promote opportunities for disabled children and their families.
View more information about Joint Service for Disabled Children (JSDC).
Specialist support
Specialist support is available for primary and secondary school children who are experiencing social, emotional and mental health difficulties. The services are available for children, parents and teachers, with the aim of supporting learning and wellbeing, increase understanding of childrens' behaviour, and reducing permanent exclusions.
View more information about specialist support.