Getting SEND Support from Nursery, School and Family Hubs

Who should I speak to first?

Ask for the setting’s SEN information, who your main contact will be and a meeting to discuss support. If your child has a disability, also ask what reasonable adjustments may remove barriers to participation.

GOV.UK: who to talk to · Nursery and school SEN Support.

Prepare for a useful SENCO meeting

Take a one-page overview rather than trying to remember everything under pressure. Include what your child enjoys, what they communicate about school and two or three priorities. Your observations at home matter even when the setting sees something different.

Useful questions include: “What need are we addressing?”, “What will happen each day?”, “Who will do it?”, “How will we know it helps?” and “When will we review it?” Before leaving, ask for a written summary, named responsibilities and a review date.

What can nursery or school support look like?

SEN Support should be organised around a repeated Assess → Plan → Do → Review cycle. Understand the needs, agree the support, put it into practice and review its effect with the family. Ask for changes if the agreed approach is not helping.

These are discussion examples, not a prescribed package. Ask whether specialist advice is needed and how referrals work locally. Keep a record of the support and its impact, rather than only a list of strategies that were suggested.

IPSEA: SEN Support and review · NHS: supporting a child at school.

What can a Family Hub help with?

A Family Hub brings together routes to support for children and families. Depending on the area, this can include early language, parenting activities, help finding services and family wellbeing or financial advice. A hub is not the team that decides whether to assess for an EHCP.

Use the official Family Hub finder. Where there is no hub, search your council’s family information or family support service. Ask what is available locally, whether you can self-refer and whether a session needs booking.

• “My child needs help with [brief need]. Which local service should I contact?”
• “Are there accessible groups or sessions suitable for my child?”
• “Can you help me find the SEND Local Offer or an early-years support service?”
• “What happens after a referral, and who should I contact if I hear nothing?”

Department for Education: Family Hubs. Services and eligibility vary locally; check with the provider before attending.

What if SEN Support is not enough?

Ask for a review of unmet needs and what further advice is required. You can also consider an EHC needs assessment if it may be necessary for provision to be made through a plan. You can request the assessment yourself; there is no requirement to wait a fixed number of terms first or obtain the school’s permission.

An EHCP is not needed for every child with additional needs. Equally, a setting’s refusal to request one does not stop a parent making their own request. The council must apply the legal assessment test.

IPSEA: requesting an EHC needs assessment.

Where to get help: useful contacts

These are external services, not NeuroVillage partners or guaranteed appointments. We have not contacted them on your behalf. Use their official routes for personal or case-specific information.

Local example: Derby City support

This box is for Derby City residents. Derbyshire County Council covers a different area, with separate services. Use the council finder if you are unsure.

Live elsewhere? Use your local Family Hub finder and SENDIASS directory rather than Derby City’s contact details.

Simple email to request a support meeting

Copy and adapt this starting point in your own email. Send it directly to the setting. It is a meeting request, not an EHC needs assessment request to the council.

Subject: Request for a meeting about support for [child’s name]

Dear [key person / teacher / SENCO],

I would like to arrange a meeting to discuss [child’s name]’s needs and the support available in [nursery / school].

Our main concerns are [two or three short examples and their impact]. Things that help include [strengths, preferences and useful approaches].

Please could we discuss the support already in place, what else is needed, who will be responsible and when we will review its effect?

Please also share the current support plan and let me know who coordinates SEN support. I would appreciate a written summary of the agreed next steps.

My availability / communication needs are [details].

Thank you,
[your name]

Common questions about getting help