If the person you care for is under the age of 25 and has special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) then your council must provide you with details of what is known as their ‘Local Offer’.
The Local Offer is a document or website which lays out the support that is available in your area. It should enable you to clearly see each of the services that the local authority can offer you and how you can access them, all in one place. It will likely also include information about support offered by other organisations too, such as charities and businesses. As well as being a way of signposting you to other services, the Local Offer can often be a great source of information, advice and guidance in itself.
Details about a wide range of services are likely to be featured in the Local Offer including:
- Educational support offered by nurseries, playgroups, schools and colleges as well as details of educational psychologists and early intervention workers.
- Healthcare services including GPs, school nurses and mental health support.
- Social care such as respite care providers and disability support.
- Leisure activities.
- Transport services.
- Support with transitioning to adulthood including developing independence and accessing employment and training.
The Local Offer should also tell you whether these services are free or not. If there is a charge for them, it should tell you if there is any financial support available to help you.
Under the Special Educational Needs (Local Offer) Regulations 2014, the local authority is legally obliged to provide this information and make sure it is accessible for you to see. They must make it available on the internet, but also in hard copy for people without internet access. They should also make it accessible for you if you require it in a different format, such as braille or large print, and may also have it available in other languages too.
The law also says that the council must consult a range of children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities and their families to get their feedback on the Local Offer provided. They must also make this feedback available for you to see and explain how they will improve their Local Offer on the basis of it. If you have feedback about your council’s Local Offer or if you think there is a service they have missed off their listings, you should contact them to tell them what you think.
To find out about your council’s Local Offer, you can contact them directly and ask for further details. If you don’t know which local authority you come under, you can find out on the GOV.UK website. You may also be able to access the information through your local library, or by searching online for your Local Offer.
Online Help and Advice
Visit our online support section where we have provided advice and guidance on a range of relevant topics to help you in your caring role.