Families Infocus - Essex

17/06/2026

Information sharing

📅NEXT WEEK: Self Representation at Tribunal
COST: £10
HOW: Microsoft Teams
Hosted by Charlotte Burnell, senior SOS!SEN volunteer.
This webinar will include -
✨Preparing and submitting your appeal
✨Appeal registration documents
✨Managing the appeal process
✨Evidence
✨Asking for change or updating the Tribunal
✨The bundle
✨The hearing - how to prepare and what to expect
👉Secure your space today: https://buy.stripe.com/00w5kD3V6aq5bxF2eb1RC21

16/06/2026

Looking forward to seeing you all at Team Dandelion's newest Hub this afternoon!

Ruth from Essex Family forum will be joining Team Dandelion and Families in Focus at this new coffee afternoon on Tuesday 16th June, alongside other organisations. All there to signpost and support.

Come along and join us for coffee (or tea), cake.
We look forward to welcoming you.

16/06/2026

Information sharing

SEND Fest at Marsh Farm is back for 2026! This time it's bigger and better than ever with two exclusive days for children and young people with SEND, and their families.

Join SEND Fest on Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st July, from 10am to 5pm 🎉

You can enjoy the many activities including:

• the splash pool beach
• a giant sand pit
• soft play
• bouncy pillows
• foam parties
• rides
• the disco barn
• dinosaurs
• inflatables and so much more!

Tickets will go live at 10am on Tuesday 12 May. Book using the link shared in the comments below 👇

16/06/2026

We’re looking forward to being at the SEND Local Offer Roadshow at Silver End Village Hall tomorrow, 17th June, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. Please come along and have a chat with us if you’d like advice, information, or support—we’re here to help.

Next week is our first SEND Local Offer Roadshow!

We’re excited to be heading out into communities across Essex, giving parents, carers and professionals the chance to meet us face‑to‑face and talk about SEND support in their area.

Come along to:
✅ chat with the SEND Local Offer team
✅ explore what support and services are available locally
✅ get guidance that fits where you’re at right now

Roadshow dates:
Monday 15 June in Rayleigh
Wednesday 17 June in Silver End
Monday 22 June in Manningtree
Wednesday 1 July in Great Dunmow

Find venues, times and full details below 👇

We hope to see you soon 🙂

12/06/2026

Information sharing

Good Beginnings: Autism Information Course

Are you a parent or carer of a child aged 5 or under?

Our Good Beginnings course offers helpful advice and support.

There are still places available in Jaywick for this popular 8 week course, running Tuesday mornings in the autumn term.

By joining, you can:
• Learn more about autism
• Discover ways to support your child
• Meet other parents and carers of autistic children

Interested?
Click the link below to find out more and request a place 👇

12/06/2026

We’re really pleased to be attending the SEND Local Offer Roadshow at The Mill Arts Centre, Rayleigh this Monday, 9.30am–12.30pm. If you’d like advice, information, or a chat about support, please come and find us.

Next week is our first SEND Local Offer Roadshow!

We’re excited to be heading out into communities across Essex, giving parents, carers and professionals the chance to meet us face‑to‑face and talk about SEND support in their area.

Come along to:
✅ chat with the SEND Local Offer team
✅ explore what support and services are available locally
✅ get guidance that fits where you’re at right now

Roadshow dates:
Monday 15 June in Rayleigh
Wednesday 17 June in Silver End
Monday 22 June in Manningtree
Wednesday 1 July in Great Dunmow

Find venues, times and full details below 👇

We hope to see you soon 🙂

11/06/2026

Information sharing

10/06/2026

Information sharing

🤩We’re really happy to share a new Preparing for Adulthood roadmap for neurodivergent young people who aren’t accessing social care.

We shaped this together with the Partnership Delivery Team in South Essex and SNAP Charity, with wider partners involved in the early stages of the conversations. We used the real questions families ask us at events and through our feedback wall to guide what went into the roadmap.

It brings together the key things families often want clearer guidance on as their young person moves from early teens up to age 18, including education choices, health transitions, independence skills and money matters. It’s a simple, one page guide you can keep at home and use as a quick reminder of what to think about at different ages. It also links with the Post 16 Guide and Events Calendar if you want to look into any of the topics in more detail. You can find these here: https://www.essexopportunities.co.uk/post-16-parents-carers-guide/post-16-parents-carers-guide

We hope it helps things feel a little easier to navigate. 💛

09/06/2026

Families InFocus relies almost entirely on donations and grants to provide our services to families.
If you can, please consider donating to Families InFocus to help us continue our work. Every gift we receive makes a difference. The simplest way to make a donation to Families InFocus is via our Just Giving page:
Families InFocus (Essex) - JustGiving
You can make a big difference by setting up a small, regular donation, or a single, one-off donation. Please tick the gift aid box if you are a UK taxpayer as this allows us to claim back the tax you have paid on your donation