SEND support in Richmond upon Thames: where to start

If your child has special educational needs or a disability (SEND), or you think they might, the acronyms and services can feel like a lot. This guide sets out who does what in Richmond upon Thames, so you know where to look first.

This is general information, not advice. Always check the official pages linked below, as details can change.

The Local Offer: your starting point

Every council has to publish a “Local Offer”. It is one place that sets out the support available for children and young people with SEND. In Richmond, children’s services, including SEND services, are run by Achieving for Children (AfC). AfC also works for Kingston. Richmond Council’s own SEND page sends families to AfC’s Local Offer for Kingston and Richmond.

The Local Offer covers education, health and social care, from birth to 25. You can find it on AfC’s information website at kr.afcinfo.org.uk/local_offer. It includes sections on needs assessments and EHC plans, short breaks, activities and clubs, health services, early years, moving into adulthood and parenting courses.

SENDIASS: free, impartial advice

SENDIASS stands for SEND Information, Advice and Support Service. Every area has one. The Kingston and Richmond service describes itself as free, confidential and impartial. It supports children and young people up to 25 with SEND, and their parents and carers.

It can help with understanding your rights, education, health and care services, personal budgets, and mediation and resolving disagreements. It also runs online clinics. These are for families applying for an EHC plan or responding to a draft plan. Its website is rksendiass.co.uk, and its contact details are listed on the Local Offer.

The Richmond Parent Carer Forum

The Richmond Parent Carer Forum is an independent group run by parents. It is for parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 to 25 with SEND who live in the borough. You don’t need a diagnosis to join. The forum receives core funding from the Department for Education. Its aim is to make sure families’ voices are heard when SEND services are planned. It also offers peer support, which many parents value most of all. Its website is richmondpcf.org.uk.

Asking for an EHC needs assessment

An Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is a legal document. It is for children and young people who need more support than a school or nursery can usually provide from its own resources. The first step is an EHC needs assessment.

According to GOV.UK:

A parent can ask the council for an assessment. Young people aged 16 to 25 can ask for themselves. Anyone else who thinks an assessment may be needed, such as a teacher or doctor, can also make a request.
The council must tell you within 16 weeks whether an EHC plan is going to be made.
If a plan is made, the whole process, from the council receiving the request to issuing the final plan, should take no more than 20 weeks.

In Richmond, the request goes to AfC. The Local Offer has a section on needs assessments and EHC plans. It covers how to apply, annual reviews and appeals. SENDIASS can help you with a request if you would like support.

Autism and ADHD assessments

Many families want to know how to get an autism or ADHD assessment. We can’t advise on individual children, but the NHS sets out the usual routes:

Autism: your GP can often refer a child to a local autism team. For school-age children, the school may need to make the referral. For children not yet at school, a health visitor may.
ADHD: the NHS suggests talking to your child’s teacher first. The teacher will usually involve the school’s SENCO (special educational needs co-ordinator). If you are still worried, book a GP appointment. Ask the GP or SENCO about a referral for assessment.

The NHS says waiting times can be long. Your child should keep getting support while you wait.

Short breaks and activities

Short breaks give disabled children and young people time doing something they enjoy. They give parents and carers a break too. The Local Offer has a short breaks section. It explains what is available in Richmond and Kingston, and who can use it. The Local Offer also has an “activities and clubs” section listing things to do locally.

If you would like ideas for SEN-friendly activities near Whitton and Twickenham, see our companion guide on local activities.

If you live in Hounslow

Whitton sits close to the Hounslow border. If you live in the London Borough of Hounslow, your services come from Hounslow Council instead. Start with Hounslow’s SEND Local Offer at hounslow.gov.uk.

A few practical tips

Keep a simple folder or notes file: letters, reports, dates of phone calls and who you spoke to.
Put requests in writing where you can, and keep a copy.
You don’t have to do this alone. SENDIASS and the parent carer forum both exist to help families find their way.

Movement and wellbeing near Whitton

If you’re looking for movement or wellbeing support near Whitton, Inspired by Lennon runs inclusive movement classes at Whitton Community Centre and 1:1 sessions at home or a private gym. Kerry Finlay is a Level 3 Personal Trainer and SEN Movement & Wellbeing Practitioner, working with neurodivergent children, young people and adults. Find out more.