I need help with my child

We understand that navigating the world of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) might seem overwhelming at first. We're here to help you understand what it means when a child or young person is identified as having special educational needs.

We recognise how important it is to be able to get the right help when it is needed.   Sometimes it can be hard to find the right department or service who can offer help.

Every situation is different and so different kinds of help are available from different people, departments and service.

How we can help

Some help we offer is called self-help information, where we provide information through the Local Offer of what you can do as a parent or carer to help your child.  If you are a young person with special educational needs or disabilities you may find some of this information helpful too.

Some help may be where we let you know about other information (sometimes called signposting) from other services or support from different departments in Kirklees Council, as well as help that might come from other places, like voluntary organisations or independent services which you may or may not have to pay for.

Some help we offer will be directly from services which you can contact to make a referral for help, or where other people you might be working with can make a referral to.  This is called targeted support.

Please use the information below to help you find the help you may need.  

If you are over 18 or are calling about some one who is over 18 then please contact the Community Health & Social Care Team (formerly Gateway to Care) on 0300 304 5555.

*Inclusion Support Offer (ISO)

The Local Offer has a service called the Inclusion Support Offer (ISO) which provides support for all educational settings (including nurseries) to help to make sure they are doing everything they can to support children with SEND, without necessarily looking at additional funding or making referrals to assessed services. 

You can find more information about this service on our ISO information page. (opens link in new window)   This service is for schools use only, they do not take calls from parents or carers, but you can mention it to your child's educational setting and ask them to get in touch.