Parent carers

There’s a range of advice, support and information for parent carers on family rights, grants, education issues, breaks and much more.

 

ACE (Advisory Centre for Education)

Offers free, independent advice to families on all aspects of state funded education for school children. Information and guidance on a range of education issues, such as school exclusions, admissions and appeals, bullying and complaints. Tel: 0808 800 5793. Visit Ace.

Action for Blind People – North London

Telephone helpline for blind and partially sighted people, their families, carers and professionals. Advice and information including welfare rights, employment services, grants to individuals and more. Tel: 020 7428 5042. Freephone Helpline: 0800 915 4666. Visit Action for Blind People.

ADDISS (Attention Deficit Disorder Information and Support Service)

Information and resources for parents, sufferers, teachers or health professionals. Tel: 020 8953 2800. Visit ADDISS

AFASIC

National charity to support children and young people, and their parents, who have speech, language and communication impairments. Some local family outings and activities for children/young people. Tel: 020 8317 1644. National AFASIC Helpline: 0845 355 5577. Visit AFASIC.

Anika Patrice

Informal support, information and respite care on a small scale to carers of people with learning disabilities from the African, Caribbean and Asian community. Educational, leisure and social activities, information and advocacy service for both users and carers, day trips and residential support. Tel: 020 7923 9033.

Autism London

Information, advice and support to individuals, their families and carers, and professionals affected by autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Tel: 020 7704 1928. Helpline: 08456 037 954 Mon – Fri 11am- 2pm. Visit Autism London.

BIBIC – British Institute for Brain Injured Children

BIBIC is a national charity offering practical help to families caring for children with conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down’s syndrome, developmental delay, traumatic and acquired brain injury and specific learning difficulties such as attention deficits hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia and dyspraxia. Tel: 01278 684 060. Visit BIBIC.

Carers UK

An information and advice service for carers of relatives or friends. Has a directory of local carers groups. Provides a range of information and services for carers including carer’s assessment. Tel: 020 7378 4999, helpline: 0808 808 7777. Visit Carers UK.

Carers Direct

Free, confidential information and advice for carers. Tel: 0808 802 0202. Visit Carers Direct.

Centre 404

Family support team that work with families and carers to reduce isolation and provide information and advocacy. Daily clubs and activities for children and adults with a learning disability. Individual support services for direct payments/personal budgets. General Enquiries: 020 7607 8762. Visit Centre404.

City and Hackney Carers Centre

Every carer’s best friend, aiming to improve the quality of life of all carers, Benefit advice, support groups, training and newsletters. Tel: 020 8533 0951. Visit City and Hackney Carers Centre.

Contact a Family

A country-wide voluntary organisation providing information, advice and support. Also runs national campaigns, to improve services and the lives of disabled children and young people. Provides information on rare conditions and links parents together to share information and offer mutual support. Tel: 0808 808 3555. Visit Contact a Family.

Council for Disabled Children

Campaigning organisations, influencing government policies, on services for children with disability or special educational needs. Tel: 020 7843 1900. Visit Council for Disabled Children.

Derman

Provides a range of health-related services to Kurdish, Turkish and Turkish-Cypriot people, mainly refugees in both Hackney and Haringey. Services include: counselling; welfare advice; mental health support and advocacy, parenting support, health advocacy and counselling. Tel: 020 7613 5944. Visit Derman.

Disabled children’s service

The disabled children’s service is a specialist social work service based at Hackney Learning Trust.

The service:

  • provides social care support to children and young people with impairments and their families
  • provides support early on before a situation has time to develop and have serious consequences for the disabled child, or young person, and their family

East End Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB)

Advice on debt, welfare benefits, immigration, employment, housing, consumer issues, education and family issues. Tel: 020 8525 6350. Visit East End CAB.

Family Fund

Provides yearly grants to support families caring for children up to age 17 with severe disability. Grants may be for domestic appliances, driving lessons, furniture, bedding, bed, mattress, clothing, toys, holidays or due to emergency, for example, house fire or move. Tel: 0845 130 4542. Visit Family Fund.

Family Information Service

Information on childcare options and details of all currently registered services including nurseries, child minders, out of school and holiday clubs. Also information on activities such as parent and toddler groups, leisure and social activities. Tel: 020 8820 7590/7583. Visit Family Information Services.

Family Rights Group

Specialist advice to families who are raising children involved with, or who need social care services. Tel: 0800 731 1696. Visit Family Rights Group.

Gov.uk

Advice on special education needs and what to do if you are not happy with your child’s education. Visit Gov.uk – children with special education needs.

Hackney Ark Resource Centre

A one -stop-shop for information, support and advice for Hackney children and young people with disability or special educational needs, up to 19 years. Tel: 020 7014 7005/6.

Hackney Independent Forum for Parents/Carers of Children with Disabilities (HiP)

An independent forum for parents and carers of children with disabilities in Hackney. We are a small but expanding group with big ambitions to make parents and carers of disabled children in Hackney into a force to be reckoned with. Tel: 07985 739851. Visit HiP.

Hackney SENDIAGS (SEND Information, Advice and Guidance Service)

This is an ‘arms-length’ service that provides impartial and confidential information, advice, and support to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and young people and children with SEND.

It advises on what SEND law says and local policy and practice, the local offer, personalisation and personal budgets, EHCP assessment and planning process, routes to mediation, and support young people and parents to have an effective voice in and prepare for meetings.

Contact 020 7275 6036 or email SENDIAGS@learningtrust.co.uk, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

 

In Touch

Support network for families raising disabled children. Telephone helpline. newsletters, day trips. Respite breaks for parents and support meetings. Tel: 020 8806 8033.

Ivy Street Family Centre

A mums and toddlers drop-In. The Ivy Street Family Centre is a project of Hoxton Vineyard Church and been running as a much valued resource for local parents and carers for the past 30 years. Tel: 020 7729 2789.

Kisharon

Provides the Jewish community with vital support for hundreds of people with learning difficulties and their families. The services, located over seven sites, cater for the needs of the learning disabled at every stage of their lives – from nursery and school through to residential services and work opportunities. Tel: 020 8457 2525. Visit Kisharon.

Kith and Kids

Throughout the year we provide a variety of volunteer-supported projects and services, which include social development projects, weekend clubs, a residential summer camp, long term friendship scheme and person centred self-advocacy projects. Family support and outreach services include parents, siblings, carers and other organisations. Tel: 020 8801 7432. Visit Kith and Kids.

North London Bikur Cholim

North London Bikur Cholim provide advice and support to members of the Orthodox Jewish community which includes respite care, primarily in Hackney and Haringey, but also further afield on a 24/7 basis. Tel: 020 8806 1844.

Parentline Plus

Parent to parent support to work through problems and find practical solutions. Tel: 0800 800 2222.

Parents Education and Support Group

Advises and support parents on matters concerning the education of their children, and to encourage parents to get involved with their children’s education and become governors. Tel: 020 7275 9149.

Resources for Autism

Resources for Autism provide practical services for children and adults with an autistic spectrum condition and for their families and carers. Tel: 020 8458 3259. Visit Resources for Autism.

Step by Step

Step by Step enable children and young people with disabilities from the Orthodox Jewish community to discover their potential and develop essential skills through the provision of sports, leisure and play activities. These take place after-school, weekends and every day of school holidays providing respite to parents, carers and families. Contact: 020 8802 2362 or info@stepbystepkids.org.uk.

Scope Response

Scope Response is a free and confidential information, advice and support service for all disabled people and their families in England and Wales. Tel: 080 8800 3333. Visit Scope Response.

The Key

Hackney’s Register for children and young people with disability or special educational needs. Free leisure card. Leisure sessions, newsletters and events. Tel: 020 7014 7005/6.

Tower Hamlets Law Centre (THLC)

Education Legal Advice Service. Free specialist legal advice and assistance on special educational needs, the statement process and representation at SEND tribunal. Tel: 020 7247 8998.

Working Families

We help children, working parents and carers and their employers find a better balance between responsibilities at home and work. Tel: 020 7253 7243. Freephone helpline 0800 013 0313. Visit Working Families.

Page updated on: 17 June 2022

Carers First