Personal Health and Wellbeing
Confidence, Motivation and Future Planning
Time to Talk Next Steps
Time to Talk Next Steps is a three-year project (2021-2024) from National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) to support young people with additional needs to build confidence, provide motivation and make plans for the future.
Time to Talk Next Steps is free support for young people (16-25) in England with additional needs. It is for young people who are experiencing anxiety, isolation and who have limited or no plans for the future. You may be in school or in college or have finished all education and be unsure how to move forward.
Visit the NDTI website for more information, including what support they offer:
Amaze
Amaze are a local charity who have created a fact sheet, providing lots of information and advice for young people planning for your future:
Amazing Futures, part of Amaze, also provide a career support programme. This supports young people to figure out your best next steps, and helps you feel ready to take them:
Mental Health and Wellbeing
The East Sussex Local Offer contains a page of resources for counselling and wellbeing in East Sussex, for children and young people. We recommend a read of this page for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) support:
1Space Directory
You can also find lots of mental health and wellbeing support services for young people on the East Sussex Local Offer directory, on 1Space:
Physical Health and Wellbeing
Physical Fitness
The NHS website has lots of useful resources for how young people can stay physically fit, and what can be done to improve your bodies health:
They also have separate pages which offers advice for wheelchair users, and those with physical and mobility difficulties:
You can also visit this websites page on activities and events. This page highlights various ways that young people with SEND, can stay active:
Healthy Diet
Eating healthy is as important as staying active. The NHS site also has pages that outline a recommended diet, and a more specific page for managing weight with a learning disability:
- View the NHS eating a balanced diet page
- View the NHS managing weight with a learning disability page
Please note, the ‘managing weight with a learning disability’ page is aimed more towards parents and carers, but the information it provides should be equally beneficial for children and young people.
General Practitioners and Doctors
Your General Practitioner (GP) is usually the first person you go to if you have a health issue. If you don't currently have a GP, you should visit the NHS website. This site lists GPs throughout East Sussex, alongside the services they provide:
Sexual Health, Sexuality and Relationships
Sexual Health and Relationships
Contact are a national charity who have produced a guide that explains more about growing up, making friends, sex and developing relationships when you have a disability.
Contact have also developed a parent carer guide on how they can help and support the young person throughout their transition into adulthood:
Sexuality and Gender Identity
Childline have a section on their website that shares information, tips and advice for children and young people who have questions about their sexuality, gender identity and coming out. You can learn more on their website:
Allsorts Youth Project are a local charity who listen to, connect and support children and young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity (LGBT+), and their families:
Online Safety and SEND
The NSPCC have created a web page that offers advice and helpful resources for accessing the internet for children and young people with SEND. While the page primarily offers advice to parents and carers, most of the information can also prove useful for children and young people wanting to navigate online independently:
Childline also provide information relating to online safety, which might have useful insight for both children and young people when using the internet.
Personal Assistants
Some young people may require a personal assistant (PA). PA's can assist with daily personal or business-related tasks.
The East Sussex 1Space directory lists hundreds of personal assistants around the county. You can use the filters on the directory to find the most suitable PA for your needs, whether that's one that specialises in helping people with learning disabilities, sensory impairments, or a physical disability, to name a few:
Please note, each PA is likely to be a paid-for service. Please contact the individual PA to find out about costs.
Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms
Some of the terms used on this website are explained on our page, Glossary of East Sussex SEND Terms.