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Please use the tabs or sitemap if using the search function results in a broken link. This is due to a recent site restructure which takes the search a few weeks to update. Our Local Offer also includes a directory which you can visit at 1space.eastsussex.gov.uk/localoffer

Getting the East Sussex Local Offer Right

Two adults giving feedback on a laptop, while holding a child.

Overview

The East Sussex Local Offer is this website and a directory, which provide information about what support is available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and for their families.

The East Sussex Local Offer consists of:

We will continue to need your help to get it right.

How the Local Offer Website Was Built

The Local Offer was built through 2021 with the help and guidance of parents, carers and SEND practitioners. We worked out a structure for the site and added new content. We tried to make sure the site is:

Local Offer Launch Day Event

On 19 January 2022, we launched the new East Sussex Local Offer website with an online question and answer (Q&A) session taking place.

The Q&A invited everyone throughout the SEND community to join us.

To start the event, we played a video looking to bring awareness to various individuals and groups throughout East Sussex. Groups included:

During the Q&A session we were joined by Ros Cook, from the Amaze (SENDIASS) team, and Nathan Caine, Head of Education: SEND and Safeguarding (previously Head of ISEND services), to answer various questions including some about the new Local Offer website and directory.

What We Need From Visitors to the Site

We've worked hard to get the content right and to consult parents, carers and residents of East Sussex. 

We are inviting the residents of East Sussex to visit the pages of this site and to feedback any thoughts, ideas and advice. It doesn't matter if you are very experienced in the area of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities or if you are new to the idea, we really want to hear back from everyone.

The Thoughts, Ideas and Advice We're Looking For

There are things about the website that will be more difficult to change at this stage. For example, we cannot change the overall look and structure of this site. We have consulted on this and have arrived at what we think is the best look and way of organising the information.

We can, however:

How You Can Provide Feedback

After looking through the website, there are various ways in which residents of East Sussex can give us their feedback:

East Sussex Local Offer Survey

We will aim to produce various surveys throughout each year, some with a few broad questions that invite you to add as much or as little feedback as you like, and others that are more specific to a certain part of the website we feel would benefit from more attention. The survey will give you an opportunity to give feedback on both the things you like and the areas you think could be improved:

Please note, this survey will close on 31 December 2023.

Email

If you would prefer to contact us by email, you can do so by sending your feedback to:

East Sussex Parent Carer Forum (ESPCF)

We also encourage all parents and carers who would like to have a role in shaping SEND services in East Sussex to visit the ESPCF site:

What We Do With the Feedback

We really want to get this website right, and we can't do that without responding to the ideas and insight of residents in East Sussex. We opened the website up for a ‘test’ phase from November 2021 through to January 2022, to hear from visitors and to learn from their views. 

Each week during the testing phase, feedback we received was either minor adjustments which were made, or larger adjustments which were read by senior managers in Children's Services. They agreed if any amendments or additions are required, and we did them on a weekly basis.

Moving forward, we will continue to seek feedback and suggestions from everyone throughout East Sussex.

Additional Help and Support

Amaze SENDIASS

Amaze SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service) are a local charity who offer free, independent, and impartial advice for all matters relating to SEND. Contact Amaze SENDIASS:

East Sussex Local Offer directory of services

You can visit our SEND-specific online directory, hosted on East Sussex 1Space, that lists many different services both throughout the county and online. Services include advice, guidance and support groups, activities and events and mental health and wellbeing support among many other topics:

NHS - Health A to Z

While the East Sussex Local Offer aims to provide as much information as possible, there may be some conditions that aren't covered in thorough detail. The NHS website has pages that list all conditions, with information and advice on how to get extra support:

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.

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