New Special Educational Needs and Disability Registers for both Kingston and Richmond have gone live this week. These registers are lists of children and young people (under 25 years) who have special educational needs or a disability. As every local authority must have a register by law, this already exists in both boroughs, but the previous version was different in a number of ways, including in its name (previously called the Register for Children and Young People with Disabilities).
We will be contacting children, young people, and their families who are already on the old register and asking them to re-register under the new arrangements.
All families who have a child registered for SEN Support or with an EHC plan will also receive a letter this week informing them of the new register, and encouraging them to sign up via a new online process.
By renaming and relaunching the register we are seeking to encourage all families who have a child with special educational needs and/or a disability to join the register (though it is not compulsory). We hope that a wider, more inclusive register, will help us to better understand the needs in the area and plan the support they need (eg holiday clubs and support for parents). It will also enable us to provide information directly to a wider range of families and to consult directly with them about changes to services.
Families will also have the option to request a Disability Awareness Card which they can use to show that they have a disability when visiting venues such as cinemas, leisure centres, theme parks etc. The card was designed with children, young people, parents, and carers.
Special Educational Needs and Disability Register (opens a new window)
Letter to children, young people and families in Richmond (pdf)
Letter to children, young people and families in Kingston (pdf)