All local authorities must have a record or register of children with Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) in their area. This is in the Childcare Act 1989. Our Special Educational Needs and Disability Register is Kingston and Richmond’s way of doing this.
The Register helps us and local health services understand:
- how many children and young people with special educational needs live in Kingston and Richmond
- the types of needs they have
The register is an opportunity for us to hear from children, young people, parents and carers. We use this information to plan and develop better services.
Everyone on the register will benefit from:
- Information about support, services, activities and events
- Information aimed at young people with disabilities
- Opportunities to have your say about the services that are important to you
- The knowledge that your anonymous statistical data is helping us to plan and improve services
Who should register?
If you live in either Kingston or Richmond, we encourage anyone whose family includes a child or young person whose has a special educational need* or disability** to register. This would include:
- Pre school children whose learning and development is significantly delayed.
- Pre school children who have been identified as needing extra support, for instance, in a childcare setting.
- School age children or young people who are receiving support for a special educational need at their school or educational setting. Children may be on the SEN Support register in their school.
- Children or young people who have an Education Health and Care plan issued by either Kingston or Richmond (through Achieving for Children).
- Young people who are on a supported internship, traineeship or apprenticeship.
- Young people over 13 years of age can register independently and can remain registered until their 25th birthday.
* Definition of Special Educational Needs on the IPSEA website
** Definition of disability under the Equality Act Act 2010
How to Register
You can register using the online application form or by downloading and completing a paper form. There is one form for both Kingston and Richmond.
| Register Online |
Apply using accessible paper form (word) |
Frequently Asked Questions
My child needs some learning support at school but is not on the school SEN Support Register. Do you need to know about my child?
Yes we would like to know. This will help us understand the full range of needs of all children and help us develop services to support them. We are also interested in the views and experiences of children, young people with this level of need. Also, the views and experiences of their parents and carers.
My child is on the SEN Support register at their school. Why should I register them here also?We don’t have access to the SEN Support registers that schools hold in a format that would be useful to us. Neither do we have permission to use that information in the way we would like to. So adding your child’s details to our central register will help us understand the needs of children in our area more. We can keep you informed of services that might support your child. You will have opportunities to tell us your views and experiences of the support your child receives and to influence change.
Does my child need to have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan to be registered?
No, your child does not need an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan.
Does my child need to be on the register to receive support?
No. Registration is voluntary and is not linked to a need for receiving social care services. Children do not need to be on the register to receive support for their special educational needs or disabilities. Also, being on the register does not give you an automatic entitlement to any particular service or benefit.
What if I have more than one child with special educational needs or a disability?
You will need to register each child individually.
Who can see the information on the register?
The register is on a secure database.
We may give statistical information (numbers only, with no names) to organisations who ask for it. We will give personal information to certain people in health, education or social services who need to know it.
Personal information is covered by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and other legislation on storing and sharing data.
Can I opt out of the Register at any time?
You can remove details from the register at any time. This will not affect the services or support you currently receive. Information and opportunities to feedback about services and support will still be available through the Local Offer. But, by not receiving direct communication, you may miss the chance to contribute.
Do I have to sign up?
It is the personal choice of parents and carers or young people over the age of 13 years, to include their details on the register. Although we encourage everyone to join the register, it isn’t compulsory.
How will you keep the information up to date?
You can contact us at any time you wish to update your information. Otherwise we will contact you every two years to ask you to check that the information we hold is still correct.
Disability Awareness Card
Some families of children and young people on the register, or the young person themselves if over the age of 13 years, might wish to request a Disability Awareness Card. This is an officially produced card that will show the name and year of birth of the child or young person. It will confirm that the child or young person is registered as having a disability on the local Special Educational Needs and Disability Register. This can be useful as identification if your disability isn’t obvious. This might help you access concessions or discounts that are offered for disabled people and their carers when out and about in the community.
How do I request a Disability Awareness Card?
You can request the card by ticking the box on the form when you apply to join the register. Find out more about the Disability Awareness Card
Each card is produced individually. Due to the number of applications we are receiving, there may be a period of a few weeks before you receive your card. Thank you for your patience.
Email: dar@achievingforchildren.org.uk
For further information, please contact:
ISCD Business Support Team
Integrated Service for Children with Disabilities
Moor Lane Centre, Chessington, KT9 2AA