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Supporting Parents and Carers
Across West London
(Barnet, Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hammersmith and Fulham)
We recognise parents and carers' vital role in a young person's career journey, especially those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are dedicated to empowering parents and young people through various resources, from EHCP transition planning and preparation for adulthood outcomes, to exploring career options and understanding legal frameworks. Our goal is to ensure a smooth transition for young people into their chosen post-school pathways.
Engaging with
Your Child's Future
We believe in the importance of parental engagement in supporting a young person's career learning journey. We offer opportunities for you to discuss various careers with your child, focusing on their interests and aspirations. We provide information on work experience placements, help you understand the vision for learners as they leave school, and offer resources like iCould to help you explore different sectors together. A great starting point is the Talking Futures website, which provides information, advice, and resources to help parents and children have confident conversations about education and career options. The site emphasises starting these discussions early and exploring all possibilities, helping parents feel more confident in guiding their children's decisions.
Empowering Ownership and
Strengthening Transitions
Our approach goes beyond simply finding jobs. We focus on empowering young people to take ownership of their career ambitions. We do this by actively encouraging them to express their career goals, ensure their voices are heard and their aspirations are central to the process. We work closely with families and carers to build confidence, fostering a belief that meaningful employment is a viable and achievable option for every young person.
We also strengthen educational transitions by bridging the gap between education and employment through accessible pathways and active community involvement. A cornerstone of this approach is our use of Vocational Profiling to understand an individual's motivations, confidence, and unique skills essential for workplace success. We also contribute to a network of inclusive and supportive employers across London to create a consistent standard for meaningful, paid employment opportunities for individuals with additional support needs.
Our SEND Careers Offer and Legal Framework:
Your Rights and Guidance
All schools and colleges have a responsibility to deliver high-quality career provision. This includes focusing on Preparation for Adulthood outcomes and transition planning within the EHCP Annual Review Meeting from Year 9 onwards. This involves tailored career advice, opportunities to experience the world of work, and ensuring that young people and their families know how to access information from sources like the SEND Local Offer, SENDiASS, and Mencap. Our Careers Offer includes a variety of activities to support this, such as workshops, workplace visits, mentoring, career events, and supported work experience placements.
To help you understand the legal landscape, we've provided links to key government resources. These include the SEND Code of Practice (0 to 25 years), which is the statutory guidance for local authorities and schools, and the Children and Families Act (2014), the key legislation underpinning the current SEND system. You can access these documents directly on GOV.UK to understand your rights and how the system should work in practice.
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Key Resources and Support Networks
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SEND Local Offer: Your local authority’s comprehensive online resource for services and support for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25. It's a central hub for information on education, health, social care, and leisure activities in your area. You can find the specific Local Offer for your borough via the provided links.​
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Chapter 8 of the SEND Code of Practice is entitled “Preparing for Adulthood from the Earliest Years, being supported towards greater independence and employability can be life-transforming for young people with SEND. This support needs to start early and should centre on the young person’s aspirations, interests and needs. All professionals working with SEN learners should share high aspirations and have a good understanding of what support is effective in enabling young people to achieve their ambitions. ​
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IPSEA: The Independent Provider of Special Education Advice is a leading charity offering free SEND legal guides, resources, and advice through helplines. They are a valuable source of support for parents and carers navigating the SEND system.
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Parent/ Carer SEND Forums: These forums allow families to connect, support each other, voice concerns to authorities, and stay informed on important updates.
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SENDIASS: The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice, and Support Service provides free, impartial, and confidential information and advice to support you in matters relating to your child’s SEND.
You can find the specific contact details for your local SENDIASS via the provided links below:
We've provided links to the parent/ carer forums for each West London borough below: