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What is the SEND Local Offer?

The SEND Local Offer provides information about support and services for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and disabilities and their families. To help you to find out more about what is available, we have created the Local Offer with all the information in one place. 

It includes information about the support and services that Merton families can expect from a wide range of agencies for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND) from birth to 25 years old

It covers support and services for children and young people with and without an Education, Health and Care Plan and describes available support and services within Merton, along with provision outside of Merton that families may also be able to access

The Local Offer is co-produced with families and professionals in Merton. 

What is included in the SEND Local Offer?

The Local Offer provides details of services and support from birth to the age of 25. It includes information about:

  • schools, colleges and further education
  • childcare
  • health services
  • social care
  • preparing for adulthood
  • leisure activities
  • work and training
  • support and advice

Is also tells you how to get the services you need, such as how to get a referral or an assessment, if required.

The Local Offer can help you in several ways, including;

  • making it easier to find out what you need to know
  • helping you to find the nearest and most suitable services
  • helping to ask for support
  • helping you to provide feedback about what is needed, raise concerns or make a complaint
  • helping you to make sure you are involved in decisions about the support you receive

Where to find the SEND Local Offer

Merton’s local Offer can be accessed online at www.merton.gov.uk/localoffer

Young people can also find out about things to do and support services on the Young Merton Website at www.youngmerton.co.uk

Just look out for the SEN local offer blue triangle. You will see this next to the listings for services that are part of the Local offer.

You will find a green circle next to some listed services. These services support children and young people’s mental wellbeing. They are part of the Merton Child and Adolescent Mental health services (CAMHS) Local Offer.

The Local Offer is designed to be easy to use on tablets and mobile phones, as well as computers and laptops. If you don’t have internet access, you can visit your local library where staff will be able to help you to access, you can visit your local library where staff will be able to help you to access the internet on one of their computers.

CAMHS green circle

Help with searching the SEND Local Offer

Use the categories to find services of a particular type, such as education and childcare.

The search bar lets you search using any combination of category, keywords and location.

  • by category - you can select one of all of the categories and sub-categories of information 
  • by Keywords - type one or more words to describe what you are looking for (e.g. housing)
  • by Location - use this to find results which serve your location. Try a placename such as Mitcham, or a postcode (SW19 2HH or just SW19). Use a postcode to bring up a list of services ordered by distance from that postcode you inputted.

More advice on keyword searching

Typing in a word or a few words into the Keywords box brings you back all entries that contain at least one of the words you have entered. You can also use special characters to limit your results more closely.

The plus sign (+) before a word means that each of the results must contain that word, so the example search below brings back only records results containing both of the words housing and advice, for example:

+housing +advice

Using double quotes (") around your search words brings back only results that contain those words as an exact phrase, for example:

"badminton club"

Once you have run a search, you can use search filter (tick boxes)  to narrow down your search results, for example, by day of the week or type of SEN supported.

How to get in touch

We continue to develop the Local Offer with help from parents, carers, children and young people, professionals and practitioners.

Your views are important. If you have any comments, feedback or if there is anything you think should be added, please email localoffer@merton.gov.uk or complete our online form

Watch a short film about the SEND Local Offer

Film by the Department for Education

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