1 Reaching Families, a parent-carer led charity
Service
Reaching Families is a parent-carer led charity established to "empower, inform and support parents and families of children/young people with special needs and disabilities in West Sussex." We achieve this by the delivery of information, training and support groups to parent-carers.
What we do:
- Making Sense Of It All - this comprehensive parent-carer guide provides vital information across a wide variety of subjects including diagnosis, benefits, education, social and leisure activities etc. Also contains a directory of local and national groups
- Making Sense of Adult Life - this comprehensive parent-carer guide provides vital information on the subject of transition to adulthood for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities aged 14-25.
- Factsheets - we have published two series of factsheets (i) localised factsheets on major childhood disabilities that combine clinical information with local information on relevant local services (ii) a variety of localised factsheets on other issues
- Training Roadshow - we deliver a series of workshops at venues and locations across West Sussex. Subjects covered include Understanding Challenging Behaviour, DLA/PIP, Education, Sensory Issues and Stress/ Resilience.
- Umbrellas - we run 3 support groups for parents or carers of a child or young person with additional needs or a disability in Billingshurst, Littlehampton and Worthing
Our users say:
"Reaching Families offers a unique product in West Sussex. It is comforting to know that the organisation is parent carer led but offers practical tools to assist us in our day to day lives"
Age Range: 0–25
Wheelchair Accessible?
Free to use?
Contact Details
01903 366 360
07470 005 734 Email this service
Upcoming Events
Making Sense of Supporting Siblings of Children...
Free Zoom Workshop for parent-carers based in West Sussex This workshop delivered by Tasha Brabon of Aspens will provide an insight into strategies and activities that you can use to support siblings of children with additional needs or disabilities. Recent research has highlighted the huge impact the pandemic has had on siblings and there will subsequently be a focus on how to best to support t
Umbrellas Virtual Support Group
Virtual Support Group for parent-carers of children/young people with additional needs or a disability attending mainstream or a special needs school in West Sussex.
The sessions are run on a weekly basis and are up to an hour and half long, but you are welcome to come along at any point to be involved and leave when you want to.
Please contact Hannah Delmar-Addy at hannah@reachingfamilies.o
Free Mindfulness Zoom Workshop for...
Free Zoom Workshop for parent-carers based in West Sussex. An opportunity to find out about Mindfulness practice using exercises for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness practice can help you be present in the moment, develop awareness and acceptance, and pay attention to your experiences just as they are. Delivered via Zoom by Esther Hunt - a Mindfulness Teacher and workshop
Preparing your Child for Returning to School
Free Zoom Workshop for parent-carers based in West Sussex. Jane Cross will be delivering this workshop via Zoom looking at how to start preparing your child for returning to school, and ways to help do this over the summer. Covering many issues including changes children may see around school, government guidelines and law, communication with and expectations from school, challenges with social
Free Mindfulness Zoom Workshop for...
Free Zoom Workshop for parent-carers based in West Sussex. An opportunity to find out about Mindfulness practice using exercises for Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness practice can help you be present in the moment, develop awareness and acceptance, and pay attention to your experiences just as they are. Delivered via Zoom by Esther Hunt - a Mindfulness Teacher and workshop
Preparing your Child for Returning to School
Free Zoom Workshop for parent-carers based in West Sussex. Jane Cross will be delivering this workshop via Zoom looking at how to start preparing your child for returning to school, and ways to help do this over the summer. Covering many issues including changes children may see around school, government guidelines and law, communication with and expectations from school, challenges with social
I attended the Reaching Families workshop on Sensory Integration in Worthing led by Helen Cottell yesterday. This was time well spent as it was an excellent workshop full of really interesting, useful and relevant information, that covered practical advice as well as the theory behind it. Highly recommend, especially if you have a child with sensory issues.
Great course today about send support at school. Feel I have many more strings to my bow
A very big thank you to Reaching Families for organising the 'Making Sense of Benefits' workshop. Lizzie from Amaze who led the course was absolutely brilliant. Even if your child already gets DLA this workshop is still very useful. I now feel much more confident about tackling my daughters forms when it has to be renewed. Can't recommend it enough!