1 Reaching Families, a parent-carer led charity
Service
Reaching Families is a parent-carer led charity established to "empower, inform and care for 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 of children who attend mainstream schools 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
07939 192 388 Email this service
Upcoming Events
Umbrellas (Billingshurst)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Making Sense of Feeding Difficulties and...
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
This workshop will discuss children who display eating difficulties such as selective eating; in particular relatin
Making Sense of Challenging Behaviour in...
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
At this workshop you will explore ways to respond to your young person so that positive behaviour is encouraged and
Making Sense of Challenging Behaviour (age 0-11...
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
An introduction to Challenging Behaviour which is aimed at parent/carers of children up to the age of 11 with addit
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Making Sense of DLA and Other Benefits
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
Come along and find out more about applying for DLA (Disability Living Allowance), how the system works, the variou
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Making Sense of ADHD - Coastal West Sussex MIND...
This is a half day course for parents and carers in West Sussex. This course will help parents and carers to understand ADHD and the impact it has on their child's relationships, behaviour and day-to-day life. It explores some basic strategies and will share information on the local resources that could be available to parents, carers, children and young people for support. What will I learn
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Making Sense of Anxiety (Primary aged children)
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
Learning how to manage our feelings is an important life skill. While all children feel anxious sometimes, being wo
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Handling Stress and Building Resilience -...
This is a half day course for parents and carers who live in West Sussex. Course Aims This workshop helps parents identify and better under stress and its early warning signs, develop strategies to minimise stress whilst learning how to build and nurture their own resilience. Getting to the Venue By Car Follow the brown signs to the Regis Centre. We are between Belmont Street and the Esplanade,
Making Sense of Education, Health, Care (EHC)...
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
What is an EHCP? What is it for? How does it work? SENDIAS will be giving an overview of what happens during an EHC
Making Sense of SEN Support at School
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
This training workshop is aimed at parent/carers of children with additional needs/disabilities. SEND IAS will talk
Making Sense of Sensory Processing Difficulties
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT YET AVAILABLE TO BOOK.
Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3).
Please only book ONE TICKET per person by choosing EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite.
To book a place please go to:
Find out about different sensory processing difficulties and learn about ways to help your child/young person.
Plea
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Littlehampton)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
Umbrellas (Worthing)
A support group for parent and carers of children and young people with any additional needs or a disability (your child does not need a diagnosis to come along). Children are welcome to come along but parents and carers remain responsible for their children at all times.
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!