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 Issues around Food
This workshop will discuss children who display eating difficulties such as selective eating; in particular relating to children with autistic spectrum conditions, Sensory Processing Difficulties, behavioural issues and anxiety. You will learn about factors that affect eating and explore possible causes for Behavioural Feeding Difficulties. You will take away positive and practical strategies to
Making Sense of Anxiety (Primary aged children)
Learning how to manage our feelings is an important life skill. While all children feel anxious sometimes, being worried, fearful or stressed too often can negatively affect their development. This session will provide: an introduction to understanding anxiety in children; ways to support them if they are worrying too much; and tips for looking after yourself along the way. Our workshops are fr
Handling Stress and Building Your Own...
Learn how to recognise stress in yourself, strategies to reduce it and how to become more resilient. Our workshops are free but we would welcome a small donation to the charity (suggestion is £3). Please choose EITHER a donation ticket OR a free ticket on Eventbrite. To book a place please go to: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/handling-stress-and-building-your-own-resilience-evening-workshop-
Making Sense of Parenting Siblings of Children...
This workshop will provide an insight into strategies and activities that you can use with your child who has a sibling with additional needs or disabilities. It will deal with the challenges you face as a parent/carer of a child with additional support needs, from juggling the time spent with all of your children to dealing with the sibling's emotions, frustration and any questions or anxi
Making Sense of Challenging Behaviour in...
This workshop gives you an insight into the way your young person’s brain works, how to avoid confrontation and how to respond when conflict occurs. 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: https://www.e
Making Sense of Education, Health, Care (EHC)...
What is an EHCP? What is it for? How does it work? SENDIAS will be giving an overview of what happens during an EHC needs assessment, what a good EHCP should contain, how needs and provision link together, and how outcomes should be ‘SMART’. Annual reviews, transitions from statements to EHCPs, and appeals will also be touched upon. To gain maximum benefit from this workshop it will help you to
Making Sense of Sensory Processing Difficulties
Find out about different sensory processing difficulties and learn about ways to help your child/young person. 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: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-sense-of-sens
Making Sense of Personal Independence Payment...
This workshop is aimed at parent/carers of young people with additional needs/disabilities. Come and find out about applying for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and other relevant benefits. An informative session with a great opportunity to ask questions. This session will also include what will happen as your child approaches 16 and transfers from DLA to PIP and how you can ensure you are
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!