Support from organisations

About Me - Developed in Manchester to give children and young people a concise and clear person-centred profile of just one page or two pages that can be used in all settings.  

Autism assessment in Manchester: Information on autism assessment, with a link to the Social Communication Pathway. 

Down’s Syndrome Support Group: The South Manchester Down’s Syndrome Support Group has a range of resources, including a newsletter and online training.

Educational Psychologists: One Education have a webpage for Manchester parents/carers about the role of an Educational Psychologist, including overview guides and Frequently Asked Questions.

Greater Manchester Autism Consortium (GMAC): Offers a range of free seminars and groups to support parents and young people. There is also a website with GM Autism.

I AM: Previously the Autistic Society of Greater Manchester, the charity supports autistic people aged 10 and upwards, as well as their parents/carers.

Legal advice: Carers Manchester has an AccessAva chatbot on their website offering access to free legal information about health and social care.

Lifted: Offers 1-1 support, guidance and advocacy to parent carers. While they are based in Wythenshawe, it’s a city wide service. See their website.

Manchester Deaf Centre: Offers a range of support, including a children and young people's service.

Manchester Parent Carer Forum: The Forum help to make sure that parent carer views are heard in the improvement of services. The Manchester Parent Carer Forum website has a range of information relevant to SEND families and they also have a Facebook page, sharing news and information. 

Manchester Parent Champions: The Champions are an independent group of parent carers connected to the Manchester Local Offer. They have a Facebook group as a place to support each other and share information. Like Manchester Parent Carer Forum, they are there to give you a voice.

Manchester SEND, Early Development Inclusion Team (Now SEDIT - previously RHOSEY): The early years RHOSEY team has moved from Rodney House school back to Manchester City Council. The team provide an educational outreach service to families of children with SEND aged 0 to 5 across the city.

Neurodiversity e-learning: Free introduction to neurodiversity from GM i-THRIVE with a focus on autism.  

Parent carer standards: There is a set of standards in Greater Manchester, acting as a guide for organisations and letting you know how your needs should be met. 

Peer support for parents/carers: Activities at Sacred Heart Family Hub in Gorton. 

RANi: Support for parents/carers aimed at ethnic communities but everyone welcome to join.

SEND Dads Society: This a space for support, signposting to services, and group activities like fundraising. Meets every Thursday of the month, 7.30-9pm at Heaton Park Golf Club.

SEND Together: SEND Together is a support group in Wythenshawe for parents and carers. Meetings are on Mondays 10am-12 noon at St Aidan’s Community Centre, 230a Wythenshawe Rd, Wythenshawe M23 0PH. Email: sendtogethersg@gmail.com, 07591 078944, SEND Together Facebook group. 

SENsitive: A supportive and welcoming group for parent carers of children with SEND. They meet on Mondays 10am-12 noon at the Forum Library in Wythenshawe – on the first floor, lift available. Find the group on Facebook (SENsitive), Twitter (@SENsitive_Mcr) or sensitiveparents@gmail.com.

Talbot House: Talbot House provides support to older parent carers of people with learning disabilities. THRIVE helps with many aspects of care, including future care planning, form filling and emotional wellbeing. 

The SPACE Group:  A group for parents/carers run by Manchester parents/carers.

21 Together: 21 Together is offers learning resources, social stories, and information on law changes around Down's Syndrome.

ADHD resources: A useful start if you’re looking for support: 

• The UK ADHD Partnership has Top tips for parents and carers and a list of support groups.
• ADDitude magazine has a parenting section. Plus links to webinars. 
• ADHD UK is by people with ADHD for people with ADHD. You can select resources about education from the menu.
• Young Minds has a guide for parents and information on ADHD and mental health.

Autism Central: Peer education programme to build knowledge and understanding of autism. Includes podcasts and one to one and group support. Sign up for the newsletter.

Autism talks: The University of Reading's Centre for Autism offers a range of free online talks. See previous talks on their You Tube channel.

Autism Understood: A website created by Spectrum Gaming in co-production with autistic young people. When young people are told they are autistic, they are rarely told what this actually means, and there is a lot of online misinformation. Autism Understood fills in the gaps. 

Back up: Back Up is the only charity in the UK with dedicated services for children and young people with a spinal cord injury.

Bladder and Bowel UK: Offer specialist advice, including information resources and a helpline. 

Contact: Contact is a major organisation for families with disabled children. They have a huge range of information, as well as workshops, a Facebook group, and a Listening Ear service. They also have a non-profit shop, Fledglings.

Council for Disabled Children’s eLearning platform: Offers free training aimed at professionals but open to all.

Disabled Children's Legal Handbook: Disabled Children: A Legal Handbook (3rd edition) is an accessible guide to the legal rights of disabled children and their families in England. Chapters include: education, health, transition into adulthood, housing, carers and welfare benefits. Download for free. 

Disabled Living: Disabled Living can offer advice about products and equipment. This includes a Supplier Directory.

Down's Syndrome Association: The Down's Syndrome Association supports parent carers, including information and Facebook groups.

Harry's Pals: Harry's Pals offers emotional support for families dealing with a child’s diagnosis of a life-limiting illness or disability.

Mencap: Mencap has a range of advice and information, as well as an online forum where people can ask questions, share experiences and offer support. 

National Deaf Children’s Society: The Society has a range of various support services. 

Newlife charity: Offers a lifeline for families, providing life-changing and life-saving equipment when and where it is needed and a nurse helpline. 

Peeps: The only UK charity dedicated to supporting families when a baby experiences a brain injury called H.I.E. (Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy).

Quirky and Autistic: A funny, audience-driven show for parents and professionals. 

RNIB: Offers various support around sight loss and for blind and partially sighted people. See their website. 

RNID: The RNID offer free, confidential information and support on topics relating to hearing loss or deafness.

Sensory resources from Contact: To help you understand sensory differences and use strategies. Includes this factsheet.

Sibs: Sibs supports the needs of young and older siblings of disabled children and adults. There’s a parents and professionals section too.

WellChild: WellChild is a national charity making it possible for children and young people with complex medical needs to be cared for at home instead of hospital, wherever possible.  

African Caribbean Care Group: The African Caribbean Care Group (ACCG) supports carers and people with long term health conditions, physical disabilities, and mental health issues to access culturally appropriate health care and activities to reduce loneliness and isolation. 

Black, Asian or ethnically diverse carers: Being a carer from a Black, Asian or ethnically diverse community can bring different challenges that others may not recognise. Carers Manchester have a directory of services.

Caribbean and African Health Network: CAHN, a Black-led organisation provides independent advocacy and wellbeing services. They support Manchester families with housing, health issues, education, benefits and more.

Carers Manchester: Carers Manchester is a partnership which includes numerous organisations who support unwaged carers in the city. They offer a range of information and support, including a helpline, newsletter and courses.

Citizens Advice: Citizens Advice Manchester offer a range of advice and information, including community hubs, and have an Out Of Hours Advice Service.

Crossroads Together UK:  Crossroads Together offers a range of support to Manchester carers and the people they care for. 

Domestic abuse - support and advice: Manchester City Council has information on help and support around domestic abuse and what to do if you’re in a situation. If you need to get off the page quickly for any reason, there’s an exit button which takes you to an unrelated website.

Family Hubs: Family Hubs bring together services for families with children of all ages (0-19) or up to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). They act as one-stop-shops where you can access the help you need, when you need it, including debt and welfare advice, play activities, help with food and getting online, and SEND support. 

Longsight Family Hub  /  Crossacres Family Hub (Wythenshawe)  /  Woodville Family Hub (Cheetham)  /  Sacred Heart Family Hub (Gorton, Abbey Hey and Openshaw) / Clayton Family Hub

Home-Start: A family support charity offering weekly home visits from trained volunteers to families with at least one child under five. 

LGBTQ+ Carers Group: Do you identify as LGBTQ+? Do you look after someone Gaddum and the LGBT Foundation have a monthly group for LGBTQ+ carers. Contact keisha.tomlinson@gaddum.org.uk or through Gaddum on 0161 834 6069 to sign up.

Safeguarding concerns: If you’re concerned that a child or an adult is being abused or neglected, please tell Manchester City Council, even if you're unsure. You can do this anonymously. Call 0161 234 5001 or email mcsreply@manchester.gov.uk.

Support for South Asian Carers: LMPC supports carers from Manchester’s South Asian community, providing a range of information and advice. 

Wood Street Mission: A children’s charity that supports families from Manchester and Salford who are struggling to make ends meet. Referral only.  

Young carers: See the Manchester City Council website for information around young carers in the city and sign up to the Young Carers newsletter. 

Young carers activities: At Clayton Family Hub, for 5-16 year olds. Running until March 2029. 

Carers UK: Carers UK is a supportive community and a movement for change.