A broad definition of "social care" means help and support - both personally and practically - which can enable people to lead as independent a life as possible. Social care covers a wide range of services, which can be provided by universal services - available to all - or by specialist services identified through formal processes, such as an Early Help assessment or Child in Need assessment.
In these pages we've tried to accumulate as much information as possible, both locally and nationally, to help find the right information, advice and support for children, young people and their families. This also includes national charities and voluntary organisations that support families with things like equipment, resources and respite care.
The Local Offer
The Coventry Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Local Offer brings together information for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. The SEND Local Offer covers services available to the public across education, health and social care:
- Education: such as nurseries, playgroups, schools and colleges and support services like educational psychologists and SEN services
- Health: children's and adult services including GPs, therapists and hospital services
- Social care: such as short break services and children's and adult disability services.
Coventry City Council Services for children and young people
You can also find further information, advice and support through:
- Family Information Service Directory- contains up-to-date details of events/support for families across the Coventry area
- Community Activities Directory - lists a variety of groups, classes and healthy activities across Coventry
- Coventry's Family Hubs - support from the 8 Family Hubs based in different areas of the city
- Virtual Family Hub - provides a wide range of information across a range of topics straight to your computer. If you would prefer to visit someone to discuss the range of support available, you can access support from the 8 Family Hubs based in different areas of the city's Family Hubs
Relevant Acts and Statutory Guidance
Care Act 2014
For young people over the age of 18, statutory duties are laid out in the Care Act 2014. The Act seeks to:
- makes provision to reform the law relating to care and support for adults and the law relating to support for carers;
- to make provision about safeguarding adults from abuse or neglect;
- to make provision about care standards;
- to establish and make provision about Health Education England;
- to establish and make provision about the Health Research Authority;
- to make provision about integrating care and support with health services and for connected purposes.
Download a copy of the Care Act 2014.
Statutory guidance
Other Government guidance
- Short Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children - Departmental advice for Local Authorities
- Transforming Care Programme - an NHS-led programme developing plans to make sure that people with a learning disability and/or autism who display behaviour that challenges, including those with a mental health condition, receive the right care in the right settings, with the right support.