Related Advice

• Reading Family Carers Card
  Many people are family carers and support someone who relies on them to collect shopping, prescriptions and other essential items. You may not identify yourself as a carer because you are firstly a parent, a wife, husband, daughter, son, grandchild, friend or neighbour. Reading Mencap…
• Benefits for Carers (Carer's Allowance)
  Caring can lead to financial difficulties.  It is important to ensure that both you and the person you care for claim all benefits you are entitled to. Click here for further information about carer's allowance and other benefits for carers. UNIVERSAL CREDIT Universal Credit Full Service has been available…
• Reading Families' Forum (RFF)
  Reading Families’ Forum are the local parent carer forum. Our board of trustees and steering group are all volunteers and have children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities ourselves. We understand what it is like to care for a child with additional…
• Carer's Allowance
  Carer’s Allowance is the main benefit for carers. If you are looking after someone for 35 hours a week or more, you may be eligible. The carer does not have to be related to, or live with, the person they care for.  https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance A carer can claim…
• Carers Emergency Plan
  Do you worry what might happen to the person you care for if you were stuck in traffic, involved in and accident, suddenly taken ill or otherwise delayed? Further information about the Carer's Emergency plan here. Page last reviewed: 29/09/2020
• Working and caring
  Although working alongside caring can be difficult to juggle, it does ensure you have a life outside your caring responsibilities which provides different challenges, the chance to meet/stay in contact with other people and some financial stability. Should I give up work? Many carers feel…
• Support for young carers
  If you are between 5 and 18 years and you spend a lot more time looking after a family member or carrying out household chores than other children/young people your age because a parent, brother, sister, grandparent or other relative is ill, disabled, has a…
• Children's Action Teams (CATs)
  Children’s Action Teams (CATs) in Reading are local teams providing help, guidance and support, working together with families and communities to create and achieve positive change for Reading’s children and young people. CATs work closely with schools and other services to provide family-centred support that…
• Reading Information, Advice & Support Service for SEND (SENDIASS)
  Reading Information, Advice & Support Service for SEND (Reading IASS)- The service was formerly called the Parent Partnership Service. It offers free confidential and impartial advice and support to Reading parents and carers who have children (up to the age of 25) with special educational needs or disability.…
• Personal Budgets (Children)
  A personal budget is an amount of money identified by the local authority to deliver provision set out in an EHC plan.  It is Brighter Futures for Children's commitment to ensure that parents or the young person is involved in securing that provision. The child’s parent or…
• Disagreements, Mediation, Tribunals & Appeals
  Updated November 2020
• Requesting an EHC Needs Assessment, Identifying and Assessing SEND
  Special Educational Needs/Disabilities If you are concerned your child is finding school work difficult or not making progress, it is always best to talk to their teacher. Some children may need extra help with their education, and schools have responsibility for meeting children’s needs, ensuring…
• SEND - Family Finance
  Family Finance aims to inform and educate families, leading to their greater financial well being and consequent improvements in lifestyle. At a time of huge change to the benefit system, the organisations listed below will help provide a much needed source of free, confidential, high…
• Carer's Assessment and support
  If you are the parent/carer for a disabled child, or you provide unpaid care and/or support to a Reading adult (18 years +), or if you are a young person with caring responsibilities, you may be eligible for support. To find out more, please follow…
• Children & Young People’s Disabilities Team (CYPDT) - COVID-19 (update)
  COVID-19 Update from CYPDT - With regards pay for PA’s employed through Direct Payments during this covid-19 pandemic. It has been agreed that BFFC and ACS will adopt a unified approach, detailed below. • If the PA has been asked not to work by the Employer…
• CORAM Family and Childcare
  Coram Family and Childcare works to make the UK a better place for families by bringing together what we learn from our on the ground parent-led programmes and our research to campaign for solutions that parents want and need. We focus on childcare and early…
• Substance Misuse
  This advice and guidance page looks at substance abuse and the organisations that are available nationwide and locally to support individuals and families. Page reviewed April 2020.