Charity seeks £4,000 funding boost to help SEND families in North West Ipswich

The big picture: Families Together Suffolk has applied to the North West Area Committee for £3,957.75 to increase their SEND coordinator's working hours by three hours per week.

The coordinator currently sees around six families weekly, and the expansion would allow them to support at least two more families each week to "help alleviate deprivation relating to Health and Disability."

Why it matters:

• The charity currently supports 18 SEND families across Ipswich, with the highest concentration of need in the north west area.
• Areas of Whitton and Castle Hill are among the most deprived neighbourhoods in England, according to the charity.
• There are over 7,000 young people in Suffolk with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), representing a 200% increase since 2014.

What they're saying: Recent feedback from families using the service highlights its impact. One parent said: "[The SEND Coordinator] helped me to feel more confident and get the support I needed for my son and for myself and helped me fill in forms that I didn't understand."

What's next: The North West Area Committee will make a decision on the funding request at their meeting on Thursday 7 November. If successful, the expanded service would:

• Support 3-6 additional families in north west Ipswich
• Benefit between 12-24 people directly
• Focus on areas including Castle Hill, White House and Whitton

The bottom line: The charity says many families they support in north west Ipswich are lone parents, unemployed and without personal transport, making their free home-visiting service an essential lifeline for those navigating SEND support services.