Blog

e were delighted to be invited by Warrington Borough Council to get involved in the borough’s ‘Local Offer’ website and marketing collateral. Entitled ‘Ask Ollie’, a name given to the scheme by it’s end users, it aims to provide information about services and fun activities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) in and around the Warrington area. The site would also have regard for an older audience in the form of parents and carers alike. Designed to be attractive, intelligent and functional, it also had to be straightforward to use and meeting strict accessibility guidelines.

The final website has been co-produced with young people with SEND, their parents / carers and other professionals who support them to provide Warrington people with up to date, relevant and accessible information about local services, news and activities. The Local Offer website was designed by us and developed in house by Warrington Borough Council as part of the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reforms under the Children and Families Act 2014.

What is The SEND Register?

All Local Authorities have a duty to maintain a central record or register of disabled children in their area under the Childcare Act 1989. Warrington’s SEND Register can be found on the Local Offer website.  So if you have a child or young person with SEND, aged birth to 25 years, you too can sign up to the SEND Register. The register will give the council a clearer picture of where children with SEND live and what their needs are. This will in turn help the council plan future support services more effectively.

For more information on this service, visit the Ask Ollie website; askollie.warrington.gov.uk.