Advice and support (early years)

This toolkit provides clear, simple key messages to promote positive health and wellbeing in its widest sense to support children in Wiltshire to have the Best Start in Life. It is not SEND specific but a useful resource for all parents.

For more information visit:

Best Start in Life Toolkit

Advocacy services are designed to give you impartial support in a range of situations. This may be to help formalise a child or young persons voice in a discussion or decision-making process. They are also a key aspect of mediation and legal proceedings when required.

For further details visit: Advocacy services.

You may be giving emotional support, or have to keep a close eye on the person you care for. Caring for someone can be demanding, and being identified as a carer can be important to get the support you need to continue in your caring role.

For more information visit:

Carer support 

Citizens Advice provides free, confidential and impartial advice to everyone on their rights and responsibilities, for example consumer rights or applying for benefits.

For further details visit: Citizens Advice.

The WPCC provides a specialist consultation and participation service that enables parents and carers to voice their opinions about the services and support that their families receive.  They also run a service called SENDIS which helps signpost users to the right information.

For further details visit: WPCC.

The following document is a summary of  WPCC in leaflet form:

WPCC: Promotional leaflet (opens new window)

Wiltshire SENDIASS is the statutory information, support and advice service for Wiltshire, provided by Family Action, a national charity that hosts nine SENDIAS Services. They offer free, independent and impartial information relating to education, health and social care for children and young people (0-25) with Special Educational Needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and their families, to empower them to make appropriate and informed choices. 

Services include:

• providing impartial and confidential advice and information for children, young people and families on SEND around education, health and care
• offering support with education, health and care plans (EHCP), including annual reviews, informal and formal mediation and tribunals
• supporting you to work with education providers to ensure your child/young person's needs are met
• offering support and advice on transport, exclusions - related to SEND, disability discrimination, elective home education and personal budgets
• support with writing letters and completing forms, and assistance with discussions and meetings with schools, the local authority SEN team and SEND professionals
• support with resolving disagreements helping you to consider and determine the best way forward
• providing information and signposting to support services in your area

For more information please visit:

Family Action - SENDIASS (opens new window)

You can also call the service: 01225 255266

To email the service please use: wiltshire.sendiass@family-action.org.uk (opens new window)

Wiltshire Council provides a range of sessions on parenting across various ages and specialities.

Time Out for Parents 

No diagnosis or EHCP required

Children with Special Needs (TOFP) is for parents and carers of children with additional or special needs aged 3-11 years. TOFP courses are 2 hours per week for 7 sessions and are free of charge. A medical or formal diagnosis is not required for parents and carers to attend. Wiltshire Council are working in partnership with the Wiltshire Parent Carer Council to offer these courses.

For further information and how to book courses please visit:

Time Out for Parents

Autism Parent Program

SWAPP is a partnership programme between parents and their child's setting or school that aims to build an understanding of autism and the challenges and delights it can present.

The programme aims to empower families and staff who are closely involved in supporting a child or young person with autism.

Sessions cover all aspects of autism including communication, sensory issues and behaviour.

For more information and booking details please visit:

SWAPP Parenting Courses

For further parenting programme details please visit: Parenting Programmes.

For information about Childcare Choices which contains advice on financial help please visit: Childcare Support

Children up to 5 years of age may use the Childcare Centres on offer throughout Wiltshire that are provided by the council. They provide a range of activities and support services to help give children the best start in life.

For more information please visit: Children's centres in Wiltshire

Wiltshire Children's Community Services across the county provide a wide range of children and young people's services. They look after the physical, medical and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people up to the age of 19 years old. 

For more information please visit: HCRG Care Group: Wiltshire children's services (opens new window)

More information about Early years and childcare.

Wiltshire Portage is a registered charity and independent organisation providing a free home-visiting, specialist educational service for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Their service reaches over 100 families across the towns and villages of Wiltshire (excluding Swindon) for children from birth to school entry, operating during term time for 38 weeks a year. Phone support and some face to face support is available over the holiday periods.

Wiltshire is unique within England to have an independent portage service, and its provision all the way until school entry. Their early support and contributions towards EHCP for children with delayed learning is hugely beneficial to the best start for family and child.

Their aim is to work with families and their young children to provide unique learning opportunities through holistic play and a step by step individualised programme to help them develop a quality of life and experience in which they can learn together, play together, participate and be included in their community.

Sessions are divided between 'Core' programme blocks and 'Getting Ready for School' depending on the individual child's requirements and journey to school entry. 

For admissions information, visit Policies and procedures (opens new window).

For further information, visit Wiltshire Portage (opens new window).

Wiltshire residents can text WILTS to 85258 to access free, confidential mental health support from a trained volunteer who will aim to get them to a safe and calm place. This will include coming up with a plan around how they are going to support themselves moving forward, and signposting to local support agencies where appropriate. They can help with anxiety and stress, depression or sadness, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, panic attacks, loneliness or isolation, abuse and bullying.

This service is available to Wiltshire residents of all ages, it is available 24/7 and won't appear on the bill.

FearFree are the domestic abuse support service in Wiltshire. They provide trauma-informed, person-centred support to victims of domestic abuse and their families. They provide this support to both adults and children who are victims of, or have been impacted by domestic abuse.

For support and further information please visit:

FearFree (opens new window)

Wiltshire Together

The digital platform that connects people, groups and organisations in Wiltshire to their community. It features support, volunteering, group listings and relevant events.

Wiltshire Together (opens new window) 

Our Community Matters

Local interactive notice boards which everyone can use to highlight and discuss local news events and ideas

Our Community Matters (opens new window) 

Getting online and engaging with the digital world is an important part of modern life. It is increasingly how we access and engage with our services, where we find information, and how we communicate with each other. On this page you will find information on how to get online in Wiltshire, safely, and where to get support.

Getting online safely