Back to Sleep difficulties with SEND

Sleep support services

The organisations and services listed on this page provide information, advice and support to parent carers of children and young people who have difficulty with sleep. They include national websites and sleep organisations and local community services in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.

The iThrive model categories have been used to show the level of support the services offer. 
 

The Institute of Health Visitors has a detailed factsheet on Supporting sleep habits in children with additional needs.

The Council for Disabled Children produced a detailed 41 page document in 2012 about Supporting Sleep which is still relevant today.

The Sleep Charity is a leading, independent expert voice on sleep issues in the UK. It provides advice, education and support for adults, children, teenagers, including a section on children with SEND. If you’d like to talk to a sleep expert, you can call The National Sleep Helpline run by the Sleep Society on 03303 530 541 or for more information click here 

Contact, the charity for families with disabled children have useful webpage on Helping you and your child sleep

Cerebra, the charity for Brain Injured Children And Young People, have a downloadable Sleep Tips booklet which introduces and explains different techniques to try. It covers ten main topics. They also have a Sleep Advice Service offering one-to-one support. See Getting more help section below.

Learning Disability Matters, a website for parents and carers of children and young people with a learning disability, has a useful webpage on sleep 

The National Autistic Society have a guide for Parents of autistic children on their website. 

Autism West Midlands have an information sheet about Autism and Sleep on their website 

Locally the 0-19 Healthy Child Programme (Public Health Nursing Service) offer advice and help see below.

Local Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Support 
0-19 Healthy Child Programme (Public Health Nursing Service) 

The Public Health Nursing Service is made up of specialist community public health nurses (health visitors & school nurses), healthy child practitioners and support workers. They offer sleep advice and support and can signpost to relevant resources. This advice is given over the phone, within clinic settings, at open access clinics, or within home or educational settings. 

To contact the Telford & Wrekin team: 

  • Telephone: 0333 358 3328

  • Text a Health Visitor: 07520619053 (this is the Chat Health Service) 

  • Text a school Nurse: 07520 619051 (this is the Chat Health Service) 

  • Facebook: Telford & Wrekin Public Health Nurses.

To contact the Shropshire team: 

  • Telephone: 0333 358 3654

  • Text a Health Visitor: 07520 635212 (this is the Chat Health Service) 

  • Text a school Nurse: 07507 330346 (this is the Chat Health Service) 

  • Facebook: Shropshire 0-19 Public Health Nursing Service

More information about Shropshire and Telford’s health visitor and school nurse teams click here - Health Visiting Team -  School Nurses 

'Sleep Tight' groups

'Sleep Tight' groups run by The Parenting Team | Shropshire Council
The Parenting Team runs five-week Sleep Tight and Sleep Tight SEND groups for Shropshire Council area residents. These groups have been developed by The Sleep Charity, and the parenting practitioners have been trained to deliver these to parents and carers. No formal diagnosis needs to be in place to access any of the Parenting Team’s services. 
For further information please click here to email the parenting team 

The Parenting Team also offers advice and support via their Parenting Help and Support Line. 
The line is open Monday to Thursday from 9:30am to 4:30pm, and Friday from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Call 01743 250950. Click here for more information.

'Sleep Tight' groups run by Telford PODS (see below). PODS staff are trained to deliver Sleep Tight groups, but the groups are not currently taking place. PODS have plans to re-start the offer, funding permitting. To keep up to date on their offer visit their website.

Parent Carer Forums

PODS is Telford’s Parent Carer Forum. It is a peer lead charity who works with and involves families who have children and young adults with an additional need or disability (aged 0 – 25). For more information about their service offer click here.

PACC is Shropshire’s Parent Carer Forum. It is an independent parent carer led organisation. PACC have a community navigator service which offers personalised signposting and information provision to parent carers of 0-25 year old’s with SEND in Shropshire.

Local autism support 

In Shropshire, the Kids charity provides free information, advice and guidance to support families of autistic children (0-19 years), a formal diagnosis for autism is not required. Further details and how to refer into the service are on their website Shropshire Universal Autism Support Service

In Telford – Telford Childrens Autism Hub offer a wide range of support along with opportunities to meet with other families and professionals. Visit their website for more information About Children's Autism Hub | Telford Autism Hub

Family Hubs 

Family Hubs in both Shropshire and Telford, provide a range of services for children, young people and their families. They can offer help and support when you need it the most, within your own community. The Hubs can support you to access help from the right people at the right time. 

For more information visit Telford & Wrekin Family Hubs or Family hubs | Shropshire Council

Sleep apps

The NHS doesn't endorse specific apps for children's sleep. However there any many sleep apps available, often where a fee is payable such as Moshi, Calm, and Headspace for Kids. 
Sleepio is an NHS endorsed digital CBT programme for insomnia, available for adults, including young adults 18-25. It is accessed via their website or as an app and is free for people over 18 using their NHS login.

Website and apps providing mental health support can also support sleep difficulties 
This helpful list of emotional wellbeing apps for children and young people has been compiled by Lincolnshire NHS foundation Trust although it does not constitute an endorsement of them. Please read their disclaimer at the top of their page. 

Cerebra, the charity for Brain Injured Children And Young People, have a Sleep Advice Service offering one-to-one support. An online referral form  will link you to the service and they will email you a sleep pack to fill in. When they have received your completed sleep application and diary, you will be assigned a sleep practitioner who will arrange a telephone consultation with you and will give you support over the phone.

Kooth is a free, safe and anonymous website for 11-19 year olds and is free to access for young people living in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. It provides an anonymous 24-hour online emotional wellbeing service (which can include sleep issues), 365 days per year, offering peer support, self-help and trained and qualified counsellors available to talk to online at particular times. Click here for more information

Shropshire and Telford Early Help support workers can support with sleep issues where this forms part of a wider support package. Support can be accessed via the Family Hubs – see above. 

Speak to your child’s doctor or GP if you think their sleep difficulties are medically related, related to a genetic syndrome or think your child may be in pain.

Where your child is open to and being treated by the Community Paediatric team or the CAMHS (BeeU) service, speak to your clinician if their sleep issues are causing a significant impact to their daily functioning or educational attendance.