Shared Care Network
National organisation which promotes family-based short breaks for disabled children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

British Association of Adoption and Fostering (BAAF)
UK charity working for children separated from their birth families.

Fostering Network
UK charity for everyone with a personal or professional involvement in fostering.

Surestart
Government programme which aims to deliver the best start in life for every child. Brings together, early education, childcare, health and family support.

National Autistic Society (NAS)
Nationwide charitable organisation with a network of branches and affiliated local societies. The website includes information about autism and Asperger syndrome, the NAS and its services and activities.

Autism London
Provides impartial support, advice and information to individuals, their families, carers and professionals affected by autism and Asperger's syndrome.

Down's Syndrome Association
Provides information, counselling and support for people with Down's syndrome, their families and carers, as well as for professionals.

SCOPE
Scope is a UK disability organisation whose focus is people with cerebral palsy.

MENCAP
A UK charity which campaigns for equal rights for children and adults with a learning disability and offers a variety of services to them, their families and carers.

Sense
SENSE supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deaf blind. Provides specialist information, advice and services to deaf blind people, their families, carers and the professionals who work with them.

Afasic
Represents children and young people with speech and language impairments. Aims to increase awareness of communication disorders and improve educational provision, training and employment opportunities and is a membership organisation.

British Institute of Learning Difficulties (BILD)
Committed to improving the quality of life for the 1.2 million people in the UK with a learning disability.

Independent Panel for Special Education Advice (IPSEA)
Free advice to parents of children with special needs.

Contact a Family
UK charity for families who have a disabled child and those who work with them or are interested to find out more about their needs.

Young Minds
Promotes child and adolescent mental health and mental health services. Is also involved in consultancy work, training, and producing information leaflets.

Talking Point
Resource for both parents and professionals who want to find more information about speech, language and communication difficulties in children.

Advisory Centre for Education (ACE)
Independent national advice centre for parents. Topics include school exclusion, special educational needs, bullying and school admission appeals.

Disability Law Service
National registered charity that provides confidential and free legal advice for disabled adults, their families and carers.

Bullying Online
Help for parents and children dealing with bullying at school.

Childline
National helpline for children and young people in trouble or danger.

KIDS
A charity that promotes play and opportunity for disabled children.

Whizz-Kidz
A national charity that provides disabled children and young people with customised wheelchairs, tricycles and other specialised mobility equipment.

React
React Charity - helping children with life limiting illnesses in the UK.

Family Fund
Charity aiming to support, advise and possibly help with funds for families with severely disabled children.

Carers UK
National charity supporting carers. Runs 'Carersline' a national telephone helpline giving information and support to carers.

Crossroads - Caring for Carers
Offers support and services for carers and people with care needs. Provides 'in the home care' for carers.

Princess Royal Trust for Carers
Largest provider of comprehensive carer support services in the UK. Provides information and advice, and support to almost a quarter of a million carers including 13000 young carers.

Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID)
National charity providing information and advice for deaf and hard of hearing people.

National Deaf Children's Society
Organisation of parents, families and carers which exists to support parents in enabling their child to maximise their skills and abilities; and works to facilitate this by every means possible.

Calibre Cassette Library
Cassette library for the visually impaired and those who find it hard to access print. Includes the Friendly Duck web service for children and young people.

LOOK London
Helps children with visually impairment and their families. Also offers advice, advocacy and information to parents/carers, and run summer fun days out for all the family and weekends away.

National Blind Children's Society UK
Charitable organisation providing information, advice, support and a variety of services to both blind and partially blind children from 0-18.

Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB)
National charity working for blind and partially sighted people and the professionals who work with them. Includes talking book service.

Action for Blind People
National charity that provides practical support to blind and partially sighted people through work, housing, leisure and support.

London Play
London Play supports & co-ordinates out-of-school play services across the capital, and campaigns for all London children's right to play.

Hackney Families Together
Hackney Families Together is a joint PCT, Learning Trust and London Borough of Hackney group and is hosted jointly by City & Hackney Carers Centre and Hackney Family Backup. It is a group for parents and carers of children 0-17 years old with disabilities and special educational needs, and its main aims are to provide information and support and the opportunity to influence service delivery. Parents meet three times each school term and cover key topics relevant to Hackney parent/carers, such as health, education, leisure, welfare benefits and other support services. Meetings are open to all parents and carers of children 0-17 years old with disabilities and special educational needs.

Please click here to view minutes of past meetings
Organisations and services that support Hackney Families Together:
Hackney Parent Partnership Service, Hackney Family Backup, City and Hackney Carers Centre, Children with Disabilities Team, The Key, The Portage Service

Please call Hackney Family Backup on 020 7275 0088 or email admin@hfbu.org.uk for more information or to be added to our mailing list.

Hackney Carers Centre
We provide support, information and advice to adult carers living in Hackney or caring for someone living in Hackney.

City and Hackney Community Information System (COMIS)
Directory of services for local people living or working in Hackney.

Hackney Independent Forum for Parents / Carers of Children with Disabilities
A parent led group for parents / carers of disabled children.

Hackney Portage.aspx
The Portage Service works in partnership with parents to provide an educational home visiting service / early intervention service for pre-school children 0-4 with significant special needs.

Off Centre
Off Centre provides free, confidential counselling and therapy to enable young people to recover from emotional distress and the effects of traumatic experiences. Also offers advice and information on issues that affect young people, including housing, homelessness and benefits.

Hackney Play Association (HPA)
Play development agency working to improve children's play in Hackney.

Laburnum Boat Club
Hackney based charity for kids which aims to encourage and enable more people with disabilities and special educational needs to fully participate in their activities.

Albion Kids Show
A mobile play resource where children aged between 0-18 can learn through safe, exciting, stimulating and imaginative activities.

Half Moon Theatre
One of London's leading children's, disability and youth theatre resources.

Hackney Ark
Downs Park Rd (Corner of Cecilia Road)
London E8 2HY
Tel: 020 7014 7000
Minicom: 020 7041 7002
Fax: 020 7014 7000
Open 9am-5pm Monday to Friday