SEND Workshops in Richmond and Hounslow
About our Workshops
We run regular face to face and online workshops with expert speakers, for parents of Disabled young people. We also run more informal sessions with our Ruils staff, at the Ruils offices in Teddington.
Our workshops, which are run in Richmond and Hounslow boroughs by our Family Matters, SEND Advice and Bright Futures services, aim to provide parents and carers with information, practical strategies and support on a variety of subjects.
We cover anything from behavioural challenges, navigating the SEND legal system and health and social care pathways to supporting mental health and anxiety in our young people. We always welcome input from our clients on the subjects that would be most helpful.
Workshops are charged at £5 per parents or carer or £10 for professionals. All funds raised from the workshops will go towards hiring high quality speakers and appropriate venues for future sessions.
Our informal sessions – SEND Advice Sessions and Bright Futures @Home – are free of charge.
Emotionally Based School Avoidance: Strategies for dealing with School and the LA
Date: Tuesday 17th November 2026
Time: 11.30am-1pm
Location: Ruils, DAAC, 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, TW11 8HT
Join Ruils SEND Advisor Richard Wilding for a practical in person session on Emotionally Based School Avoidance, and strategies for dealing with school & the Local Authority including
- Parental duties and the local authority’s duties
- How absences are marked by the school
- Obtaining evidence to support your position
- Alternatives to education in a school setting
Please note: This session is for Richmond families and is not designed to provide psychological strategies to use with your child but rather concerns how to deal with the LA and the school.
Relax and Recharge: SEND Parent Carer wellbeing coffee morning and talk
Date: Thursday 19th November 2026
Time: 10-12pm
Location: Ruils, DAAC, 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, TW11 8HT
Join us for a Parents and Carers wellbeing session to mark Carers Rights day.
Award Winning author, Sara Challice, will be sharing ways to make your life easier and boost your wellbeing whilst caring, along with a relaxation session. And as Christmas is fast approaching, she will also be giving ideas on taking the pressure off at Christmas to enjoy the festive season. The session will include:
- Our perception of caring – recognising all that you do
- Caregivers’ Burnout – what is it and how to avoid
- Healthy Boundaries – safeguarding your energy
- Discover ways to check in to keep yourself well and the ‘Me time’ list
- Bodyscan and relaxation techniques
- Top tips to take the pressure off at Christmas.
During the session there will be time for discussions and refreshments to give you time to relax and recuperate.
This is a free session
Bright Futures: All Kinds of Everything
Date: Tuesday 8th December 2026
Time: 10:30am-1pm
Location: Ruils, DAAC, 4 Waldegrave Road, Teddington, TW11 8HT
A light touch run through of the many things that may come up for your young person as they move from children’s to adult services
When our young people are young adults or approaching adulthood there’s a lot of stuff we need to know about – some of it is evident (the known knowns), some of it not so much but we know there’s something (the known unknowns) – and then there’s a lot that we don’t even know there is to know (the unknown unknowns)!
That’s what this workshop sets out to address – all of the variations on knowns and unknowns – to make sure you’re not going to miss something that matters. Presented by Bright Futures advisor Sue Robson.
Family Matters Hounslow:Housing conditions and suitability of accommodation
Date: Tuesday 26th January 2027
Time: 10:00am-12pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Ruils has partnered with expert Housing Law solicitor Rosie Grewal from Ruban Solicitors to deliver an online workshop on housing law and understanding your legal rights relating to housing conditions (disrepair, damp) and the suitability of accommodation.
Please note the session is not suitable for those with issues regarding housing allocation.
This session is FREE to attend
Understanding and Supporting Children and Young People with PDA
Date: Tuesday 26th January 2027
Time: 10:00am-12pm
Location: Online via Zoom
In this engaging and practical webinar, Laura Kerbey draws on her extensive professional experience to explore the key characteristics of PDA, the relationship between anxiety, autonomy and control, and why traditional behaviour management approaches can often be ineffective or even counterproductive.
We will explore how everyday expectations, communication and learning environments can create additional demands, alongside practical, PDA-informed strategies to reduce anxiety, build positive relationships and support engagement at home and in educational settings.
£5 for parents/carers
£10 for professionals
Get in touch
Tora Sykes
Children’s Team Administrator