Lewisham Council expands SEND support with dedicated WhatsApp channel
London borough expands digital outreach as Short Breaks team co-designs updates with parents and carers.
Lewisham Council has launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, as the local authority increases its use of digital platforms to share support and services.
In a Facebook post, the council said: “Lucy and Rebecca and the rest of our Short Breaks team have launched a new WhatsApp channel for the almost 800 parents and carers they support in Lewisham.”
The channel is being co-designed with parents and shares activities and opportunities for children and young people with SEND across Lewisham and London. According to the post, “20% of families signed up in the first week, a positive step in making information easier to access and shaping it around what parents want.”
The council’s role in SEND and short breaks provision
Lewisham Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Lewisham. In the UK, local councils are responsible for delivering frontline public services within their area. These include education, children’s social care, adult social care, housing, public health, and local planning.
Councils are funded through a combination of central government grants, council tax, and locally raised revenue. They are legally required to deliver certain services under national legislation, particularly in areas such as safeguarding, support for children in need, and provision for disabled children and their families.
In this case, the council’s Short Breaks team supports families caring for children with disabilities. Short breaks are services designed to give parents and carers time away from their caring responsibilities. Under the Breaks for Carers of Disabled Children Regulations (2011), local authorities must provide a range of short break services, though eligibility can depend on assessed need and available resources.
Lewisham provides or funds three types of short breaks: universal services available to all children, targeted short breaks for children with additional needs, and specialist short breaks accessed through children’s social care for those with the highest levels of need.
WhatsApp as a growing council communication tool
The new SEND-focused channel builds on a general Lewisham Council WhatsApp channel launched last year. The council describes WhatsApp as “A growing platform with over 900 followers, ideal for encouraging word-of-mouth and resident-to-resident sharing. Community and culture-focused content performs particularly well here. Many older people are familiar and comfortable using WhatsApp so great for older peoples projects.”
The dedicated Short Breaks channel provides updates on local activities, service changes across education, health, and social care, consultations, guidance linked to Lewisham’s Local Offer, and resources to support wellbeing and inclusion.
As councils face ongoing budget pressures and rising demand for SEND services, direct messaging platforms offer a low-cost way to reach families quickly. The early sign-up rate suggests appetite for clearer, more immediate communication, particularly for families navigating multiple services across education and social care.
The move also reflects a broader shift among UK local authorities toward mobile-first engagement, meeting residents on platforms they already use rather than relying solely on email bulletins or council websites.
ETIH Innovation Awards 2026
The ETIH Innovation Awards 2026 are now open and recognize education technology organizations delivering measurable impact across K–12, higher education, and lifelong learning. The awards are open to entries from the UK, the Americas, and internationally, with submissions assessed on evidence of outcomes and real-world application.
