SEN support in Ards and North Down: education and health routes
Regional Education Authority services sit alongside South Eastern Trust assessment and support across Ards and North Down.
How support is organised in Ards and North Down
When a child is struggling in Bangor, Newtownards, the Ards Peninsula or elsewhere in the district, the most useful first step is to describe the difficulty precisely. It might be entering school, managing noise, following several instructions or recovering after an overwhelming day.
Ask the school what it can change now and how it will check whether the change helps. A clinical assessment can add information, but it is not the starting gun for every adjustment.
Schools and the Education Authority manage SEN support and statutory processes. Ards and North Down Borough Council has responsibility for local leisure, community facilities and inclusion, not statutory SEN assessment.
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust provides children's services across the area. Its neurodevelopmental service page explains current ADHD and autism assessment criteria and referral routes. The Trust has also supported local neurodivergent community events, but temporary events should not be mistaken for a permanent referral service.
SENAC provides independent education advice, and Family Support NI can be searched for registered family services.
The local picture in Ards and North Down
This section maps the current health bodies serving this area and, where a comparable official measure is available, presents it alongside the national figure. It is not a rating of the area or the quality of an individual service.
Health
Health and Social Care trusts for Ards and North Down
Health and Social Care trusts deliver many local health and social care services in Northern Ireland. Some services are organised regionally, so the organisation listed is a starting point rather than a promise that every pathway is based locally.
Urgent help
Lifeline crisis support
Lifeline provides confidential crisis support in Northern Ireland. Call 999 if life is at immediate risk.
Visit Lifeline crisis supportLocal organisations and advice
Ards and North Down Borough Council
Covers Ards and North Down
Council leisure, facilities and community services.
Visit websiteEducation Authority
Covers Northern Ireland
The Education Authority manages regional SEN services and statutory processes.
Visit websiteSouth Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Covers South Eastern Trust area
The South Eastern Trust publishes current neurodevelopmental service information.
Visit websiteSENAC
Covers Northern Ireland
SENAC provides independent education advice and advocacy.
Visit websiteFamily Support NI
Covers Northern Ireland
Family Support NI lists registered family and community services.
Visit websiteServices and local pathways
Education Authority SEN information
Education Authority
Current Education Authority SEN information and online routes.
Who it is for: Children and young people in Northern Ireland who have or may have special educational needs.
How to access it: Begin with the school for current support. Use the Education Authority guidance and online services for statutory processes.
Check current detailsSouth Eastern Trust neurodevelopmental service
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
South Eastern Trust ADHD and autism neurodevelopmental service information.
Who it is for: The current page explains the service geography, evidence and referral routes.
How to access it: Read the current criteria and ask the GP or involved professional whether this is the correct pathway.
Check current detailsFamily Support NI directory
Family Support NI
Searchable regional directory of registered family support.
Who it is for: Each listed service has its own location, age and eligibility criteria.
How to access it: Search by area and need, then confirm current details directly with the provider.
Check current detailsHSC service finder and trust contacts
HSCNI Strategic Planning and Performance Group
Use the official finder when the correct HSC trust or service is unclear.
Who it is for: Open to anyone looking for current HSC service or trust information in Northern Ireland.
How to access it: Search by service or place. If the trust is unclear, check a current HSC letter or ask the referring professional.
Check current detailsSENAC education advice
SENAC
Independent SEN education advice and advocacy.
Who it is for: Parents and carers of children with special educational needs in Northern Ireland.
How to access it: Check SENAC’s current advice and contact arrangements online.
Check current detailsPractical next steps
Ask the school to write down the support, who will provide it and the review date. If the EA is involved, confirm what decision is being considered and which evidence has been received.
For an ADHD or autism assessment question, read the South Eastern Trust's live criteria and ask the GP or other professional whether a referral is appropriate. Use the HSC service finder if the correct team is unclear.
For clubs, activities and family help, confirm the provider's location and access arrangements. The district includes coastal and peninsula communities, so travel time and transport may change what is workable.
Related FamilyFX help
Do you support SEND families in Ards and North Down?
If you are part of a charity, parent group, advice service, inclusive activity or another organisation supporting SEND families in Ards and North Down, we would like to hear from you. Send us your website, the area you cover, who the service is for and how families can get in touch. We check submissions before deciding whether to add them.
Send us your detailsSources and checking dates
Local services change. We check the sources below and review any substantive change before altering the page.
- Ards and North Down Borough Council, checked 14 August 2026
- Education Authority: SEN information, checked 13 August 2026
- Family Support NI, checked 14 August 2026
- HSCNI Strategic Planning and Performance Group, checked 14 August 2026
- NI Direct: mental health emergency, checked 14 August 2026
- SENAC, checked 14 August 2026
- South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust, checked 14 August 2026