REACHING FAMILIES LIMITED

Name

REACHING FAMILIES LIMITED

Legal name

Reaching Families Limited

Website

https://reachingfamilies.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charity / Special Educational Needs Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parenting Support Services (BPAGAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Resource Centers & Wraparound Support Services (EDACALAH), Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

Keywords

• Special educational needs support
• Parent carer services
• SEND information resources
• Disability family support
• Peer support groups

Headquarters

HQ city

Littlehampton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Core offering

Reaching Families Limited is a parent-carer led charity that provides information, training and peer support services to families of children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in West Sussex. Its core offer centres on the flagship "Making Sense of it All" parent-carer guide, supplemented by fact sheets, animated films, training workshops, benefits advice and form-checking, peer befriending, parent support groups and a neurodevelopmental navigation service.

Product overview

Reaching Families Limited operates as a parent-carer led charity offering a portfolio of interconnected services for families of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in West Sussex. The core offering centres on 'Making Sense of it All' (their comprehensive parent-carer guide) supplemented by fact sheets, animated films, and training workshops covering topics from diagnosis through to adulthood. Direct support services include a Benefits Advice Service (with embedded Turn2Us calculator), Face-2-Face Befriending, ND Navigation Service, and Umbrellas Parent Support Groups. An online Facebook community provides ongoing peer support. All services are free of charge to parents and are designed to inform, empower, and support parent-carers throughout their journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Making Sense of it All: Parent-carer guide covering major SEND issues from birth to adulthood, often referred to as the 'parent-carer Bible'. Contains a directory of over 400 local and national organisations and an extensive jargon buster.
• Umbrellas
• Face-2-Face Befriending
• ND Navigation Service

Products and services

• Making Sense of it All Comprehensive parent-carer guide for families of children with special educational needs and disabilities aged 0-25 in West Sussex. Covers diagnosis, benefits, education, health, social care, and transition to adulthood, and includes a directory of over 400 local and national organisations plus a SEND jargon buster. Available free (plus postage) in paperback or as a downloadable eBook.
• Fact Sheets Bite-size information sheets covering specific conditions (ADHD, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, etc.), money topics (Carer's Allowance, DLA, PIP), practical advice, health, education, social care and leisure activities. Over 10,000 factsheets were downloaded in 2024/25.
• Animations Short animated films on SEND-related subjects including DLA myth busting, autism assessment, mindfulness, stress management, sensory issues, challenging behaviour, personal budgets, and the CAMHS journey.
• Training Workshops Half-day online workshops for parent-carers on topics including ADHD, masking, EHCP, behaviours that challenge, demand avoidance, wellbeing, PIP, sensory processing, and autism in girls. Delivered online via Zoom, free of charge; 1,209 parents attended in 2024/25.
• SEND Foundation Course A 2-day introductory course covering key issues parent-carers encounter including diagnosis, information sources, stress management, peer support, benefits, school support, and health and social care access. Delivered online via Zoom.
• Benefits Advice Service One-to-one advice sessions, form-checking and support for parents applying for Carer's Allowance, DLA and PIP, together with training workshops on benefits and Universal Credit and in-person Benefits Advice Roadshows across West Sussex. Supported 279 families in 2024/25, with appointments booked via Calendly.
• Benefits Calculator Online benefits calculator tool (provided by Turn2Us, embedded as a widget) that helps parents determine what benefits and financial support they may be entitled to. Takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.
• Face-2-Face Befriending Volunteer-based befriending and emotional support service connecting parents of children undergoing or recently diagnosed with SEND to trained parent-carer befrienders with similar lived experience. All befrienders are DBS-checked and undertake intensive training; delivered by phone, Zoom or in person. 72 parent-carer participants in 2024/25.
• Umbrellas Parent Support Groups Monthly peer support groups for parent-carers of children with SEND held in Bognor Regis, Burgess Hill, Horsham, Littlehampton, Shoreham by Sea and Worthing, plus online via Zoom. 306 parent-carers attended in 2024/25.
• ND Navigation Service Information, training and support service for parent-carers of children on the West Sussex Neurodevelopmental Pathway. Provides telephone support, resources, training, befriender access and connections to other Reaching Families services.
• Facebook Group Community Online community forum of over 6,000 parent-carers providing peer support, hints, tips and advice on SEND topics including benefits, education, mental health and specific disabilities; described as the largest SEND support group of its kind in West Sussex.

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Contact (formerly Contact a Family): National UK charity supporting families of disabled children through advice, information, and peer networks. Closely comparable parent-carer support mission, benefits guidance, and information resources model.
• Amaze (Brighton): Sussex-based charity supporting parent-carers of children with SEND through advice, training, and peer support including SENDIASS. Nearest geographic peer with overlapping service portfolio and West Sussex family reach.
• Family Fund: UK charity providing grants and support to families raising disabled or seriously ill children. Comparable beneficiary base and benefits/grants navigation focus for SEND families.
• Cerebra: UK charity for children with brain conditions and learning disabilities offering information, guidance, and parent support services. Comparable SEND information and parent support model.
• IPSEA: UK charity offering free legal advice and support to families on SEND issues including EHCPs, appeals, and tribunal. Comparable benefits/education advice component and SEND parent-carer audience.

Emerging players

• Special Needs Jungle: UK parent-led SEND information and support site providing articles, guides, and resources. Comparable online information resource model targeting parent-carers navigating SEND systems.

Broad incumbents

• National Autistic Society: Large UK autism charity offering information, advice, training, and services for autistic people and families. Overlaps with Reaching Families' ND Navigation, training, and factsheet offerings but at national scale.
• Carers Trust: UK charity supporting unpaid carers including parent-carers of disabled children. Comparable carer-support and benefits advice focus with national reach and local network model.
• Scope: National UK disability charity providing information, support, and advice for disabled people and families. Comparable SEND/disability information, advice, and parent guidance offerings at larger scale.

Regional players

• Whizz-Kidz: UK charity providing mobility equipment and disabled children's services. Comparable parent-carer audience and SEND service ethos, though focused on physical disability and mobility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/reachingfamilies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reaching-families-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about REACHING FAMILIES LIMITED