How to Use Your Local Authority's 'Local Offer' for Dyslexia Support

If you are searching late at night for "local dyslexia support services near me," you might feel overwhelmed. You do not need to pay for expensive private directories to find help.

By law, every local authority in England must publish a directory called the Local Offer. This directory lists all the education, health, and social care support available in your area for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including dyslexia.

This guide will show you how to find your local directory, what dyslexia support you should expect to find inside it, and how to use this information to get help at your child's school tomorrow morning.

What is a 'Local Offer' and why does it exist?

The Local Offer is a statutory directory. This means your local council is legally required to write and maintain it.

It exists to make support transparent. Before the Local Offer was introduced, parents often had to rely on word-of-mouth to find out what services existed. Now, every council must gather all local services into one public place.

The Department for Education provides clear Local offer guidance to ensure local authorities keep these resources clear, accessible, and updated for families and care leavers.

For a parent of a child struggling with reading, the Local Offer is your map. It tells you what services your council funds, which local charities operate in your area, and how your child's school is expected to support struggling readers.

How to find your local authority's directory

Finding your local directory takes less than a minute. You do not need to navigate complex council homepages.

1. Open your search engine.
2. Type the name of your local council followed by the words "Local Offer" (for example: "Bristol Council Local Offer" or "Surrey Local Offer").
3. Click the top search result. It will almost always be a dedicated page on your local authority's website (.gov.uk).

If you do not know the exact name of your local council, you can enter your postcode on the main GOV.UK website to find it.

What dyslexia support should you expect to find?

Once you are on your council's Local Offer website, use the search bar or navigate to the "Education" or "SEND Support" sections. Every council directory is structured slightly differently, but you should look for the following resources:

1. Specialist teaching services

Most local authorities employ specialist SEND teachers or run a central literacy support service. The Local Offer will detail how schools access these specialists and whether parents can contact them directly for advice.

2. Local voluntary groups and charities

Many councils partner with local dyslexia associations. These groups often run weekend workshops, parent support groups, and helpline services. The Local Offer must list these independent services if they operate in your area.

3. Speech and language therapy (SLT)

Dyslexia is a language-based learning difference. If your child struggles with phonics or speech sounds, they may benefit from speech and language support. The Local Offer explains the referral pathway for local NHS speech and language services.

4. Educational Psychology services

Only qualified professionals, such as educational psychologists or certified specialist assessors, can formally diagnose dyslexia. Your Local Offer will state how the council's educational psychology team operates and how schools request their involvement.

Step-by-step: Using the Local Offer to request school support

You do not need a formal diagnosis to get help for your child in school. Schools are expected to support children based on their daily learning needs. Here is how to use the Local Offer to start that conversation tomorrow:

Step 1: Find the school's SEND Information Report

Every mainstream school must publish a document explaining how they support pupils with SEND. This is often linked directly from the Local Offer directory, or you can find it on your school's website.

Step 2: Compare the school's policy with the Local Offer

Read what your local authority expects schools to provide from their standard budget. This is often called the "ordinarily available provision." If the Local Offer says schools should provide multisensory reading tools, you can ask your school if they are doing this.

Step 3: Write a calm, concrete email to the SENCO

Contact your school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). Keep your message brief and focused on next steps. You might write:

"I have been reading our local authority's Local Offer regarding literacy support. I notice that targeted phonics interventions are standard practice for children struggling with reading fluency. Can we meet this week to discuss what specific interventions my child is currently receiving?"

If your child is experiencing high anxiety about attending school due to their reading struggles, you are not alone. You can read our guide on supporting a dyslexic teenager struggling with school attendance for more targeted advice on working with your school during stressful times.

What to do if your local directory falls short

Sometimes, a council's Local Offer can feel disappointing. Information might be out of date, or the services listed may have long waiting lists.

If the public services in your area are difficult to access quickly, you can take immediate, practical steps at home to build your child's confidence. You do not have to wait for the school or council to act.

Daily, low-pressure practice is highly effective for dyslexic learners. At Dyslexia.ai, we developed our app, Lexy, to help parents support their children at home. Lexy uses a multisensory, structured literacy approach inspired by Orton-Gillingham principles. It provides gentle, interactive phonics and reading fluency practice on iOS and Mac.

Lexy is not a diagnostic tool or a replacement for specialist teaching, but it is an accessible way to help your child practice reading without the anxiety of a classroom environment. You can learn more about how it works by reading about our features.

If you are currently looking at options for the future, you may also find our guide to choosing a secondary school with strong SEND policies helpful for your next steps.

Remember, the search for support is a journey. By finding your Local Offer today, you have taken the first step toward securing the resources your child is entitled to receive.