FAQs

My child goes to a school outside of the Borough we live, which SEND IASS service do I contact?

Your SEND IASS Service to contact will be with the Local Authority that you live in.  You can find your local SEND IASS Service on the following link:

What are Information, Advice & Support Services? Are they different from Parent Partnership Services?

SEND IASS have taken over from the Parent Partnership Services. We are the same Service that provides even more Information, Advice & Guidance to Parents/Carers/Children and Young People with SEND. Parents in Partnership only provided information on Education issues; however SEND IASS now provide information on Education, Health & Social. The Service also is now available for young people aged up to 25 whereas previously up to the age of 19. 

What will it be like if I contact SEND IASS? 

SEND IASS Officers have lots of knowledge about the local area and can signpost you to any organisations that might be able to support you most. We are an Impartial Service, which means we will give you honest, clear and professional information so you can make choices and decisions for yourself. We are unable to tell you what to do but will help you understand your choices and options. If you contact the Service, we can chat with you over the phone or email to help you with your query. 

Do I have to pay to access my local SEND IASS Team? 

No, the Service we provide is free. There is never a cost to using our Service. However; we may signpost you to Services where they could offer training/courses for a fee. You can speak with us about this if you want any further Information on this. 

Do SEND IASS work weekends?

SEND IASS does not operate over the weekend; the Service operates from Monday – Friday 9am-5pm. 

If I tell you my personal information, what will you do with it? 

We will record your information on our secure database. Only SENDIASS Officers have access to this. We share your information with your consent however we will only share without your consent if we have reason to believe someone is in danger of being hurt. We will direct information and any concerns to the Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) Service within the Local Authority. 

What should I do if I am not happy with the Service provided?

If you feel unhappy with the Service we have provided, you can give us a call to discuss this so we can try and resolve the problem. If you are still unhappy, you can follow our Complaints Policy under the “Policy” section.  

You can also leave us some feedback on our feedback form on the following link: 

I’ve looked at the details for my local IAS Service and their address is the same as the Local Authority, are they impartial? 

As Statutory Services (ones that have to be provided by law) IAS Services are all funded by their local authority (LA). However they are all expected to be at 'arm’s length' of the Local Authority and to provide impartial information, advice and support to Children, Young People and Parents. We have a Steering Group and also Minimum Standards that ensure we are following our duties in being impartial. 

Some IAS Services are based outside of the LA with local Charities/Organisations, some are based in LA's but in their own buildings, while others may share offices with other LA Services such as Schools, Children's Centres, Support Services etc. It’s important to note that having the same address as your Local Authority does not mean that they will not be able to provide an Impartial Service. However, if you have concerns about your IAS Service the best thing to do is to phone them and ask how they make sure that their Service is impartial. 

I think my child has Special Educational Needs although the School haven’t said anything. Will my local IAS Service help me? 

Yes, your local IAS Service will be happy to discuss your situation further and provide you with Information, Advice & Guidance to help you. 

Will the Service support my Young Person if they are over the age of 16? 

Yes, your local IAS Service will provide Information Advice & Guidance to Young People with SEND aged 16-25 on matters relating to Education, Health & Social Care.  Young People can contact us directly for Information Advice and Support. They can choose to allocate a designated person for us to speak with if they don’t feel able to do so. Young People can complete our Contact & Consent Form on the following link:

What support can you provide me?

Please see our About Us Section where you can find Information on the Services that the IAS Service provide. 

Does SEND IASS provide a “Drop-In” Service? 

The SEND Information, Advice & Support Service does not provide a “Drop-In” facility.

 

How do I make contact with SENDIASS?

If you wish to make contact with the Service, you can: