Information and advice

Advice line support

You can use our advice line support for access to a trained support worker for immediate information and advice in relation to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including advice about:

• Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
• personal budgets
• local and national policies, procedures and guidance
• the law relating to SEND.

This support is available to both parent and carers as well as children and young people aged between the ages of 0 and 25.

We can signpost you to other services and agencies who can also help you.

We can also put you in touch with an independent supporter to help you as you go through the EHCP process.

If you need more help

If you need more detailed advice and support, a support worker will contact you and may then organise other ways of giving you the support you need. This could include:

• Face to face support for you in meetings that relate to your child or young person's SEND. Support workers do not take detailed minutes of meetings but will record any action points for your records.

• Support with completing paperwork relating to your child or young person's SEND.

• Support with school visits including post-16 support. The service is not able to recommend settings but can offer assistance with looking around schools/settings and support with asking the right questions.

• Make links with other education, health and care services on your behalf.

• Support with positive conflict resolution that may be needed as part of the EHCP needs assessment process. For example, managing mediation with the local authority and providing information, advice and support in relation to appeals to the First-tier Tribunal SEND service.

• Provide information, advice and support in relation to school exclusions for all children and young people including those without SEND.

• Provide information, advice and support in relation to complaints about the local authority, schools and settings and the Tribunal Service.