Empowerment - How we provide support

Criteria for face-to-face support

Attendance at community hubs and support at meetings in a range of settings (including but not limited to nurseries, schools, colleges), is determined by the needs and circumstances of the parent, carer, child or young person and by the capacity of service.

Our Aim

• We offer information, advice and support that will empower parents, carers and young people to have their views and wishes heard, and enable them to move forward independently. The level of support we offer will be determined on a case-by-case basis, depending on our capacity, ensuring we can support as many families as possible. 
• We are not an advocacy service, and as we are impartial, we do not favour either side or have influence over the outcome of any meeting.
• We prioritise direct work with young people.
• Parents and carers will, in the first instance, be provided with telephone/email advice and guidance to be able to access the information they need to represent themselves. We may signpost to other services.
• Parents and carers who require additional support due to their own needs, who require more support than the telephone/email advice and information we provide, may be signposted to the local statutory advocacy service. 
• We do not give priority to any particular impairment, disability or special educational need, and we do not campaign for any particular approach to education.

Who may be offered face-to-face support?

• Children and young people aged up to 25 with special educational needs or disabilities who approach the service directly, and who require support to take part in processes where their views should be taken into account.
• Parents, carers and young people at review meetings where there is no other support, such as a friend or family member who can attend and:
  • • • • It is a phased transfer, and there is uncertainty regarding the next educational placement.
        • The child or young person has multiple, complex needs, and parents or carers are struggling to engage with other sources of support.
        • It is a complex situation, such as a formal mediation or a SEND Tribunal appeal.
• Other situations, as determined by and at the discretion of SENDIASS as requiring face-to-face support.

Home visits

Home visits will only be offered if:

• There are extenuating circumstances and there will be another Local Authority Service such as Social Care attending the agreed meeting, and the parent or carer has a physical disability which prevents them from leaving their home and it would be unsafe for them to do so.
• Or, there is no other suitable alternative or accessible place to meet e.g. nursery, school, college, Local Authority building, library, coffee shop etc.

The purpose of this is not to be obstructive or make life more difficult for families but to improve the efficiency of the SENDIAS Service and reduce the potential risks associated with lone-working.

Third-party support

If you are receiving support from a solicitor, or a representative, advocate or another SEND advisory service,  we regret that we will be limited in the information, advice and support that we can provide. This is to avoid the potential for conflicting advice and to ensure our service is available for parents or carers not receiving any other support.

This policy will be reviewed annually.