SENDIASS - Information, Advice and Support Service

The information, advice and support service can provide support for parents carers and young people in arranging and attending meetings as well as offering advocacy support. The service aims to offer impartial advice and information to assist parents and carers to make informed choices about the education for those they care for. SENDIASS is able to offer direct support to those parents and carers based on a criteria which is based on their individual needs. It is an independent service and is provided by Barnardo’s.

You can contact Sefton's Information, Advice and Support Service by calling 0333 323 8003 or emailing

sefton.sendiass@barnardos.org.uk  or visiting https://barnardossendiass.org.uk/sefton-sendiass/

We are an all year round service that works flexibly to suit the families that we support, we have flexible working patterns and work between the hours of 8.30am and 6pm.

Link to Sefton and NHS - Compliments, Complaints, Disputes and Disagreements 

What information and advice can the service give me?

It can provide information and advice on all matters relating to SEN including:

  • Local policy and practice.
  • The local offer.
  • Education law on SEN and related law on disability, health and social care, through suitably independently trained staff.

What kind of advice should we expect?

The advice and support offered to parents, carers and young people includes:

  • Individual casework where criteria is met and informal advocacy.
  • Support to understand, challenge or appeal assessments and reviews.
  • Encouragement to participate in decisions about outcomes for the child or young person.
  • Help when things go wrong, including resolving disagreements and providing support to manage mediation, appeals, exclusions, and complaints on matters related to SEN.
  • Signposting to other service which may be better placed to provide the support the children and young people need at the right time. These services should include housing support, careers advice and employment support.
  • Working separately and impartially with Parents, Carers and Young People if they disagree about any support or about the contents of an EHC plan.
  • Working closely with their local Parent Carer Forum and other representative groups. This ensures that the views and experiences of Parents, Carers and Young People can assist to inform policy and practice.
  • Contributing to strategic development of services by the Local Authority / ICB.

What information and advice can the service give me?

It can provide information and advice on all matters relating to SEN including:

  • Local policy and practice.
  • The local offer.
  • Personalisation and personal budgets.
  • Education law on SEN and related law on disability, health and social care, through suitably independently trained staff.

What kind of advice should we expect?

The advice and support offered to children, young people and parents should include:

  • Individual casework and informal advocacy.
  • Support in attending meetings, contributing to assessments and reviews.
  • Participating in decisions about outcomes for the child or young person.
  • Help when things go wrong, including resolving disagreements and providing support to manage mediation, appeals, exclusions, and complaints on matters related to SEN.
  • Directing parents, young people and those who support and work with them to additional support services where needed, including services provided by the voluntary sector. These services should include housing support, careers advice and employment support and may include volunteer supporters trained by the information and advice service.
  • Working separately and impartially with young people and their parents if they disagree about any support or about the contents of an EHC plan.
  • Working closely with their local Parent Carer Forum and other representive groups. This ensures that the views and experiences of children, young people and parents inform policy and practice.
  • Contributing to strategic development of services by the Local Authority / ICB.

Please give us Feedback

Young People/Parent/Carer's, Please click here to provide us with feedback: https://forms.office.com/e/jY4FiEhpEh

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Last Updated

Last updated: 12/01/2024

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