Independent advice and support
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) provide advice and information to children with SEN or disabilities, their parents, and young people with SEN or disabilities.
They provide neutral and factual support on the special educational needs system to help the children, their parents and young people to play an active and informed role in their education and care. Although funded by local authorities, Information, Advice and Support Services are run either at arm’s length from the local authority or by a voluntary organisation to ensure children, their parents and young people have confidence in them.
In Islington, the Information, Advice and Support Service is called the Islington SEND Community Support Service, it is run by Family Action and is located at the Northern Health Centre.
The service offers:
- Information and advice, either face to face, by telephone or electronically
- Help with preparing for meetings with schools, colleges and the Local Authority
- Support to express your views and wishes
- Information, advice, and support on all education, health and social care matters
- Help with writing letters, reports and filling in forms
- Help to complete SEN-related paperwork such as requests for Education, Health and Care assessment
- Information about local and national services and help with making referrals to services
- Information, advice and support to help resolve conflicts and disagreements e.g. with schools, colleges and the Local Authority
- Help with paperwork for Disability related welfare benefits including Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Advice on Health and Social Care, Personal Budgets, the law on SEN and Disability
The duties and expectations of the Council to provide this service are set out in chapter two of the SEND Code of Practice.
Access further information about the Islington SEND Community Support Service.