If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person (0-25) with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), Liverpool & Knowsley SEND IASS is available to offer support. It is the FREE service designed to help your family.
SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service. Liverpool & Knowsley SENDIASS is delivered by Barnardo’s.
The aim of SENDIASS is to empower parents, carers, children and young people by providing them with the right information and advice to make informed decisions, take the next steps they need to independently advocate for themselves.
SENDIASS offers:
- A dedicated SENDIASS next steps helpline, run by Level 3 IPSEA trained officers – this means families can come back to the helpline for information and advice as and when they feel they need it.
- Legally based information and advice given by trained and experienced staff around SEND law, statutory guidance and processes, local policy and processes
- Online information to educate and empower families – you can find this on the website Welcome to Barnardo’s SENDIASS | Barnardo’s SENDIASS
- Monthly drop-ins/SEND Surgeries for families needing help with form filling or letter writing – details are updated monthly on the website – call the helpline or email to book.
- 1:1 support at meetings and during appeals processes for those families that meet the criteria for casework
- Support for children and young people with SEND; this can include support to help you have your voice heard
- Signposting to local and national services
- Information Sessions for families and professionals
Opening hours are Monday – Friday, 9am-4.30pm
They can help with:
- SEN support
- Suspensions and permanent exclusions
- Transport issues
- SEND appeals
- SEND mediation
- Complaints
- Personal budgets
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) – including the health and social care elements
1:1 support
Liverpool & Knowsley SENDIASS has two dedicated casework officers that cover both the Liverpool & Knowsley areas. As there is a high demand for the service, a casework criteria policy is in place.
The service will offer 1:1 support in the first instance to those families that have an additional need such as health condition, disability or communication need that prevents them from completing paperwork, speaking up at meetings and/or understanding processes and next steps. These appointments are allocated in date order.
1:1 form filling support may be offered through a single appointment at our monthly SEND surgery or through on-going casework. This is need-led and dependent upon service capacity at that time.
Self-advocacy
Liverpool & Knowsley SENDIASS offers informal support for families who are receiving casework and may need help expressing their views when they are unable to do so independently. Any support of this kind forms part of the casework process and will be agreed with the caseworker based on individual circumstances.
SENDIASS services are designed to promote self-advocacy and they will always try to equip the family with the knowledge and confidence to speak for themselves wherever possible.
SENDIAS services follow the National Minimum Standards and the definition of advocacy within this – Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes and help you understand and exercise your rights. This might mean meeting support in some instances; however, it may also look like support to send an email or complaint letter expressing your views.
Due to capacity the service does not attend meetings with families that are not in receipt of casework support.
Tribunal Information Advice and Support
Families can receive information and advice via the service helpline on issues relating to tribunal processes and legally based information. All staff are IPSEA 3 trained which means that helpline officers and caseworkers have the same level of training.
Next steps advice for tribunals can be given via the helpline this includes signposting to resources, and advice on form filling and putting evidence together for a hearing. A family can come back to the helpline as often as required for advice on what to do next.
For those families with additional needs requiring more support we can help with form filling at our drop-in/ SEND surgery sessions.
Casework officers can attend tribunal hearings for those families in receipt of casework support. However, most families will be able to self-advocate as the information is submitted to tribunal ahead of time, including parental information. We will help the family to prepare for the hearing including offering guidance on completing notes which can be read verbatim on the day.
Cllr David Lonergan, Knowsley Council Cabinet Member for Children, said:
“We want every family to know about the high-quality, expert and free advice available through SEND IASS which is delivered by Barnardo’s.
“This local service is dedicated to providing parents with the knowledge and guidance they need to secure the best possible outcomes for their children with SEND.”
You can contact the service by email: liverpool.knowsleysendiass@barnardos.org.uk or phone: 0333 323 7768 (leave message)
Find out more on the Liverpool and Knowsley Send IASS website.