About us

The SEND Code of Practice 2015 says:

Local authorities must ensure that children, young people and parents are provided with the information, advice and support necessary to enable them to participate in discussions and decisions about their support. (1.9)

Information, advice and support should be impartial and provided at arm’s-length from the local authority and Clinical Commissioning Groups. (2.8)

Local authorities are responsible for arranging Information, Advice and Support to be available for children & young people with SEND and their parents and carers.

This means that every local authority should provide a service that is free, easy to access and confidential and that can help children, parents and young people take part in decisions that affect their lives. 

We support children, young people and their parents and carers to understand their rights and help them to share their views and wishes. We help families…

• to feel confident to express their views and participate
• understand their rights in relation to SEND
• find positive ways to communicate with schools and the local authority
• with questions about their or their child’s SEN, including choosing a school and the process of SEN support (assess/plan/do/review cycle).
• through the EHC needs assessment and plan processes including help with forms, reports or letters etc
• by providing information to enable informed choices
• where there are disagreements with school, the local authority or a health provider, we can explore options and support with next steps, including with school exclusion hearings, complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) and with SEND tribunals.

We aim to build confidence and understanding and to empower the child, young person or parent/carer to move forward positively. We support the child/young person or parent/carer to participate and are therefore not led by any other agenda. Support is tailored to the needs of the person accessing the service.

When we receive a request for information, advice and support we consider how our information and advice (including training) might enable the child, young person or parent to understand their choices and help them with their chosen option.

Where information, advice and support needs cannot be met via these available resources we provide additional advice or ongoing support to:

1. Children and young people aged up to 25 with special educational needs or disability who approach the service directly, and who require support to take part in processes and to help them express their views and wishes.
2. Parents and carers who require additional support due to the complexity of their or their child’s circumstances, or their own needs for example because they:

• have a learning difficulty,
• are disabled or have medical or mental health issues,
• do not have English as their first language,

And:

Where they would have trouble engaging with SEND processes without support from a member of the SENDIASS team.

3. Other situations as determined by and at the discretion of Suffolk SENDIASS as requiring our support.

We recognise the changing needs of people who use our service and are flexible with the level of support we provide at any given time.

Read more about how we provide support in the IASS Definition of Advocacy and in the national intervention levels guidance.

What you talk to us about is confidential. Any personal information you share will be held confidentially and securely within the SENDIAS service.

We would only talk to other people outside of SENDIASS with your consent. The only exception to this would be where there is a concern for someone’s safety, or where we are required to comply with Ofsted as part of a SEND local inspection.

Our ways of working ensure:

• we will only ask you for information which is relevant and purposeful
• personal data we collect from you is stored in a database, accessed only by members of the Suffolk SENDIAS service
• access to the database is password protected with 2 levels of security
• laptops and other devices are locked when not in use
• emails and web contact forms are deleted in Outlook once responded to and relevant information transferred to our database
• written information is kept securely for as long as it is needed, transferred to the database if deemed necessary to keep, and then disposed of through confidential waste as soon as possible
• telephone calls and online meetings maintain privacy
• we can have face to face conversations with you, which cannot be overheard

Social media platforms have their own terms and conditions in relation to data, consent and privacy. We would ask that any sensitive information (about you, your child, or anything which mentions someone else by name) be shared with us directly through Direct Messaging within the channel, by completing a web contact form, or contacting us by email, text or phone.

We regularly host group information sessions and attend informal groups and coffee mornings, and encourage conversations to be limited to general discussion.

You can request a copy of information we hold, restrict how we may use it, or withdraw consent at any time. For more information about your rights in relation to the information we collect and hold, read our privacy notice.

The information, advice and support that we offer is firmly based in the law and statutory guidance such as the SEND Code of Practice. We provide unbiased information and advice about the local authority’s policies and procedures and about the policy and practice in local schools and other settings.

How do we ensure we are impartial (neutral, fair, and unbiased)?

• We’re trained in SEND law, so that we can give you accurate information and advice
• We work at ‘arms-length’ to the local authority
• We listen to your questions and concerns
• We give you information about the available options
• We do not judge, nor seek to blame anyone
• The advice we provide is not based on our own opinions 
• We will not tell you what to do
• We have no personal interest in the outcome of any decision
• What you talk to us about is confidential
• We would only contact someone else where you have asked us to do so
• We act separately with no undue influence or control from the local authority and Integrated Care Boards.

We ask people using the service to tell us how neutral, fair and unbiased they found us to be, and results are published each year in our Annual Report. The links to our recent Annual Reports can be found on our ‘Facts, figures and feedback’ page.

Our Advisory group help us to monitor how well we are meeting the national set of Minimum Standards for SENDIAS services.

Read our impartiality leaflet (opens PDF)

Co-production is an approach where people with lived experiences of support needs become equal partners in the creation and development of services or resources which can meet those needs.

We are committed to co-production.  We want our information to be shaped by you, and created with you. Everyone’s views are important and everyone has something to contribute.

Working together is the best way to get results.

We promise to:

• Decide together what to focus on
• Welcome you and help you feel safe and comfortable
• Give you the time and space you need to share your views
• Listen to you and respect your views, without judgement
• Value everyone’s opinions
• Be honest with you
• Avoid using jargon
• Let you know about progress every step of the way
• Be open with how decisions are made
• Share how your contributions have shaped our information.