SENDIASS Southend - Early years and education

Description

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service.

SENDIASS Southend is a free service offering support and advice to parents, carers and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

The role of SENDIASS Southend is to ensure that children and young people with SEND and their parent carers have access to impartial information, advice and support so that they can make informed decisions about matters relating to their special educational needs.

SENDIASS aim to encourage partnership between parents, carers and young people with:

  • their school
  • local authority
  • social care
  • health and other agencies

Our aim is to give information to help you to make your own choices.

We offer information about the law on SEND, covering:

  • education
  • health
  • social care
  • national and local policy
  • the Local Offer
  • yours and your child's rights and choices
  • where you can find other help, advice and support

If you are a young person, we can also offer more support if needed. This can include:

  • helping you to understand forms or letters
  • attending meetings with you
  • supporting you in talking with the local authority, school, college or other settings

Sometimes a SENDIASS Officer can take part in a meeting with you. We aim to help you to feel confident to say what you want to say and be heard. We do not speak for you. We do not take sides. We can't affect the outcome of any meeting.

When we are not able to help, we will do our best to explain why, and will try to put you in touch with other services that can help. We call this signposting.

Telephone

01702 215499

Email address

iass@southend.gov.uk

Website

website: https://www.sendiasssouthend.co.uk/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sendiasssouthend

Contact notes

We aim to respond to calls and emails within 5 working days. Alternatively, you may wish to call Contact, the national SEND freephone helpline on 0808 808 3555 Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm.

Is this free to all?

Yes

Is a referral required?

No

Age range

The service is for children and young people with SEND (aged 0 to 25 years) and their parent carers, living in Southend-on-Sea.