Before arranging a meeting directly with the person or organisation it may be useful for you to make some notes about:

• The main issue/s

What went wrong?

• anything the school, the local authority or health did that you are unhappy about
• anything the school, the local authority or health should have done but didn’t

You may have several issues. Try to list them separately. Write down details of any particular incidents.

• Your child / young person.

How the problem has affected your child /young person:

• Educationally?
• Physically?
• Socially?
• Emotionally?
• Previous meetings

Has there already been contact between you and the school, the local authority or health on this issue.

• Was there any agreement?
• What you want to happen now

This might be:

• an action by the school, the local authority or health
• an apology
• an assurance that it won’t happen again
• a review of policies

If you’re worried about child’s additional support for learning in their early years setting, school or college, talk to your child’s teacher, Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) or the head teacher.

If you’re concerned about the help that your child has at school and you think the setting is doing all it can, you can ask us for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.

You may also wish to contact SENDIASS Torbay for help at this stage. Supportive Parents are impartial professionals who can explain the processes and support you through it by:

• listening to your concerns
• helping you deal with issues
• identifying other people who can support you
• helping you decide what to do next
• explaining the law and your rights