SENDIASS Torbay (Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities, Information, Advice and Support Service)

We provide impartial information, advice and support to parents/carers & children/young people in relation to special educational needs and/or disability issues for children/young people aged 0-25. 

Working across education, health and social care our officers provide confidential and impartial advice, as well as ensuring that parents and carers’ views are heard and understood and that they understand their rights, roles and responsibilities.

SENDIASS Torbay supports parents through a range of ways including phone or email contact and face to face meetings. We have recently started running coffee mornings for Parents to be able to share thier experience and learning with each other and gain new information from us and other professional invited speakers. (Please see the flyer, attached within the downloads section on the right hand side of this webpage, for more information including dates, times and venues)

We also provide a signposting service to direct parents and carers towards the organisations that is best suited to help them, ensuring that they are empowered to make informed decisions about their child’s future.

SENDIASS Torbay can support parents and carers and children or young people in any of the following areas:

• Preparing for and  attending meetings with schools, local authorities and other professionals
• We have a confidential telephone helpline, with answering service in case we are unable to answer your call first time. We aim to return all messages within 2 working days.
• Helping to write official letters and complete forms
• Explaining the meaning of official documents
• Assisting in the statutory assessment process
• Referral to the correct organisation or contact

We can provide advice on

• The Special Educational Needs (SEN) systems and processes
• SEN provision in schools
• The statutory assessment process
• Education and Health Care Plans
• Annual reviews
• Transitions
• Transport
• Specialist provision/support services
•  Appeals to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST)
•  Disagreement resolution services
•  Local policies
•  SEN code of practice

Any service provided by SENDIASS ensures complete confidentiality for each individual case, we only take direct referrals from parents/carers & children/young people, or from a professional on thier behalf. We only make contact with a parent/carer or child/young person if it has been agreed that we can do so, and we have a dedicated confidential enquiry line. We can and will liase with other professionals on your behalf, with prior written consent. Contact us to find out more about how you can get involved.

Contact:

Phone: 01803 207884 (inquiry line open 10am – 2pm Mon – Fri and 24 hour answerphone facility)

Email: sendiass@torbay.gov.uk

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