Type of service: Parent partnerships, Parent partnerships, Family support and information services

I SAID (Impartial Advice, Information and Support on Disability and special educational needs) is Ealing Council‘s statutory service to provide free, impartial support, advice and information to parents/carers who have a child or young person aged 0-25 years with special educational needs and/or a disability (SEND), who live in Ealing borough. We were formerly known as ContinYou Ealing Parent Partnership Service. However, since the 1st September 2014, changes to the law mean that we can now support parents/carers on health and social care issues (in the context of Education Health Care Plans), not just on education. We can now also support young people aged 18-25 years directly, either by themselves or with their parents’/carers’ involvement. The service also welcomes hearing from under 18 year olds with SEND if they wish to share their views by email, telephone or even sometimes at appointments (with their parent/carer). The main ways we can empower parents/carers and young people are by supporting them: through the SEND process, including the changes that came into force on the 1st September 2014; with the completion of SEND-related paperwork, eg relating to Education, Health and Care Plans, SEN Transport forms and Annual Review papers; with knowing their rights and expressing their views and wishes about SEND and education, health or social care; and with preparation for meetings with an Ealing nursery/school/college or the Local Authority (LA).

Aimed at: Adolescent , Adult , Child , Parent/carer of a child, Parent/carer of a young person, Parent/carer of an adult, Young person

Specialisms: Generic