Skip to main content

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA)

Independent Provider of Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity (number 327691) operating in England. IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We also provide training on the SEND legal framework to parents and carers, professionals and other organisations.

Why families need IPSEA

By law, children with SEND are entitled to educational support that meets their individual needs. Since IPSEA was formed in 1983, we have helped to improve educational support for thousands of children with all kinds of SEND. We do this by providing free and independent legally-based information, advice and casework support.

Our unique range of services has been developed to ensure that families understand their children’s legal rights and entitlements and that they are empowered to enforce those rights to secure the right education for their child.

How we help

IPSEA has a suite of free downloadable legal guides and resources available to parents and carers. These guides are complemented by a free Advice Line which provides legally based information and next step advice on any educational issue that is a result of a child's SEND. IPSEA’s Tribunal Helpline gives next step advice on appeals and disability discrimination claims to the SEND Tribunal and is also the gateway to our Tribunal Support Service where a referral can be made for more extensive casework support from a volunteer, including representation at the hearing. Our advice services are delivered by a national network of around 200 highly-trained volunteers, supervised and supported by IPSEA’s Legal Team members.

IPSEA provides legal training for parents, school staff, parent carer forums, support groups and other organisations in order to increase their knowledge and understanding of the SEN legal framework. The proceeds raised from our training courses helps fund IPSEA’s core services (Advice Line, Tribunal Helpline and Tribunal Support Service).

We also work to challenge unlawful SEND policy and influence policy development at both a local and national level. Our policy work is informed by information and evidence captured through our training and advice services, and has been instrumental in shaping law and policy in the field of special educational needs and disability.

Our Advice Line 

Our Advice Line provides legally based information and next step advice on any educational issue that is the result of a child’s special educational needs or disability.

This could include problems with schools; requesting statutory assessment; Education, Health and Care plans; annual reviews; disability discrimination and exclusion.

Our appointments last up to 30 minutes and our advisers will give you up-to-date information on the law, explain what it allows you to do and give you clear next-step advice.

Our website has a wealth of legal advice and resources where you may also find the information you require, so do visit our get support page before booking an appointment. All available Advice Line appointments for the next week can be booked here: 

Appointments are made available by our advisers as and when they know their availability, and can be released up to ten days in advance, any day or time. If there are currently no slots available, do check again soon as appointments are released regularly.

Who to contact

E-mail
office@ipsea.org.uk

Time / Date Details

When is it on
Advise line appointments are made available by our advisers as and when they know their availability, and can be released up to ten days in advance, any day or time. If there are currently no slots available, do check again soon as appointments are released regularly.
Time of day
Evening
Morning
Afternoon

Other Details

Availability

Referral required
No
Age Bands
11-14 years old
18-25 years old
Parents and carers
15-17 years old
0-4 years old
5-10 years old