SENDIASS - Information Sheets
Information Sheets
Bedford SENDIASS (SEND Information Advice and Support Service) provides information and support to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and directly to young people aged 16-25.
We have a range of information sheets available to download on the right hand side of this page, or in the boxes below . If you are unable to download these, do contact us and we will send you a paper copy.
How to contact us?
Please ring 01234 276267, lines are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday during term time. If we don't answer your call immediately it is because we are supporting other families. Please leave a short brief message with your contact details. We will call you back at the earliest opportunity. Alternative email you enquiry to Sendiass@bedford.gov.uk
As an impartial service we ask that the parent/carer or young person contact the service direct to book an appointment slot. We are unable to accept referrals from third parties
What do we do?
We provide confidential support concerning educational issues for residents of Bedford Borough. We are impartial from school, local authority, health, social care and other organisations to provide advice and support.
We are a small service who aim to respond to enquires as quickly as possible.
Where appropriate SENDIASS will offer a 20 minute bookable appointment between 10am and 2pm term time only.
Annual Reviews
Does your child have an EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan? If so it should be reviewed yearly with you (and your young person if they are old enough/able to contribute).
Based on our experience of Annuals Reviews and what the SEND Code of Practice says should happen, we have written information sheet 10.
EHC Assessment
Have professionals mentioned EHCP (Education, Health and Social Care Plan)? Is your school struggling to help your child make good progress? An EHCP is a document that draws together all the knowledge about your child’s needs as they relate to their education. It may bring additional resources for your child’s school or it may pay them for all the extra support they are providing.
Information sheet 7 explains an EHCP assessment and who can request such an assessment.
EHC Assessment for young people post 16
Is your child in Year 11 or already 16+?
Are you not sure about next steps and gaining support for them once they are in Year 12 and upto aged 25 if they remain in education, training or employment
Looking at schools
Are you choosing a school for your child? Are all schools the same? We share with you useful information about how to choose a school. For example, if your child struggles with loud noises, choosing a very school that is in a Victorian building may make sounds seem louder and be a distraction for your child.
If your child needs space you might find a new large school offers children more spaces to learn in small groups or on a one to one basis.
Meetings
How should you prepare for meetings with your child’s school or with other professionals? You are the expert on your child’s needs, let us help you prepare for meetings so you feel your voice (and your child’s) is heard and your child remains at the centre of decisions made.
We have prepared this information sheet based on our work with other parents and young people. If after reading it you are still unsure contact us here.
Personal Budgets Leaflet
If your child has an EHCP and their school are not able to meet all the objectives in your child’s EHCP, you might be entitled to a personal budget.
This leaflet was prepared by Contact for families with disabiled children and explains what to do.
SEND Support
Do you have worries that your child is significantly behind the children in their class? Has school mentioned SEN Support or does your child have a disability and you are concerned about the support you think they need at school?
SEND Support Provision
Are you not sure what support in a main stream nursery, school or colleges?
We provide information about what good support might look like and what to do if you are unsure if this support is being put in place for your child. We tell you be involved
Starting School
Is your child about to start school? Help them prepare for a smooth move into their Primary school with these useful tips and suggested resources
Understanding the Jargon
EHCPs? Send Support? Interim reviews? Annual reviews? Need help with some of the jargon or terms used? This leaflet is a handy list explaining what the most commonly used terms refer to.