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SENDIASS - Support

What is SENDIASS?

SENDIASS stands for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service. There are SENDIASS services, like ours in every local authority. The SENDIASS services offer help and advice to those parents & carers of children with a disability and/or special educational needs and directly to young people who have special educational needs or a disability.

Who we support

  • Parents and carers of children and young people aged 0 – 25 in who live in Bedford Borough local authority who are concerned about their child/young persons educational progress.
  • Children and young people aged 0 – 25 in the Bedford Borough area, with SEND and/or a disability who are concerned about the educational progress they are making or the support they are receiving.

Types of support we offer

  • We provide a confidential and impartial information and advice service.
  • If you are a young person, we can provide you with information and support in addition to the support we provide your parents or carers.
  • We can help you find local and national services.
  • We can help you prepare for important meetings at nurseries, schools or colleges, with Health and social care if they relate to your education. We can  help you understand the processes or have your voice heard in difficult meetings about exclusion, admissions and Interim reviews etc.
  • We can support you through the Education, Health and Care Plan process, including requesting an assessment by the local authority, help completing Section A ( about you and your child), and reviewing the draft Plan.
  • We can provide Advice and support if your child has SEN or a disability and has been excluded.
  • We can help you plan with your child’s nursery, school, college or course the help that would help your child to make as much progress as is possible.

We can help with the following guidance

How to contact us?

Lines are open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 4:30pm on 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.