Make a referral

We support children and young people (between the ages of 0- 25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers to help with any concerns or questions.

We do this by providing a free, impartial and confidential service through our website and online resources.

You can also contact us through our telephone helpline.

SENDIASS in Leicestershire offer information, advice, and support in the following ways:

1. We provide advice to parents and carers to enable them to participate as fully as possible in the support they and their family receive.
2. We have our own website independent of Leicestershire County Council.
3.  We have a large range of written information in the form of information sheets which are available online and can be sent out, if requested.

Where possible we provide one to one, face to face support directly to:

• parents of children/young people who have SEND
• young people with SEND, and
• children with SEND where it is felt this could lead to better outcomes for all involved. This can include meetings with school, the local authority, and practitioners.

• SEND law, legislation and policies
• SEND support in mainstream schools
• Preparing for school meetings and attending a meeting with you if needed
• Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments and plans
• Mediation and SEND tribunal appeals
• Resolving disagreements and complaints procedures
• Specialist schools, settings and provisions
• Preparing for adulthood
• Preparing for educational transitions
• SEND funding
• School transport

We tailor our support to the individual needs of the referrer and where possible our aim is to build upon the individual’s skills, knowledge, and confidence to promote independence, empowerment and self-advocacy. We don’t work with service users for a certain amount of time or do things on your behalf and we work very differently to other professionals.

We would prefer parents/ carers and young people to make self-referrals to our service, and ask that you signpost parents/carer and young people to our website in the first instance.

We have a wide range of information available on our website, there are different sections depending on which area of SEND you are interested in, each area has specific advice that users can self–serve to find the information that they require.