Special Education Needs Disability Information Advice & Support Service

The Special Educational Needs and / or Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) is a free, confidential and impartial statutory service available across every local authority in England for children and young people (aged 0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), as well as their parents / carers.

The service operates at "arms-length" from the local authority, health and schools, meaning we offer unbiased, impartial information without taking sides.

Our SENDIAS service provides support and guidance for parent carers and young people with Special Educational Needs. Please click HERE to watch a video on how the SENDIASS can help you or read the below information. Our service update for 2026 can be found HERE. Follow us on social media for updates and information. For our SENDIAS Service leaflet, please click HERE.

On the 23rd February 2026 the UK Government published a white paper with proposed changes to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, including: early, local and fair support, effectively grounded in evidence, and with shared accountabilities across local partners. For summarised information on the proposed changes please click HERE. To access the Barking & Dagenham SENDIASS presentation, with information taken from Daisy Russell, IASSN. For information on the consultation please click HERE

"Due to high levels of demand, there may unfortunately be a long wait for a response. In the meantime, you can use our website to find more information. Alternatively you could call the Contact Helpline 08088083555 Or visit https://contact.org.uk/ or IPSEA for a range of information"

As a parent or carer of a child with Special Educational Needs you could be caring for a child who has:

a physical disability
a problem with sight, hearing or speech
learning difficulties
emotional or behavioural problems
difficulties with reading, writing or mathematical work
other more general difficulties with school work

SENDIASS can provide a Case Worker: a totally confidential service, fully independent of school and the Local Education Authority. They can provide:

Free impartial advocacy
Support
Information

There are many ways our Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) can help, these include:

· If you are a young person or a parent carer, we can help you to express your or your child's views and aspirations to be included in Education Health Care Plan (EHC)

· Help you understand the SEND process.

· Support at meetings such as Reviews, Annual Reviews and Transition.

· We can speak on your behalf if you need us to but help you gain new skills for the future.

· Practical help composing letters, emails and other written material.

· Preparation and support for exclusion meetings.

· Informal mediation.

· Signposting to formal mediation and preparation for tribunal.

. School Appeals

· Telephone support.

· Regular newsletter.

· Access to training.

· Signposting to other in-house projects.