Lancashire SEND IAS

Lancashire SEND IAS

Information, advice and support for Special Educational Needs and Disability

What we do at Lancashire SEND IAS

Lancashire SEND IAS provides information, advice and support on special educational needs and disability (SEND). It’s a statutory service, which means it must be provided by law. Every local authority in England has this type of service and what they provide is shaped by chapter 2 of the SEND Code of Practice and the IAS Minimum Standards.

You can find out more about the SEND Code of Practice on GOV.UK and the IAS Minimum Standards on the Council for Disabled Children website.

SEND IAS is an acronym, meaning it is short for Special Educational Needs and Disability Information Advice and Support Service. Up until September 2014 we were known as PPS or Parent Partnership Service.

Our service will:

  • Support parents/carers of children who have or may have special educational needs.
  • Support children and young people who have or may have special educational needs.
  • Recognise the importance of parents, carers, young people and children's views.
  • Help the Local Authority and parent/carers and schools work together to meet the needs of children and young people.
  • Offer free impartial advice.

We work with Lancashire children and young people aged up to 25, who have or may have SEND and their parents or carers.

This video from The Council for Disabled Children provides more information about Information, Advice, and Support (IAS) services:

What can the service offer you?

We aim to work in a range of ways to so you can choose what is right for you

Our main activity is to provide a service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, aged up to 25, and their parents or carers.  We give support around SEND issues at every stage of a child’s education, including into further education and adulthood. The service offers:

  • signposting
  • printed and online information
  • email information and advice 
  • telephone advice and support
  • face to face support

We will:

  • aim to respond to your enquiry within two working days
  • help you to express your views and resolve issues
  • assist with paperwork
  • maintain information provided on a secure and confidential database
  • provide telephone advice and information
  • meet with you, if required
  • attend meetings with you, if needed
  • maintain confidentiality, in accordance with local safeguarding procedures

We will not:

  • contact other people on your behalf without your prior consent
  • pass your information on to other organisations without your agreement
  • make decisions on your behalf
  • attend meetings or provide reports in your absence
  • provide transport to/from meetings (except in exceptional circumstances)