1. Who is responsible for IAS Services?
Local authorities have a duty to provide, adequately resource and jointly commission impartial and free information, advice and support for disabled children, young people and their parents, and to children and young people with SEN and their parents. This support will cover education, health and social care, and will be delivered through a dedicated and easily identified IAS Service. The Information, Advice and Support Programme does not replace this duty, and will not be responsible for any provision or management of individual IAS Services.
2. How can parents/carers or young people get support with a statutory assessment or an annual review?
Free and impartial information, advice and support is available from your local SENDIASS who have a statutory responsibility to provide support on a wide range of SEND issues, including the statutory assessment process, to children, young people and parents.
A map of England with contact details to help you find your local IAS service can be found here
3. How will parents, children and young people help inform the IAS programme?
There are represenatives from Parent Carer Forums and a young person on the IASP Advisory Board, which oversees the work of the IAS programme. When IAS Services look at developing their operational plan they should be doing so in collaboration with partners, including children, young people and parents. Whenever local authorities are designing and commissioning new IAS Service arrangements they should also include children, young people and parents in this work.
4. Where can I find out more information on the Contact Helpline?
Our partner ‘Contact’ run a national helpline for parents and carers in any part of the UK with a disabled child aged from birth to 25. You can phone the helpline on 0808 808 3555 between 9.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Calls are free from UK landlines and UK mobiles. Parents can also access online advice and support from the Contact website: www.contact.org.uk
5. How can I find out more information about what the IAS programme is trying to achieve?
Please send any quesitons to: iasp@ncb.org.uk