These minimum standards are based on the support requirements that information, counselling and support services are required to provide under the Children and Families Act 2014 (CFA), the SEND Code of Practice and additional legal advice on behalf of the information, advice and support network. A glossary and other guidance, including links to legislation and guidelines, will be available shortly. Stay up to date with all the news in the SEND section with our quarterly legal update Read More Under the law, children and young people with SEND are entitled to educational support that meets their individual needs. Our training enables families to get the education to which their child is legally entitled and gives SEN professionals the opportunity to examine key issues of SEND law in the context of their role and organisation. The IASS Network provides training and support to local Information Advisory and Support Services (IAS) across England. The IASS was previously known as the National Parent Partnership Network (NPPN), which took on a similar role with local parental partnership services. The IASS network is funded by the Ministry of Education (DfE) for this support. As a network of service providers, we do not offer direct support and advice to children, young people or parents. You can read more about our work here. Our training team will be happy to discuss our training products in more detail or answer your questions.
Learn more IAS Services provides training to local professionals on SEND-related issues. Please contact your local department to discuss your training needs and requests. If you have any comments or questions about these standards or the IASS, please send an email iassn@ncb.org.uk All ICDs have access to high-quality independent legal education accredited by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority. We provide legal training to parents and guardians, school staff, parent care forums, local authorities and other organisations working in the field of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to improve their knowledge and understanding of the SEN legal framework. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, the law requires all local authorities to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents have access to an impartial information, counselling and support service (IAS). The IASSN is funded by the Ministry of Education (DfE) to support this. Independent Support is a national government initiative launched in January 2014 to help parents and youth navigate the educational, health and care (EHC) planning process. The program will provide independent supports in each local area as an additional resource for a limited time to work directly with youth and parents of children who will be assessed for an EHC plan.
More information about independent support can be found here. Information, Counselling and Support Services (IASS) provides impartial, confidential and accurate information, advice and support in the fields of education, health and social services for children, young people and their parents free of charge on special educational needs and disability issues. The provision of information, advice and support aims to promote the independence and autonomy of children, young people and parents. Chapter 2 of the SEND Code of Practice defines the role and activities of an IASS and should be read in conjunction with these standards. We do not provide direct advice or support to children, young people and parents. However, we can help you find your local ICD service, or you can search for other sources of support in our resources section. A downloadable PDF version of this policy is available here. This support is available in a variety of ways, including in person, a helpline, email, website and social media. IAS services are legally required services that are supposed to provide information, advice and support to children and young people with disabilities, as well as those with ENS and their parents. They are expected to provide ICDs on topics such as local policy and practice, local offering, personalisation, personal budgets, SEN and disability law, health and social services. For more information, see What do IAS services?, IASS Network Quality Standards and Chapter 2 of the SEND Code of Practice.
Please note that CDC, NCB, IASSN and all SENDIAS services, like everyone else, have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Due to the far-reaching impact of this pandemic, the CDC has developed a website to support, inform, and guide the coronavirus. This can be found here: councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk/news-opinion/news/covid-19-support-and-guidance IAS services are supposed to have good local knowledge of relevant services for children and young people with disabilities, as well as children with SEN and their parents. They are also expected to identify local services, if applicable. If you would like to discuss working in partnership with your local department, please contact them directly.