Contact: Mickey Froud

Telephone: 01429 284876

Email: HARTLEPOOLIASS@hartlepool.gov.uk

Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Friday 8:30am to 4:30pm.

Hartlepool Information, Advice and Support Service plays a key role in promoting positive relationships between parents, children, young people, schools, local authorities (LAs) and others. This is important in enabling children and young people with SEND to achieve their potential. Hartlepool Information, Advice and Support Service provides support in order to ensure that parents of children and young people with SEND are fully informed and involved in their child's education. Although the Information, Advice and Support Service are part of the LA, it operates independently from the SEND Education Services offering impartial advice, support and information.

The following information, advice and support is available for parents, carers’ children and young people through Hartlepool’s Information, Advice and Support Service:

• local policy and practice;
• help to request an Education, Health and Care Plan (in Hartlepool known as the One Plan);
• independent support to support parents, carers, children and young people though the statutory assessment process and transfer of Statements/LDAs to an Education, Health and Care Plan;
• someone to talk to in complete confidence;
• an explanation of matters concerning SEND;
• help with filling in forms and expressing views;
• someone to attend meetings with;
• information on the Local Offer of Services;
• information leaflets about SEND;
• information around personalisation and Personal Budgets;
• law on SEN and disability, health and social care through suitably trained staff;
• advice for children, young people and parents on gathering, understanding and interpreting information and applying it to their own situation;
• information on the LA’s processes for resolving disagreements, mediation, its complaints procedure and means of address.