Education and training services

Tender description

The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to provide children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or disabilities, and their parents and carers with information and advice about matters relating to their SEN or disabilities. The SEN Code of Practice (2015) states that Information, Advice and Support (IASS) should be provided through a dedicated and easily identifiable service and should be impartial, confidential, accessible, and should have the capacity to handle face-to-face, telephone and electronic enquiries. Following advice, from the Department for Education and the national Information Advice and Support (IAS) Network, for the need to establish a service fully independent of the Local Authority, consideration is being given to the optimum way to provide this service. One option that is being considered is to include the Disagreement Resolution and Mediation services within the IASS service. The Children and Families Act (2014) requires local authorities to provide children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN) or disabilities, and their parents and carers with information and advice about matters relating to their SEN or disabilities. The SEN Code of Practice (2015) states that Information, Advice and Support (IASS) should be provided through a dedicated and easily identifiable service and should be impartial, confidential, accessible, and should have the capacity to handle face-to-face, telephone and electronic enquiries. Following advice, from the Department for Education and the national Information Advice and Support (IAS) Network, for the need to establish a service fully independent of the Local Authority, consideration is being given to the optimum way to provide this service. One option that is being considered is to include the Disagreement Resolution and Mediation services within the IASS service.