Tell us what you think of Families in Partnership
We would be grateful to learn from what you think of the Families in Partnership newsletter – this minute-long survey will help us improve the newsletter for the community 👉
Spotlight on SENDIASS advisers
Published
SENDIASS (SEND Information Advice and Support Service) Gloucestershire provides free, confidential and impartial ADVICE and support on matters relating to children and young people (0-25) with special educational needs and disabilities and their families. Young people 16+ can also access the service by themselves.
In every newsletter, we will be focusing on one member of the hardworking experts at SENDIASS, who provide confidential, impartial advice and support on SEND – for free.
In this edition, we introduce Isobel.
Isobel has spent over thirty years in secondary and primary school teaching along with school leadership roles. This included leading SEN and Inclusion and helping to establish national initiatives across the Southwest for vulnerable children. Following a short period with the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) casework team, Isobel became a SENDIASS adviser with a specific specialism for Post 16 and supporting young people advocating their needs.
Isobel is trained in Independent Provider of Special Educational Advice (IPSEA) SEND Law Levels 1, 2 and 3 and is a member of the Council for Disabled Children Information, Advice and Support Services Network. As chair of governors at a large primary school she is involved with strategic decisions and continues to engage with current teaching and learning strategies.
As a parent of five children, Isobel has lived experience with neurodiversity, particularly relating to the late diagnosis of young adults with ASD and how this shapes their lifestyles.
In her spare time, Isobel loves baking, gardening and planning exotic holidays!
More about SENDIASS - Like every local authority, Gloucestershire has to provide such a service that is free, easy to access and confidential.
SENDIASS is accountable and legally obliged to have regard to the minimum standards based on the requirements relating to support that SENDIAS services must provide, as set out in the Children and Families Act (CFA) 2014, the SEND Code of Practice.
This means that the information, advice and support that SENDIASS offers is firmly based in the law and the SEND Code of Practice. SENDIASS Gloucestershire provides unbiased information and advice about the local authority’s policies and procedures and about the policy and practice in local schools and other settings.
You will be speaking to an IPSEA-trained adviser (like Isobel) with many years of previous professional experience in SEND.
SENDIASS can offer advice on topics including how schools can support children with SEND, the Gloucestershire Graduated Pathway, the EHCP process and more. The service can help you understand and/or complete official documents and help you to prepare for and even accompany you to meetings, appeals and tribunals, as well as signpost you to other organisations that may be able to help.
SENDIASS - Expert, confidential, impartial advice and support on SEND – for free. Contact SENDIASS today if you need guidance.
