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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 Cat.
Having experienced her own journey as a dyslexic university student, Cat has a personal respect of the value and impact student experience has on the long-term aspirations of young people. Cat has worked cross-phase and is passionate that all students should be encouraged to explore and reach for their aspirations, regardless of perceived barriers and limitations.
Cat started out in Advocacy enabling young people to actively engage in decisions made around their education and care. Cat's research focus for her Master's focused on the gap young people with learning disabilities were facing as they left further education. This work led Cat to active involvement in supporting the launch of the SEND Reforms in Swindon.
On moving to Gloucester, Cat moved into post-16 education working at Gloucestershire College overseeing the provision for the college's EHCP students and more recently at Ruskin Mill College, a specialist provision.
Cat has an MA in Youth and Community Work, along with qualifications in Independent Advocacy, and Independent Support training provided by the Council for Disabled Children.
When not juggling work and being a mum to a four-year-old son. Cat may be spotted in a top hat performing with her Morris Dancing side.
Cat is trained in IPSEA SEND Law and is a member of the Council for Disabled Children Information, Advice and Support Services Network.
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 Cat) 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.
