What can Bexley IASS offer you?
Who Is This
Service For?
At the BEXLEY Information Advice Support Service (IASS) we offer impartial and confidential information to parents and carers of children & young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
This page will explain what you need to know about Bexley IASS and how we can advise and support.
What We Do
- We provide information and advice on education, health and social care issues relating to your child’s SEND. Some examples may include:
- Advise on getting extra support from your nursery, school or college for your child or young person
- Provide Information and advice about requesting an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment and Plan in Bexley
- Provide advice in resolving disagreements, including mediation and tribunals.
- Provide a straightforward explanation of educational procedures and statutory process
- Provide information on Personal Budgets & Direct Payments
- Information and advice on exclusions, reduced timetables and children out of education
- Provide information about SEND transport and assistance
- If you are unsure whether your issue is covered by SEND IASS, please contact us and we will endeavour to help or put you in contact with the correct professional.
We Will Not...
- Bexley SEND IASS are an impartial service, this means there are certain things we cannot do. Some examples include:
- Provide an Advocate for parent carers
- Form filling on behalf of parent carers
- Contact other people on your behalf without your prior consent
- Pass your information on to other organisations without your consent
- Attend meetings as parent advocate or provide reports regarding your child.
- Advise on school placements
How We Do It...
- We will ensure you have someone impartial to talk to in confidence
- We aim to respond to your enquiry within 5 working days
- Help you to prepare for meetings and be able to express your views and resolve issues
- We will maintain information provided on a secure and confidential database
- Provide advice and information via telephone, email and a website resource library
- Provide up to date website information on matters relating to Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND)
- Maintain confidentiality, in accordance with local safeguarding procedure
Bexley IASS downloadable leaflets
The IASS Minimum Standards
The minimum standards for Information Advice and Support Services (IASS) nationally was released in September 2018:
These standards were drawn up by local authorities, IAS Services, other local support services, children, young people and parents/carers in consultation with the DfE.
They are based on the law and the SEND Code.
The consultation process received feedback from IAS Services, LA staff, third sector organisations, health services and parents.
Bexley IASS Self – Referral process for Parent Carers and Young People
Bexley IASS are an empowering service and as such we do not accept referrals from other professionals.
There will be rare exceptions to this rule of course when a parent carer or young person needs the support of another professional to access IASS such as a language barrier or a learning difficulty.
We prefer our parent carers and young people to contact us directly for advice, information and support on matters relating to Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) and we hope to make this process as accessible as possible.
Here you will find a guide on how we deliver information, advice and support, on matters relating to Special Educational Needs and / or Disabilities (SEND) and methods for contacting us:
Bexley IASS eligibility and referral criteria.
Here you will find a link to our website referral form:
Self Referral & Consent Form | Bexley IASS
Alternatively you can contact us by:
- Telephone: 0203 045 5976.
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: Bexley SENDIASS, Civic Offices, 2 Watling Street, Bexleyheath, DA6 7AT
Bexley IASS Intervention Levels
IASS intervention levels were developed to help IASS differentiate between the levels of information, advice and support that parent carers and young people may receive.
These were developed by the Council for Disabled Children with IAS Services Nationally.
The IASS Network has provided this guidance in order to promote greater consistency, so that the range and extent of the work done by IASS across England can be collated and shared nationally.
Please click here for a copy of the
Bexley IASS Intervention Levels
How to contact Bexley IASS
By telephone: 0203 045 5976 between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
Voicemail messages are picked up regularly. We are a small service so please leave a voicemail for us if you cant get through first time.
By email: [email protected]
Website enquiry form: Referral & Consent form