FEW1481 - SENDIASS and Choice Advice Service

This Waiver is for the continuity of service for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Services and Choice and Advice Service.

The service provides relevant and accessible information that supports families, children, and young people, to access and understand the special educational needs and disability services that are available is a statutory duty for local authorities. From a wider perspective this duty is laid out in the Care Act (2014), Children and Families Act (2014), Autism National Strategy and statutory guidance (2015, 2018 and 2021) and the NHS transforming care agenda.

It is a direct statutory duty, placed on local authorities and integrated commissioning boards, to provide information advice and guidance for all children, young people and families who need to access special educational needs and disability services. This duty is detailed in the minimum standards for SENDIASS services. These standards obligate health and social care systems must have a service in place to offer information advice guidance and support on a range of subjects including education health and care plans (ECHP), accessing health and social care services, and supporting families to appeal decisions they are not happy with. This support must be impartial and seen as 'arm's length' from the local authority.