Our impartiality
All Local Authorities must provide an impartial information, advice and support service (IASS) for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their parents and carers as set out in special educational needs (SEN) legislation and the SEND Code of Practice 2015.
The role of an IASS, is to ensure that children and young people with SEND and their parent carers are enabled to recognise their rights and take part in decisions that affect themselves or their child/young person. (Section 19, Children and Families Act)
The information, advice and support provided “should be impartial and provided at arm’s length from the local authority and Clinical Commissioning Groups” (SEND Code of Practice 2015 2.8).
All IASS are expected to meet certain minimum standards, developed by the Council for Disabled Children and IASS services alongside the Department of Education (DfE), and based on the SEND Code of Practice.
- Relationship with the Local Authority
- Advising parents, children and young people
- Liaising with other professional and organisations
- Publications
- Training
- Advisory Group
- Policy effectiveness
- Monitoring the Policy
Relationship with the Local Authority
York SENDIASS is an 'in-house' service. This means that the service is funded by City of York Council (CYC), the Local Authority (LA), and staff are LA employees.
It is understood that in order for the service to be seen as independent, neutral and impartial, it must operate at 'arm’s length' from the LA and CYC recognises and respects this position. York SENDIASS maintains an 'arm’s length' position in the following ways:
- the service is measured against national DfE standards, rather than locally agreed parameters
- the service has a delegated budget and independent recording systems
- the service keeps secure all information specifically communicated to it (either orally or in writing) by service users; any Subject Access Request should be made to the IASS, not to the local authority
- the service occupies a separate space from the local authority SEND Team
- the service maintains their own website
- SENDIASS Case Officers have nationally provided training which ensures they have knowledge and understanding of SEND law and guidance, as well as local policy and procedure
- the LA supports the role of the IASS as an impartial service in networking and collaboration at a national, regional and local levels
- SENDIASS Case Officers do not take part in LA decision-making processes with regard to assessment or placement
- impartially is a core element of staff training and reflective practice
Advising parents, children and young people
SENDIASS Case Officers:
- will provide parents, children and young people with a balanced and comprehensive range of information enabling them to make informed decisions upon individual circumstances of the referral
- will provide advice to ensure that the views of children, young people and their parents can be heard
- may, with consent, put forward the views and wishes of parents, children and young people either during a meeting or telephone call whist, at the same time, ascertaining the views of professionals involved with the family
- inform the Service Manager of any conflict of interest in relation to individual families, such as holding a position as a governor at a related school; these cases will be referred to other team members
- will, where possible and circumstances permitting, state their role at the beginning of meetings they attend in order to clarify the position taken
- maintain professional relationships with the parents, children and young people they support
Liaising with other professional and organisations
York SENDIASS Case Officers and volunteers:
- may have parental or young person’s consent to relay their perspective to school or local authority professionals where the parent carer or young person is unable to do this without support; this does not indicate bias in favour of the parent or young person, nor does it represent the views of IASS staff
- should make it clear that they have no vested interest in the outcome of any decision-making process which are in relation to an individual child, young person or family
- will maintain an impartial stance whilst collaborating and engaging with relevant organisation and networks
Publications
York SENDIASS has its own identity, including service and headed notepaper which takes precedence over other identities.
The service has responsibility for the content and maintenance of its own web pages, it includes relevant internal and external links and downloads.
Publications routinely include references and recommendations for further reading.
Training
York SENDIASS staff and volunteers providing advice have access to nationally provided training, which ensures they have a sound knowledge and understanding of SEND law and guidance, as well as local policy and practice.
Information sessions and training provided by IASS will include a range of providers and organisations to ensure impartial delivery.
Advisory Group
York SENDIASS Advisory Group has representation from a number of agencies and professionals and welcomes parents who have been involved with service and who are well placed to provide a parental perspective on the effectiveness and impartiality of the service activity.
The Advisory Group has Terms of Reference which include monitoring the effectiveness and impartiality of all service delivery.
Policy effectiveness
On initial contact the impartiality statement will be verbally shared with parents, children or young people either over the telephone online or face-to-face.
A copy of the Impartially Policy will be published on the service website and copies of the Policy will be made available to service users when requested.
Every effort will be made to publicise the impartial role of the IASS to other service and organisations.
Existing and new staff and volunteers will be introduced to the policy through induction and training and it is expected that all staff will adhere to the principles of the impartiality outlined in the policy.
Monitoring the Policy
Day-to-day monitoring of the policy will be undertaken by the Service Manager.
Feedback from service users will act as a reflection of service satisfaction.
Members of the Advisory Group will periodically be asked to monitor the impartiality of the information developed and provided by the service.
This policy will be reviewed annually by the York SENDIASS Advisory Group. Any Amendments should be agreed and recorded in the minutes of the meeting.