Disagreement Resolution:
As previously stated, the SEN Parent Partnership Service can help to prevent difficulties from developing into formal disagreements. The service provides a telephone helpline, which parents can call at any time for advice.
However, if you have a disagreement with the LEA or the school about your child’s education, then you can also ask for help from the Disagreement Resolution Service. This is a regional independent body, which acts as a formal mediator on issues under dispute. It is hoped that many disagreements can be quickly resolved in this way, avoiding lengthy appeals procedures.
Note: Access to this service is entirely voluntary and does not affect your legal rights to challenge decisions via appeal.
We can also put you in touch with voluntary organizations that can offer advice and help. These can offer expertise in particular areas of learning difficulty or disability, or with law and procedures.
If you still have a disagreement regarding a decision made about your child’s special educational needs, you may have the right to appeal to a Special Educational Needs Tribunal. You will be informed of your right of appeal when a decision is made, and can ask for an explanatory booklet and appeal form. However, not every decision carries the right of appeal to a Tribunal.
Some parents are also dissatisfied with the service that they receive from the local authority. If you feel that there have been errors made, or procedures ignored, and that you or your child have suffered some injustice as a result, then you can make a claim to the Local Government Ombudsman, who may investigate your case.
