What are the opening hours?

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Dorset Sendiass

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Dorset Sendiass

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Dorset Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS).

We offer free, confidential, accurate, and impartial advice and support to families living in Dorset. We are a free, impartial, and confidential service that provides information, advice, and support to:
- children and young people aged from 0 to 25 with special educational needs and/or disability (SEND)
- parents and carers of children and young people with SEND. We also work with:
- the local council in Dorset
- education and training providers
- the voluntary sector
- other agencies

We aim for parents and carers, children and young people to play an informed part in:
- planning provision
- agreeing on outcomes to meet SEND

What support we can provide:
SENDIASS officers are trained in Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND). We will help you:
- express your views on assessments or meetings
- find other support
- if there’s a disagreement
- by listening to your concerns and talking to you about your choices and options

27/10/2026

REMINDER - our next Drop-In will be at Dorchester Family Hub on Tuesday 3rd November 10am-12pm. Come along to talk to our Case Officers in confidence. No need to book.

27/10/2026

Is your child/young person in a Phase Transfer Year? Do they have an EHCP?

Local authorities have a legal duty to hold the annual review and amend an Education, Health and Care Plan when a child or young person transfers from one phase of education to another. Phase transfer is the moving between stages of education:
• early years education to school
• infant to junior school
• primary to middle school
• primary to secondary school
• middle to secondary school
• secondary school to a post 16 institution

Regulation 18 of the SEN Regs requires that the EHC Plan must be reviewed, amended and issued as a Final Plan naming the new setting from the September, before the following dates in the year of transfer:

• 31 March if the transfer is from secondary school to a post-16 institution
• 15 February in any other case

Or, if a young person is moving from one post-16 institution to another post-16 institution at any other time, at least five months before that transfer takes place.

For further information or to talk to one of our Case Officers about your situation, please contact us, details below:

05/10/2026

REMINDER - We will be at Dorchester Family Hub tomorrow 10am-12pm, providing in-person advice at our Drop-In. No need to book.

18/09/2026

Let’s Talk SEND - Post 16 SEND Support

Join us on 21st September for the next Let’s Talk SEND online session. The session will take place from 11am - 12pm.

Senior leaders will be discussing the post 16 SEND support available in Dorset and sharing any updates and news with you. Our panel will respond live to as many of your questions as possible during the Q&A session.

The links to register for this event and to pre-submit your questions for the Q&A are in the first comment below.

18/09/2026

Come and join us at this event where SENDIASS Case Officers will be available for information, advice and support around SEND law and processes 🙂

09/09/2026

One week to go before our North Locality Drop In with legally trained SENDIASS Case Officers on Thursday 17th September 10am-12pm at Shaftesbury Family Hub Network Point.

No booking required.
We look forward to seeing you there!

31/08/2026

!!! Reminder !!!

Join us at our SENDIASS Drop In tomorrow at Dorchester Family Hub 10am-12pm.

27/08/2026

26/08/2026

Join us at our Autumn series of Drop-Ins at Family Hubs in Dorchester, North, East and Chesil localities, starting on Tuesday 1st September at Dorchester Library.

02/07/2026

Our last summer drop-in session is next week. We will return again in the autumn term.
Tuesday 7th July 10am -12pm
Dorchester Family Hub

Need SEND advice before then? You can contact us in other ways:
T: 01305595477
E: [email protected]
online contact form: https://forms.office.com/r/R8AF9kceS1

Or take a look at our website: www.sendiass.org/dorset-sendiass/

Address

Dorchester

Opening Hours

Monday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday	9:30am - 4:30pm

Website

https://family-action.org.uk/services/dorset-sendiass/

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