Southampton SEND IASS

18/10/2026

📋 Are you finding it challenging to understand the details of your child or young person’s EHCP? 📋

🔴 We frequently receive requests from parents and carers to review their child's EHCP and to clarify how detailed and specific their EHC Plan should be.

📑 Unlock the Full Potential of EHCPs and discover our comprehensive resource "Checking Your EHCP Guide" to help you navigate EHCPs with confidence. Find it here 👉https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SO-Checking-your-EHCP-FULL-RESOURCE.pdf

🔴Further guidance can also be found on IPSEA's website 👉 https://www.ipsea.org.uk/what-an-ehc-plan-contains

18/10/2026

📅 EHCP Timeline – What Parents Need to Know 📅

Applying for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) follows a 20-week timeline. Here's a quick overview:

🔹 Phase 1: You (or school) request an assessment. The local authority decides whether to go ahead.

🔹 Phase 2: If agreed, professionals (e.g. educational psychologist, health, school) give their advice and evidence is gathered

🔹 Phase 3: The local authority decides whether to issue an EHCP. If yes, they’ll send you a draft plan.

🔹 Phase 4: You give feedback on the draft and suggest a school. By week 20, you should receive the final EHCP.

💡 This process is legal and must be completed in 20 weeks (except in exceptional circumstances). Support is available from SENDIASS if you need help along the way.

📑 View the full timeline:https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/EHC-Needs-Assessment-Timeline-1.pdf

17/10/2026

📝 How should school record absences if your child or young person is experiencing Emotionally Based School Absence (EBSA) -this is when a child experiences extreme anxiety and distress in relation to attending school. 📝

🔴 We frequently get asked "How do I ask the school to record EBSA absences correctly?", "What are my options if I don't have any medical evidence", or "I am being threatened with prosecution by the school?"

📑 For detailed guidance, check out our factsheet "How Should Schools Record Absences?" here 👉
https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/SO-How-school-should-record-absences-School-AnxietyEBSA.pdf

16/10/2026

💬 Have you contacted Southampton SENDIASS recently and awaiting contact from our triage team? 💬

🔴 Our role as an information, advice, and support service (IASS) is to help parents/carers, children, and young people build their knowledge, understanding, and confidence in SEND procedures, policies, practices, and law - enabling them to communicate their own needs, wishes, aims, and rights.

🔴 The aim of Southampton SENDIASS is always to enable parents/carers and young people to make confident, independent, and informed decisions. We will therefore assess every situation to understand the level of support required.

📑 This chart outlines the four levels of support we offer. To better understand our process, we’ve provided a link to our SENDIASS process flowchart. This chart outlines the four levels of support we offer. 👉https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Southampton-SENDIASS-Process-Flow-Chart.pdf

15/10/2026

📚 Is your child or young person receiving SEN support in school? 📚

🔴 If a child or young person has Special Educational Needs (SEN) but does not have an EHC plan, they are still entitled to the support necessary to meet their needs. This additional support is called SEN support.

🔴 SEN support received by the child or young person should be REVIEWED by everyone involved to see if it is working. If it is, it might continue. If it is not working, or if the outcomes have been achieved, some of the arrangements might be changed.

🔴 The SEND Code of Practice (2015) is not specific about the frequency of reviews, but termly would fit in with the requirement to meet parents three times per year. Parents should be fully involved.

The following graduated approach should be followed:

1️⃣ Assess ➖ Identify the child's needs and gather information from various sources, including teachers, parents, and specialists.
2️⃣ Plan ➖ Develop an individualised support plan tailored to the child's specific needs, setting clear, achievable goals.
3️⃣ Do ➖ Implement the support plan, providing the necessary resources and interventions.
4️⃣ Review ➖ Regularly monitor the child's progress and adjust the plan as needed to ensure it remains effective.

🔴 If a child requires more intensive support, they may be considered for an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) plan, which provides a more detailed and legally binding document outlining the support they need.

📑 You can read our factsheet about SEN support in School here 👉
https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/SO-SEN-Support-Summary-Sheet.pdf

🌐 Further guidance can also be found on the IPSEA website here 👉https://www.ipsea.org.uk/FAQs/sen-support

🌐 A child does not need a formal diagnosis in order to receive support in school. Support should be available based on the child’s needs.
Further detailed guidance is available here 👉
https://www.ipsea.org.uk/blog/the-myth-of-needing-a-diagnosis-before-you-can-get-support

14/10/2026

📄⛔ Have you applied for an EHCP and had your request for an EHC Needs Assessment refused? ⛔📄

🔴 Are you planning to appeal the decision? We understand how frustrating this process can be — it’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed or even discouraged.

📅❗ Make note of your appeal deadline ❗📅
Make sure to record any key dates in your calendar or diary - You must submit your appeal form to the SEND Tribunal within two months of the LA’s decision letter, or within one month of receiving your mediation certificate — whichever gives you more time. If your deadline falls in August, you have until the first working day in September to submit your form.

📑 Please find our 'Appealing a Refusal to Assess Decision' factsheet here 👉https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Appealing-a-Refusal-to-Assess-an-EHCP-Decision.pdf

📑 You can also find our guide on completing the 'SEND35a' form here👉https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/How-to-compete-a-SEND35a-Form.pdf

💻 Our webinar, 'What to do if an EHC needs assessment is refused,' is available to watch here 👉 https://youtu.be/eDiIJb6cCUU

14/10/2026

Does your child or young person have or an and need extra support in school?

The start of a new school year can bring lots of questions and worries for families about whether the right support is in place, how to raise concerns with school, or what steps you can take if things aren't working as they should.

At this time of year, Southampton SEND IASS and West Berkshire SENDIASS experience a significant increase in demand as families seek advice and support.

The earlier you access information and support, the more opportunities there are to work positively with schools and secure the right support for your child or young person.

SENDIASS provides free, impartial and confidential information, advice and support on:

✅ SEN Support in schools
✅ EHCPs and annual reviews
✅ Attendance and exclusions
✅ Communicating effectively with schools
✅ Understanding your rights and the SEND system

Many common questions can be answered through our websites, which include factsheets, guides, webinars and practical advice to help you feel informed, prepared and confident when working with your child's school.

📚 Southampton SENDIASS
📧 [email protected]
📞 0300 303 2677 (leave a voicemail and we'll call you back)
🌐 www.southamptonsendiass.info

📚 West Berkshire SENDIASS
📧 [email protected]
📞 01635 519771 (leave a voicemail and we'll call you back)
🌐 www.westberkshiresendiass.org.uk/contact-us

While our small but dedicated teams are extremely busy, we encourage you to seek support early, before concerns reach crisis point.

13/10/2026

📚 Appealing the School Named in Your Child’s EHCP 📚

🔴 If you're not satisfied with the school or setting named in your child's EHCP, you have the right to appeal. Southampton SENDIASS provides a clear guide on how to navigate this process.

🤔 Key Reasons for Appeal:
🔴 Unsuitability: The named school is not suitable for your child's age, ability, aptitude, or special educational needs.
🔴 Incompatibility: Attending the named school would be incompatible with the efficient education of others or the efficient use of resources.

💡 Ensure that Sections B (needs) and F (provision) of the EHCP accurately reflect your child's requirements, as the Tribunal will select a school that can meet these needs.

📑 Please find our 'Appealing The School Named In EHCP Decision' factsheet here �https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/SO-Appealing-the-School-Named-in-your-EHCP-2024.pdf

13/10/2026

10/10/2026

📄Have you seen our "What to Expect from Southampton SENDIASS" factsheet? 📄

🔴This helpful factsheet is designed to help you get the most from SENDIASS. It explains what SENDIASS is, what we do and don’t offer, and how we can best support you.

📑 If you’ve recently contacted us, we encourage you to take a moment to review our "What to Expect from SENDIASS" document, which clearly outlines the scope of our services. Find it here 👉https://www.southamptonsendiass.info/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/What-To-Expect-Southampton-SENDIASS.pdf