Meet the team helping families navigate special educational needs and disabilities

At the Lawley Community Hub, we work with a range of partners who provide valuable services to our local community. One of these is Telford and Wrekin SENDIASS (Special Educational Needs and Disability Information, Advice and Support Service), which helps children, young people, parents and carers understand their options and navigate the support available to them.

We recently caught up with SENDIASS case workers Maria Morgan and Michelle Sands to find out more about their roles, the challenges families face and how they can access support.

Passionate about making a difference

Maria has worked for SENDIASS for 17 years, having previously worked in schools and built a career in special educational needs. “I’ve always worked in SEND, so it’s something I’m passionate about,” she explained.

Michelle has been part of SENDIASS for 12 years, working across different projects. Her motivation is also personal, having experienced the difference that the right advice and guidance can make as a parent of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

“I received the support I needed, so I know how important it is. I wanted to be able to provide that support to other parents and carers,” she said.

Their experience and understanding help them recognise how important it is for families to feel listened to, understand their options and know where to turn for advice.

What does SENDIASS do?

Telford and Wrekin SENDIASS provide impartial and independent information about special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including education, health and social care.

The service supports parents and carers of children and young people with SEND up to the age of 25, as well as young people themselves.

No two days are the same for Maria and Michelle. Their work can include answering calls and providing initial advice, meeting parents and carers to help them prepare for education meetings, and attending community drop-in sessions, including those hosted at the Lawley Community Hub.

The team also helps families understand the processes involved in securing appropriate educational provision, including when concerns need to progress to a tribunal.

Maria and Michelle are grateful to Bournville Village Trust for providing a space at the Lawley Community Hub and helping raise awareness of the service, making it easier for local families to find out about the advice available.

Helping families find the right support

One of the main issues the team hears about is accessing suitable education and ensuring children, young people and their families have a voice in decisions that affect them.

For some families, this can involve navigating complex circumstances around school attendance. A young person may have been out of education for a considerable time or had difficult experiences at school, leading to anxiety and reluctance to return.

SENDIASS helps families understand the processes involved and explore the steps they can take to work towards a suitable education setting.

The team also recognises the challenges involved in securing the right resources and provision for young people across different educational settings. As a small team, providing individual advice alongside useful information that families can access online is an important part of its work.

Support for young people aged 16 and over

SENDIASS supports children and young people up to the age of 25, and its advice is not just for parents and carers.

When a young person reaches 16, they become increasingly central to decisions about their own education and support. SENDIASS can help them understand their options and make their wishes and views heard. Where a young person would like their parent or carer to remain closely involved, this can also be discussed with the team.

There is also an opportunity for young people aged 14–24 to get involved with Elevate Youth. This gives them a chance to share their thoughts, experiences and ideas about how SEND and autism services could be improved, helping ensure young people’s voices are heard.

What makes the role rewarding?

For Michelle, the most rewarding part of the job is seeing the difference that advice and guidance can make to families, particularly when they have faced a long or challenging journey. “As a mum of children with SEND, I know personally how difficult it can be to know where to turn, especially within education settings,” she explained. “Being able to provide support, from an initial meeting all the way through to tribunal, and seeing a positive outcome is really rewarding. Getting young people back into an education setting that is suitable for them is also really rewarding.”

Her experience reflects the importance of having someone to turn to when families feel unsure about their next steps.

How to contact SENDIASS

If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND, or a young person looking for advice, SENDIASS encourages you to visit its website in the first instance. It contains useful information covering a wide range of SEND topics.

You can contact the team in the following ways:

• Website: www.telfordsendiass.org.uk
• Telephone: 01952 457176
• Email: [email protected]

You can also complete an online contact form through the website.

At Bournville Village Trust, we are pleased to work in partnership with organisations such as SENDIASS, helping connect residents with services that can make a real difference to their lives. If you are interested in using the Lawley Community Hub for a local community group or service, please pop in or email [email protected].

If you or someone in your family would benefit from SEND information and advice, we encourage you to get in touch with the team and find out how they might be able to help.