Independent Parental Special Education Advice (known as IPSEA) is a registered charity (number 327691). IPSEA offers free and independent legally based information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities. You can read an example of how IPSEA helps children and young people here. IPSEA gives advice and support on:
IPSEA's services are provided by our highly trained volunteers. Many of our volunteers are parents of children with special educational needs.
IPSEA relies on donations and grants from trusts, companies and individuals in order to run our free services (rather than Government funding). Our independence enables us to hold statutory bodies to account.
They seek to improve SEN policy across England using the evidence they gather via our services. They make complaints against Local Authorities, take part in Government consultations and provide training on SEN/disability law.
IPSEA also provides training on the SEN legal framework to parents, professionals and other organisations.
PSEA was established as a voluntary organisation in 1983 and registered as a charity (number 327691) in 1989. Originally, IPSEA was a small organisation made up of a group of special educational needs (SEN) professionals who would carry out free assessments of children’s SEN.
Over time they have evolved. They are now the leading organisation providing independent legally based advice and support for the families of children with SEN and/or a disability. There is no other organisation offering the range of free, independent and legally based support that IPSEA provides.
All our advice and support is delivered by our dedicated volunteers, supported by a team of part-time staff. IPSEA is a user-led organisation. Many of our volunteers, staff, members and trustees are parents/carers of children with special educational needs/disabilities.
Our services seek to ensure that individual children and young people with SEN fulfil their potential. By working with Local Authorities and Government policy-makers they seek improvements to ensure that all children and young people with SEN will fulfil their educational potential.
They have increased our capacity during the last few years:
In 2008 IPSEA launched a new website. That new site made it easier for parents and carers to find information and download our resources.
In 2009 IPSEA launched a Tribunal Helpline to provide next-step advice in preparing cases for Tribunal. The volunteers who cover this helpline also assess whether callers need the support of an individual IPSEA volunteer caseworker. They need to make this assessment as demand for individual case work support is always greater than the number of casework volunteers they have available. The assessment is based on each individual family’s needs and case complexity.
In 2010 IPSEA developed a new child-centred database using free open-source software. This allows us to see a child’s progress through the SEN system, enabling us to provide informed and integrated advice for families. The information they collect provides clear evidence of the issues that are faced by children with SEN. When they are helping to develop SEN Law or providing input into central Government policy development, this evidence is invaluable.
In 2011 IPSEA launched its Facebook Page and twitter account. During the first three months after these were launched, they saw a significant increase in visitors to our website (20,000 visitors in just 3 months compared to 60,000 per year).
In 2012 they launched our email-based Information Service. This new service provides a way for parents to quickly receive specific information on the law that applies in the situation they are facing. Parents use it to clarify with schools and Local Authorities the duties that they have towards their children.
In 2013 they launched bookable calls for both our Advice Line and our Tribunal Helpline. Using web-based software, parents and carers can book to speak to one of our volunteer advisers at a time that suits them (subject to availability). During 2013 over 900 call-backs were booked and made.
