Information, Advice and Support

Information, advice and support for children and young people with SEND and their parent/carers, including information about mediation and complaints.

Welcome to our Information, Advice and Support section. 

All local authorities must, by law, provide an information, advice and support service to support families who want to know more about SEND. This is an impartial, confidential and free service for parents, children and young people, which provides advice about all aspects of SEND support. For Bath and North East Somerset this is Sendias Bathnes.

They can be contacted as follows:

Email: sendias@bathnes.gov.uk

Advice Line: 01225 394382

Textphone: 07530 263401

Young people with SEND

As a young person with SEND you can get in touch with Sendias Bathnes for help and support. You can contact them by the same contact details shown above. 

If you are a young person up to the age of 25, Sendias Bathnes have an easy read document detailing the information, advice and support you should be receiving.

What support is available?

There are also a number of local SEND support groups, caring and mentoring groups, online groups, training sessions and events to support children and young people with SEND and their families,  have a look at our services and organisations section, and the below information: 

As a parent of a child with additional needs you are also considered a carer, often referred to as a Parent Carer. You can access a Carers Needs Assessment which offers practical and social support should you need it. Contact have a helpful page detailing the difference between a Needs Assessment and a Carers Assessment

Follow the link below to find out more about a Carers Needs Assessment and also to find out more about the support the B&NES Carers Centre is able to offer you.

Mediation and Complaints

If you are unhappy about anything you have experienced or the support you are receiving, you or a parent/carer are able to access mediation, make a formal complaint and access an advocate. Find out more on our Mediation and Complaints information page. 

Short breaks

Short Breaks can offer practical support to families of children and young people with SEND. To find out more please visit our Short Breaks information pages. 

Financial Support

Personal Budgets are designed to assist in providing more individualised and specialist support for children and young people and allow for more choice and control for families in how their educational support will work, with the agreement of the educational setting and the Statutory Special Educational Needs Service.

As you transition into Adulthood, you may choose to explore Direct Payments, which offer you more choice, control and flexibility in the way your support is provided and the way you manage your life.