Cumberland SEND Information, Advice and Support Service

Impartiality

The work Cumberland Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities Information, Advice and Support Service (SEND IASS) undertakes with children, young people and their parents or carers will be done in a way which promotes the following principles:

Equality

Cumberland SEND IAS Service uses an open access policy. It will make sure all service users have the same ease of access and are not restricted for any reason. The intention being to remove barriers, real or perceived around disability, cultural or language differences. The service listens to service users’ views and acknowledges service users’ feelings and concerns.

Impartiality

The service will provide information to enable children, young people and their parents or carers to make their own informed decisions and choices. Cumberland SEND IAS Service staff will remain impartial, in respect of the information and support it provides.

Independence

The service will 'signpost' parents to alternative sources of information and support.

Confidentiality

Client confidentiality is respected. Information will be shared only with the full understanding and consent of children, young people and their parents or carers.

The Cumberland SEND IAS Service has a Service Manager (independent from the SEND Service and working only in the SEND IAS Service), who supervises and supports the SEND IAS Service Co-ordinators in their role.

Cumberland SEND IAS Service is funded by but, independent of the Local Authority.  The Service is impartial in all its dealings, not favouring any person or organisation more than another, aiming to be fair and unbiased, giving factual information and guidance to resolve the issues with which it is presented. Please see SEND IAS service Code of Conduct.

The service demonstrates its impartiality by:

  • reflecting the perspectives and wishes of service users
  • being seen not to have a vested interest in the outcome of any discussions
  • our role to support parents impartially should be made clear at the start of meetings.

The practical implications for impartial service delivery are:

  • Staff who may hold positions associated with a school (such as School Governor or Clerk to the Governors) will not work with children, young people, and their parents at the same school; on such occasions another member of staff will assist the family.  Staff will not work with families with children who are at the same school as their own children. 
  • Staff do not support parents that they already know in a personal capacity or a relative; case work will be passed to another member of staff.
  • Service users may occasionally take the view that the Service is biased towards the school or local authority when staff explain that actions which have been taken are legitimate. This does not demonstrate bias but does confirm when correct procedures have been followed.
  • The role of the SEND IAS Service is to empower children, young people, and their parents by giving them impartial information, advice and support on legislation and its application through local policies, as well as helping them to understand the pros and cons of any decisions they take. 

Training of staff is the responsibility of the SEND IAS Service manager who makes sure that staff always know the importance of impartiality in all their dealings with service users and organisations. Where possible appropriate external and nationally accredited training is used.

Training with other groups around SEN and Disability issues will always include the importance of impartial, accurate information and the rights of children, young people and their parents or carers to complete confidentiality in their dealings with the SEND IAS Service.

Service User Feedback

The SEND IAS Service will send out a service satisfaction survey at the end of any intervention to gather feedback on the quality of the service they have received, which includes a question on impartiality.