Team policies for SEND Advice Surrey

Confidentiality Policy

Basic principles

At Surrey's SENDIAS (Special Education Needs and Disabilities Information and Advice Service) we understand that you need to know that:

  • we respect your right to privacy.
  • you can speak to us (via the phone or virtual platform), write to us (via email, our website or letter), in complete confidence.
  • No-one outside our service will know that you have contacted us. We will only talk to other services and teams with written permission from yourselves.
  • Children and young people have the legal right to our support without the consent or knowledge of their parents
  • We will never communicate with anyone outside of Surrey's SENDIAS service about your contact with us unless you give your written permission for us to do so.
  • The only time that we will share information with other agencies would be if we become aware that a child or young person or someone else may be at risk of serious harm or we are legally required to do so by the police or courts.. (Safeguarding Policy DFE 2013). We will always discuss this with you first.

What happens when you contact SEND Advice Surrey?

  • You can refer yourself to our service; you do not need to tell anyone else you have contacted us
  • We will not tell anyone outside of our service that you have been in touch; you can talk to us, email us or contact us via our website, privately
  • We will ask you for your contact details so that we can open a confidential file on our database for you. We will still give you information, advice and support even if you don't want to tell us your details
  • We will ensure that our database is password protected and that only Surrey SENDIAS service team know the password
  • We will be the only people who can see your file. Any paper files are stored in a locked filing cabinet and only our staff members have a key
  • We will not tell anyone about what is in these files without your written permission
  • Where you have given written permission to share information with someone outside of our team we will make a note of this on our database along with the date it was given
  • We have a responsibility to keep your information confidential in line with the rules of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Impartiality Policy

Basic principles

At Surrey's SENDIAS we understand that you need to know that:

  • We are an arm's length service which acts confidentially to other services
  • We are based in an accessible building and are situated away from the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Service of the Local Authority (LA), the Clinical Commissioning Group, schools and other SEND agencies
  • The information we give you will be correct, unbiased and will include all your available choices
  • The information and advice we provide to you will help you to decide for yourself what is important to you and what is important for you
  • We will do our best to empower whilst trying to manage expectations
  • The support we offer you will help you to deal more confidently with the people who work with you
  • You can speak to us (via phone or using a virtual platform) or write to us (via email, our website or letter), all in complete confidence (see our Confidentiality Policy).
  • How do we show that we are 'impartial'?
  • SEND Advice Surrey offers an arm's length service working to national Quality Minimum Standards approved by the Department for Education.

Arm's length means that we are able to act and are seen to act, independently, impartially and confidentially with no unnecessary influence or control from the local authority, the local clinical commissioning group or any other organisation or individual

Impartial means that we are not biased towards or influenced by any particular party, point of view or policy, including local authorities, schools, education ideologies and campaigns. We do not give priority to any particular impairment, disability or special educational need over another

Information, Advice and Support that we offer is based on the Law and the SEND Code of Practice. We provide unbiased information and advice about the Local Authority's policies and procedures. The team have completed legal and other relevant training and are able to offer accurate and up-to-date information and advice which reflects law and the SEND Code of Practice. This is ongoing.

  • We have our own identity with our own logo and style which is separate from other Local Authority services
  • Our service is separate from all other Local Authority (LA) functions
  • We are located in a Surrey building separate from other LA Special Educational Needs teams
  • We have our own confidential email address, telephone line and website which can only be seen by our team
  • We have a steering group which checks our work. Members of our steering group represent parents and carers, young people's voices, early years, the Local Authority and ever possible the Clinical Commissioning Group.
  • On a monthly basis we ask the people who use our service for their views about how our service is performing. We use this information to help us check the quality of the service we provide.
  • We have a steering group which helps us to improve the service that we offer.

Consent and General Data Protection Regulation for SENDIAS services

The Council for disabled children commissioned Steve Broach to write some legal advice for services on data protection and working with children, young people and their families. A summary of the Consent and General Data Protection Regulation for SENDIAS services can be found on their website to be read alongside the advice itself.