IPSEA - Independent Panel for Special Education Advice

6 Carlow Mews
Woodbridge
Suffolk
IP12 1EA

Tel: (freephone helpline): 0800 018 4016
Tel: 01394 384711
Web: www.ipsea.org.uk
Best time to telephone: 10am - 4pm & 7pm - 9pm, Monday - Thursday. 10am - 1pm, Friday.

IPSEA (the Independent Panel for Special Education Advice) is a registered charity providing the following:

• Free independent advice on local education authorities' (LEAs') duties to provide for children with special educational needs.
• Free, second, professional opinions for parents who disagree with an LEA's assessment of their child's special educational needs. These are provided by IPSEA's panel of volunteers, who are qualified and experienced professionals in the field of special education. Sometimes these professionals are able to appear as witnesses for parents at Special Educational Needs Tribunals.
• Free advice/representation at the Special Educational Needs Tribunal for parents who want to appeal against an LEA decision. This service is provided by volunteers who have undergone specialist training for the role of parent representative.
• A specialist exclusion service designed to meet the needs of children excluded from school.

IPSEA may be able to help in the following types of circumstance.

• If you are not happy at the way the school is meeting your child's special educational needs.
• If you want the LEA to assess your child but they refuse.
• If the LEA refuse to issue a Statement after assessing your child.
• If you want to appeal against a statement when it is first made or when it is amended.
• If the LEA will not put the school you prefer on your child's Statement.
• If you are unhappy with the amount of help your child is being given.
• If your child has been excluded from school.