SEN GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND CARERS

This pack gives you information about how children and young people with special educational needs are supported in the City and County of Swansea. The pack has been designed to meet the needs of parents by providing comprehensive information on special education. It represents an update on the original pack in light of the new Code of Practice for Wales. The original pack was produced in partnership with SNAP, Cymru (Special Needs Advisory Project). Parents and schools were consulted in its production and help of staff from the Health Authority and Social Services is gratefully acknowledged.

How to use this information pack.

There is a lot of information in this pack. You will probably not want to read it all at once. Some sections will be more useful when you are first finding out about special educational needs. Other sections may be more helpful later on.

The pack can be used in a number of different ways. Here are some suggestions to help you find the information you are looking for:-

• the sections are numbered but they do not have to be read in any particular order.
• the title on the front of each section will help you decide if the section contains information you need now.
• keep the book handy. It may be useful for checking information later. Other people in your family and your friends may also want to read it.
• you will probably want to talk to someone about the information you have read in this book. If your child is at school, his or her teacher will be happy to talk to you.
• You might prefer to talk to someone from a voluntary group like SNAP, Cymru (Special Needs Advisory Project), who can offer independent advice and support. The LEA has a named Officer for Special Educational Needs. This Officer is Mr Chris Seacombe, who is based at the Civic Centre, Swansea and can be contacted on 01792 636162. Alternatively Miss Julie Bater or one of her colleagues from the Statutory Assessment Database Team (01792 636162) would be happy to talk to you or to put you in touch with an independent person who can give you information and support. Or you could contact one of the support services listed in the book.
• do not worry if some of the words used in the book are unfamiliar. There is a section in the book that explains the meanings of terms that you may be hearing for the first time. People working in education sometimes use ‘jargon’ which can be confusing. Always ask people to explain if you have not understood everything that they have said.
• there are two separate sheets in the pack to help you keep track of your child’s assessment. The first sheet has space for the names, addresses and telephone numbers of people who will be working with your child. The second sheet helps you to record the progress of the assessment. from time to time the sections in this book will be re-written to provide more up to date information.
• The City and County of Swansea Education Directorate believes in the importance of early information and support for parents. This pack has been produced with SNAP, Cymru as part of this commitment.

Download the SEN Guide as a PDF Document