FAQ's

How do IPSEA’s help lines work?

When you call the IPSEA Advice Line or Tribunal Help Line your call is answered by the volunteer who is on-duty that day. They will have transferred the phone line to their home at the start of their volunteering session. After listening to the issue you are calling about they will ask you a number of questions to clarify the situation and then advise you - usually giving you a number of clear steps to take. This information is recorded and held on a secure central IPSEA database unless you do not wish it to be kept.

You can call the either of the IPSEA help lines as many times as you would like.

Can our volunteers tell parents what their rights are?

Yes. IPSEA volunteer advisors are trained to give parents advice based on the legal position that their child is facing.

Is IPSEA independent?

The advice and support IPSEA gives parents is independent. We are not “sponsored” by any one organization and the position we take on an issue looks to represent what we consider to be the best one for parents and children who happen to have Special Educational Needs.

Is IPSEA government funded?

No. IPSEA does not receive government funding towards our services. These are funded mainly thanks to generous grants and donations from private grant making trusts, companies and individuals

Who set IPSEA up and why?

IPSEA was established as a voluntary organisation in 1983 and registered as a charity (number 327691) in 1989. Originally IPSEA was a small organisation of special educational needs professionals (mainly educational psychologists) giving free second professional opinions on children’s special educational needs and the provision required to meet them.

Over the last 20 years, IPSEA has evolved into a national service providing free legally based advice. IPSEA leads the field in the provision of free special education needs / disability advice and campaigning.

Will your volunteers understand my child’s situation – it is complicated!

Our volunteers are trained specifically to deal with the most complicated of cases. They will help you to “unpick” the situation you are facing and focus on the most relevant issues you are facing in supporting your child. They will ask the questions to get the right information – even when you feel you are overwhelmed.

What happens if your volunteer can’t help me?

If a volunteer cannot for some reason help you immediately they will refer the issues to one of the Legal Advice team who support them. They will be able to provide the advice needed or sign post you to someone who can.

How can I check whether someone is or has been an IPSEA trained volunteer?

We are very aware that there are a number of people operating within the field of SEN who claim to be or have been an IPSEA trained volunteer or member of staff but who have not ever completed the training. In order to protect parents if you have any questions or concerns about someone you are about to deal with then please contact the IPSEA office on 01799 582030 and we can confirm whether they are known to us.

What does IPSEA charge for the help it gives?

IPSEA provides FREE legally based advice via our website and help lines. We do not charge for our help but we value the generous gifts that many parents make towards our work.

Can I train as an IPSEA volunteer?

Yes please! We are currently recruiting volunteers for our general advice line and our tribunal support service. All volunteer advisers undergo the IPSEA training programme as part of their induction. Once this thorough training is completed, they work closely with a more experienced volunteer as they begin to advise and support families.

Volunteers who choose to cover our help lines can work from their homes. Volunteers who choose to provide tribunal support will need to travel to meetings.

For those who do not wish to work directly with families, there are other opportunities to help. We currently need people with administrative skills as well as those with fundraising and recruiting experience, to fill a wide range of roles ranging from volunteering in our local office to helping to recruit more volunteers.

What does it cost to complete our volunteer training?

IPSEA’s volunteer training is free but in view of the time and costs involved in recruiting and training new volunteer advisers, IPSEA asks that new volunteer advisers commit themselves to providing support to families for a minimum of two years with the organisation. IPSEA reserves the right to request all or part payment of training costs should a volunteer leave within two years of joining IPSEA. It costs IPSEA around £2,500 to fully train each new volunteer.

All volunteer advisers are required to successfully complete the IPSEA training programme before becoming IPSEA volunteers. The training consists of 30 hours of preliminary home study followed by a two-day course to consolidate this study and introduce practical work. This is followed by further supervised practical work supported and supervised by a mentor.