Frequently Asked Questions

What are we looking for in an IPSEA volunteer?

Providing advice and advocacy to parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities can be demanding. However, it's our experience that the ability to perform well as an IPSEA volunteer does not depend on a individual's formal educational qualifications. We ask that prospective volunteers are:

  • A parent of a child with special educational needs who has been through the assessment, statementing and/or Tribunal process
  • An educational professional (e.g. teacher) preferably with experience of working in the field of special education
  • Trained or experienced in law, advice or advocacy work
  • Interested in the area of special educational needs and have some relevant experience of this area
  • Able to explain clearly the complex legal procedures involved in obtaining educational provision for a child with special educational needs.

What kind of families does IPSEA help?

IPSEA works with the parents of children who have SEN/disability. The age of children we help ranges from 0 – 16 years. We advise all parents, regardless of the nature of their childs SEN/disability.

Much of our support goes to low income and otherwise disadvantaged parents. 25% of the families we help have a household income below £20,000 a year. 12% of the parents we help are from Black and minority ethnic communities. We offer more support to the families who are not well equipped to argue their case.

Will I need to travel?

Please refer to the various volunteer role descriptions. Some of our volunteer roles can be fulfilled by working from home whilst others require travel in order to provide casework support. All our volunteers are invited to attend on going training events which are usually held in London.

Is there a time commitment?

Please refer to the various volunteer role descriptions. In view of the time and costs involved in recruiting and training new volunteers, IPSEA asks that new volunteers commit themselves to a minimum of two years with us.

What kind of training will I get?

All applicants are required to successfully complete the IPSEA training programme before becoming an IPSEA volunteer. The programme 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 practical work supported and supervised by a mentor.

All volunteers will be required to fill in and submit the necessary paperwork in relation to each parent they advise. Volunteers will also be required to comply with IPSEA's monitoring procedures which enable us to quality control and evaluate our services. These procedures will be explained in detail during the volunteer training. (IPSEA reserves the right to request all or part payment of training costs should a volunteer leave within two years of joining IPSEA).

Can I claim expenses?

Please refer to IPSEA’s volunteer expenses policy. IPSEA will reimburse volunteers for reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred as part of their IPSEA work.