Volunteering can be at a time that fits in with your other commitments.

We offer calls seven days a week from 8am until 9pm. We also need volunteers for our casework support service to help families in the process of appealing to the SEND Tribunal. Learn more about the different ways you can volunteer here.

Joining our team means becoming part of a compassionate and driven community. You will receive a warm welcome, access to continued training and the satisfaction of knowing that your efforts are making a profound difference in the lives of children with SEND and their families. Together, we can ensure that all children and young people with SEND receive the right education.

This is an opportunity to gain an in-depth knowledge of SEND law and proceedings. This includes case management, drafting, client care, advocacy, conferencing, and experience in using legal case management systems and gaining hands on exposure to law in practice.

What we look for in a volunteer

To make a difference with IPSEA, we are seeking individuals who possess the following qualities:

• A genuine wish to help children with SEND access the right education. 
• Great IT skills, including being able to use email and case management systems, as well as access to the internet and a laptop or desktop computer. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey information to parents and carers. 
• Commitment, reliability, and consistency to ensure we can provide ongoing support to families. 
• Non-judgmental and respectful attitudes, valuing diverse views, values and cultures. 
• The ability to understand complex information and explain it clearly and concisely. 
• A willingness to learn about and follow our principles and policies, including confidentiality, safeguarding and data protection.

By applying for a place on our volunteer training, we ask that you commit to:

• Undertake a basic DBS check (cost will be reimbursed).
• Provide details of 2 people who can provide a character reference for you. 
• Successfully complete our SEND Law level 1 eLearning training (once you are a volunteer we also give you access to levels 2 and 3 if you wish to develop your learning).
• Attend virtual training sessions covering the soft skills you will need and the systems we use.
• Continue learning on a 1-2-1 basis with your allocated legal team supervisor until you are ready to begin making calls.
• Complete online training in Safeguarding and Data Protection (you will need to do this training annually).
• We ask volunteers to commit to helping at least two families a week on the helplines and a total of five families on the TSS over a period of 12 months. 

Please note, IPSEA operates in England only. 

How to apply

Volunteer applications are currently closed.

Following a recent recruitment drive, we have received an overwhelming number of expressions of interest and are not currently accepting new applications or registrations of interest at this time. We plan to welcome another cohort of volunteers later this year, so please check back on this page for updates.

While our need for volunteers is always significant, as a small team, we must carefully manage the number of volunteers we recruit and train each year. This ensures we maintain the quality of our advice and provide dedicated support to our volunteers. We appreciate your understanding and hope you’ll consider joining us in the future.