If you’re thinking of getting in touch with this service, please take some time to read the information on this page to learn more about how we can support you. Our website has a wealth of legal advice where you may also find the information you require, so do take a look at our free guides, resources and template letters before booking an appointment – you can also use our website search function if you’re not sure where to find the information you need.

Who is our Tribunal Helpline for?  

Our Tribunal Helpline is an appointment based telephone helpline for parents, carers and family members of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and for young people with SEND who would like our support. The helpline provides next-step guidance for families and young people navigating an appeal. General queries are often best addressed through our online guides and resources, which cover a wide range of SEND topics and frequently asked questions.   

If you are receiving ongoing support from a solicitor or other advocate then regrettably IPSEA is unable to give you advice. This is to avoid the potential for conflicting advice, and to ensure our helpline is available for parents and carers not receiving any other support. 

Our advice relates to the law as it applies in England.

Please note, we’re unable to take calls from professionals or other third parties without the consent of the child/parent/young person to process their data.

How can our Tribunal Helpline support you?  

If you have a right of appeal, an ongoing appeal, or a claim for disability discrimination in the SEND Tribunal, our volunteer advisers can give you free and independent next-step legal information, advice and support. To ensure we support you in the best way possible, our advisers focus on actionable guidance to help you take the next steps regarding your current situation. 

Some examples of issues we advise families about include:  

• Appeals against a refusal to carry out an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment 
• Appeals against a refusal to issue an EHC plan  
• Appeals about the contents of an EHC plan 
• Disability discrimination claims  

Booking an appointment on the Tribunal Helpline  

Our helpline services are delivered by volunteers. Appointments are made available by our volunteers as and when they know their availability and can be released up to 4 weeks in advance, any day or time. Demand for our Tribunal Helpline is very high, so you may have to keep checking our booking calendar for available appointments.  Please do not book more than 1 appointment at a time, if you make multiple bookings they will be cancelled.

If English is not your first language, our advisers can dial in an interpreter to assist with your call. Please let us know if you need to use this translation service, including the language you require, when completing your booking form. 

BOOK TRIBUNAL HELPLINE APPOINTMENT

If your case has already been referred to our Tribunal Support Service, please do not book an appointment to check where you are in our system. Contact us and our service administrator will be able to assist you.  

Preparing for your call  

Once you have booked an appointment, we recommend preparing for your call by:  

• Looking at the guides and resources on our website 
• Making a note of the key issues you’re currently facing, focusing on areas where you need actionable next-step advice
• Finding a private, quiet place where you can talk  
• Having a pen and paper to hand to make notes  
• If possible, having a device available during your call where you can access our website – our volunteer adviser may talk you through where to find our online legal guides and resources for additional information  
• Setting aside between 30 to 45 minutes for your call  

During your helpline call, our volunteer adviser will ask you for personal information about you and the child/young person your call is regarding. Full details about how we use this information can be found in our privacy policy.    

Privacy policy and data protection  

Please be aware that helpline calls are recorded for monitoring and training purposes, and any details or notes that are recorded will never be passed on to a third party and are kept completely confidential.  

At the start of your helpline call, our volunteer adviser will ask you for personal information about you and the child/young person your call is regarding. If you do not wish to answer any or all of the questions asked by our adviser, you do not have to do so, but without this information we may not be able to advise you.    

The information captured also helps us to identify gaps in our service provision, make improvements, and ensure that services are delivered in a fair way to all users. The information you provide will be kept confidential, and we will not share your name or personal information with anyone else.  

By using IPSEA’s Tribunal Helpline, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and also our privacy policy.   

IPSEA volunteers frequently receive offers of gifts in thanks for their advice. Whilst this is much appreciated, our volunteers are unable to accept. If you would like to support our work a donation to IPSEA would be gratefully received.

The advice and support we offer is free and confidential, and ensures that families understand their children’s legal rights and entitlements. We can only deliver these important services with fundraising efforts and donations from members of the public. You can make a donation here.