Memorandum of Understanding
Between
Adviza
and
Information, Advice & Support Service for Windsor &
Maidenhead,
Parent Carer Council for Windsor & Maidenhead
&
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
Dated: 3rd September 2014
Valid until: 31st March 2016
Background
Independent Support is a national programme funded by the Department of Education via the
Council for Disabled Children (CDC), as part of the measures associated with the recent
Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Reforms and the implementation of the
Children & Families Act 2014.
The Government has specified that Independent Supporters should be provided by private,
voluntary and community sector organisations which are independent of the local authority but
that they should work with and complement pre-existing local services including the local
authority SEN arrangements and Parent Partnership Services in their key role in providing
impartial IAS. To this end CDC has commissioned Adviza to provide Independent Support across
Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire in collaboration with local authorities, Parent
Partnership Services, Parent Carer Forums and other supportive local delivery partners.
Purpose and Scope
This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) sets out the agreement and understanding
between Adviza and Information, Advice & Support Service (IASS) for Windsor & Maidenhead,
Parent Carer Council for Windsor & Maidenhead and the Royal Borough of Windsor and
Maidenhead in the delivery of Independent Support across RBWM from 1st September 2014 until
31st March 2016. It is not intended to and does not create any contractual right between these
parties.
The Independent Support Service is designed to provide a specific function and has the primary
purpose of providing time limited support to parents and/or young people during the EHC
assessment and planning process, whether new entrants to the system or those undergoing the
conversion of a statement to an EHC plan or the conversion of a Learning Difficulty Assessment
to an EHC plan.
All parties agree that the service should be delivered in accordance with the requirements set
out in clause 2.8 of the SEND Code of Practice: 0 – 25 and specifically that support will:
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Be impartial and provided at arm’s length from the local authority and Clinical
Commissioning Groups
Be free, accurate, confidential and in formats which are accessible and responsive to
needs of users
Help to promote independence and self-advocacy for children, young people and
parents
Ensure views and experiences of children, young people and parents inform policy and
practice
Adviza’s Independent Support Service will be delivered by a mixture of paid and volunteer
Independent Supporters (IS), managed and supported by Independent Support Coordinators
(ISC) who will match cases to Independent Supporters. Across Berkshire there will initially be1
full-time paid IS and 2 full-time paid ISC (1 covering the east of the county – Royal Borough of
Windsor & Maidenhead, Slough and Bracknell and 1 covering the west of the county –
Wokingham, Reading and West Berkshire). As the service develops it is anticipated that an
increasing proportion of the cases will be handled by volunteer Independent Supporters.
RBWM Referral Protocol for Independent Support
Calls to IAS Service Helpline
01628 683182 or email
[email protected]
Calls to regional IS line will be forwarded to the IAS Service
IAS Officer responds within 2 days and ascertains needs of client, explaining the role
of the Independent Supporter and seeking consent to allocate IS/IAS
If client is already on IAS Service database, request permission to share information
with IS Team
Referrals will be allocated by the IAS Service Manager and IS Co-ordinator, in
accordance with IS criteria and taking into account skills and capacity, and any
existing relationships with the family
Refer to Adviza
Refer to IASS for Windsor & Maidenhead
General SEN enquiries
Parents meeting the eligibility criteria
for IS and in agreement with referral
to Adviza
Contacts by children under 16
Parents and CYP requiring support
falling outside the IS criteria
Young People (who have reached the
end of their statutory schooling)
requiring Independent Support
Parents and YP requesting support
within the IS eligibility criteria, but
asking for this to be delivered by IAS
•
artnership
When IS work complete refer back to IASS for Windsor & Maidenhead to retain a record
for any future involvement. This can only be done with the clear consent of the client, in
line with agreed data sharing protocol.
Definitions:
 Parent/carer: has parental responsibility for child until end of school year in which child
turns 16
 Young person: is over statutory school age (end of school year in which turns 16) but under
25 years old.
 Child: has not yet reached end of school year in which turns 16.
Eligibility:
Requests for Independent Support will be considered from parents and young people where
the child/young person is undergoing either:
 an EHC needs assessment; or
 a transfer review for existing Statement of Special Educational Needs or Learning Disability
Assessment to convert into an Education, Health and Care Plan.
Young person with SEND
Parent/carer of child with
SEND
Parent/carer of young
person with SEND
Eligibility for Independent
Supporter
Always
Dependent on complexity of
case, availability of IS
Dependent on complexity of
case, availability of IS and
mental capacity of their
young person
Eligibility for SEND IAS
Service
Always
Always
Always
Training
Before taking on the role of Independent Supporter, all IS staff (whether from Adviza or IASS for
Windsor & Maidenhead) will be required to complete and pass the initial 4 days compulsory IS
training provided by CDC. All Adviza staff will also be required to complete Adviza mandatory
training as follows: E-Learning Academy Modules in Data Protection, Equality & Diversity, Health
& Safety, Safeguarding and face to face training in Personal Safety and Risk Assessment. This
training will also be made available to IASS for Windsor & Maidenhead volunteers and we
would look for a reciprocal arrangement for Adviza staff to attend any RBWM training. All staff
will receive training updates as required and in addition all Adviza staff will receive regular
support and supervision from the IS Co-ordinators. All staff have enhanced DBS checks.
Complaints Procedures
Any complaints about the provision of Independent Support in RBWM should be referred to the
organisation providing the service. These will then be dealt with by the most appropriate senior
manager in accordance with the policy of the organisation involved.
Review
This Memorandum of Understanding will be reviewed every 3 months.
Contact Details
Adviza
[email protected]
Tel. 0845 408 5060 / 0118 402 7177
Information, Advice & Support Service for Windsor & M aidenhead
[email protected]
Tel. 01628 683182
Parent Carer Council for Windsor & Maidenhead
[email protected]
Tel: 07729 768267
Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
[email protected]
Tel: 01628 685878