Parents and young people can disagree with decisions that are made about:

• what happens during an education, health and care needs assessment

• education support that is put in an education, health and care plan

• support provided in schools and colleges, including support for those who do not have education, health and care needs assessments or education, health and care plans

 

If you do not agree with a decision that is made about your child’s education, health and care needs assessment or their education, health and care plan, you can say so. You might be able to ask for the decision to be changed. This is called an appeal.

A special court will decide whether a decision should be changed. This is called the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal.

Before you ask the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal to change a decision, you can talk to the local council to see whether you can work out something that everyone is happy with. This is called mediation. Someone will help you and your child to try and work out something that everyone is happy with. This person is called a mediator. If you do not want to try mediation, you do not have to.

If your child does not have an education, health and care plan, their school or college will help support them to learn. If you do not agree with the support your child gets from their school or college, you can try and change things by using your local disagreement resolution service. The disagreement resolution service may set up a meeting between you and your child’s school or college to help you to work out something that everyone is happy with. Your child’s school or college has to agree to take part.

You can decide to appeal a decision that has been made about your child’s education, health and care needs assessment or their education, health and care plan.

The areas you can appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal about include:

• your local council’s decision not to give your child an education, health and care needs assessment or an education, health and care plan

• what it says in the education support part of your child’s education, health and care plan.

• if you think your child has been unfairly treated by their school or college because they have special educational needs or disabilities.

 

You can talk to your local information, advice and support service if you want more information or support about disagreeing with decisions about your child. Your local offer must tell you how you can disagree with any decisions about the support your child gets.