Parent Partnership Service

All children have education needs in order to develop in their learning and relationships with others.

A child is said to have Special Educational Needs (SEN) when special plans are required in order to meet that child's individual needs. These plans need to:

• support the child's learning
• meet the child's physical needs in school
• help the child's relationship with other children and teachers

Parents hold key information, and have a very important role to play in their child's education.

How can the Parent Partnership Service help you as parents?

The Parent Partnership Service can offer:

• Information and advice on all matters concerned with your child's special educational needs
• Help in getting your views across and the views of your child heard
• Help with decision-making processes concerning your child's education
• Contact with voluntary organisations that are able to offer support and advice
• Support from Independent Parental Supporters, who can be contacted through the Parent Partnership Service

Other activities of the Parent Partnership Service include:

Independent Parental Supporter Scheme

Many parents would like to be able to talk about their child's special educational needs to an understanding person. An Independent Parental Supporter is a volunteer who acts as a befriender, supporter and source of information to parents who have special educational needs and might be experiencing difficulties.

The trained volunteers can:

• listen and provide encouragement
• go with you on visits to school and support you at meetings
• help you with letters to your child's school and local education authority
• help you understand the SEN assessment process

If you want to use the support of one of our volunteers the Parent Partnership Service can put you in touch.

We recruit and train volunteers to work with families and offer ongoing training, support and supervision to existing volunteers.

Coffee mornings - these take place once a month and parents are invited when a statutory assessment of their child's Special Needs is started. These informal sessions are an opportunity for parents to meet the officer co-ordinating their child's assessment, ask questions about the statementing process and meet other parents who are going through the same experience.

Parent Conference - once a year we organise a conference for parents of children with Special Needs where parents, teachers and LEA officers come together to discuss issues related to provisions in mainstream and Special Schools and the progress of inclusion in Luton. The conference is advertised in the local press.

Luton Parent Partnership Links - the newsletter of the Parent Partnership Service is published three times a year (November, March, June). The newsletter is sent to all parents of children with a statement, to all Luton schools and extensively circulated in the community. These are available to download below.

Produce accurate and reliable information - A series of leaflets for parents containing information about SEN and the SEN processes within the local authority have been produced by the Parent Partnership Service

Click here to access these resources on our educationally focused sister website the Luton Learning Grid.

The aim of Parent Partnership Services

The aim of parent partnership services is to ensure parents of children with additional needs - including the very young - have access to information, advice and guidance in relation to the special educational needs of their children so they can make appropriate, informed decisions.

The prime role of parent partnership services is to help parents whose children have been identified as having special educational needs, but the school takes a different view and considers parents' concerns carefully.

Parent partnership services are expected to provide a range of flexible services, including access to an Independent Parental Supporter for all parents who want one, and referrals should only be made when there is prior agreement with the parent, and with the organisation or support group concerned about the nature and level of the service offered.