SENDIASS Young Person Advisor

SENDIASS Young Persons Advisors (YPA)

Herefordshire and Worcestershire SENDIASS support children and young people that have or may have Special Educational Needs/Disabilities (SEND) to make informed decisions.

We have Young Persons Advisors (YPA) here to help you, they can help you on your own or with your family. Their advice and support is:

• free, it does not cost you anything
• confidential, this means that we will not share your information with others without getting your permission
• impartial, this means that we will not tell you what to do. We will not take sides. We will give you the information and support that you need to make your own choices. 

Herefordshire Young Persons Advisor

• Sammy Powell

Worcestershire Young Persons Advisor

• Claire White
• Abi Sinclair
• Kelly Hill

The Young Persons Advisor can:

• provide information and advice on the telephone
• meet you in person to discuss your concerns
• help you to prepare for meetings such as Annual Reviews
• support you to attend meetings
• help to explain reports written by professionals
• offer careers advice
• help you tell people if a decision has been made about you which you don’t agree with
• help you to liaise with schools, colleges and other agencies
• signpost to other sources of help
• support and advise you around the education, health and care needs assessment
• advise you on complaints around SEND issues and the appeal process around the EHCP
• help to navigate your Local Offer to find support

The team at Herefordshire and Worcestershire Information, Advice and Support Service is here to listen to you. We will always do our best to help you move forward.  If we can't, we will find someone who can. This is how you can get in touch with us:

Please ensure that you contact the office of the county in which you live.

Phone 

• Worcestershire:  01905 768153
• Herefordshire:  01432 260955

Contact us and someone will talk to you about your query. We will listen to you and offer advice and information. 

Email

You can email us, and we will reply with information or advice.

• Worcestershire: sendiass@worcestershire.gov.uk
• Herefordshire: sendiass@herefordshire.gov.uk

Face to face support

We can offer face to face support. You can tell the advisor what would be best for you.

Our Worcestershire Young Persons Adviser joins the Careers Worcs Youth Hub in The Hive in Worcester one day per month, to be available to meet with young people with SEND to offer careers advice and impartial information, advice and support on all matters relating to Special Educational Needs/ Disabilities (SEND).    

You can book an appointment with our SENDIASS Young Persons Advisor on the Careers Worcs booking page by clicking the 1-1 careers support tab. 

If you have any questions prior to booking an appointment, please email SENDIASS@worcestershire.gov.uk.

Online Meeting 

We can offer support via an online meeting. Please contact your Young Persons Advisor to arrange a suitable date and time. They will send you an invitation and instructions to join a meeting. 

Online Meeting Expectations 

How you should behave in the meeting:

• please dress appropriately
• please be respectful
• please use appropriate language
• please do not record the meeting without asking for permission
• please find a safe, comfortable space to join the meeting

How you can take part in the meeting:

• please keep camera and mic on
• please use headphones, if possible, to ensure privacy
• please ensure your device remains still during the meeting
• feel free to ask questions
• let your advisor know if you need a comfort break 
• if you have difficulty joining the meeting, please email or call your advisor