SENDIASS Manchester provides information, advice and support for parent/carers of children with SEND, young people with SEND and for professionals, via the callback helpline service and the inbox (email queries). Since 2023, service users can also contact SENDIASS using the website enquiry form on the SENDIASS Manchester website (www.sendiassmanchester.org). 

Year on year there has been a substantial increase in the daily numbers contacting the SENDIASS via the helpline and the inbox, and then the website, without a corresponding increase in the number of advisors. 

CONTACTING SENDIASS

For all three methods of contact, SENDIASS Manchester has expressed their commitment to provide Manchester’s SEND community with next step information, advice, support and resources in a timely way so that parent/carers, young people and professionals can access the service when needed without delay. 

This is reflected in the service aims of a same day/next working day response time, dependent on the time of call, and when the caller is available. Some callbacks take longer to complete, there is to be considered the follow up work to each contact, some of which requires more time, for example in contacting other services such as the EHCP team, school SENCOs etc. Some queries require research to provide case specific advice. 

As the number of contacts/queries increases, there is a corresponding increase in pressure on the SENDIASS advisors. If it continues, this could negatively impact on their ability to provide a timely response, which is a feature of the service valued by the parent/carers and other service users. 

Also to bear in mind is that the helpline/inbox queries are just one of the responsibilities of the SENDIASS advisors, which also include attending in person events such as the Local offer drop ins, SEND school events and SEND related meetings, as well as ongoing training, working with other services, casework, tribunals, and more. Increases in the helpline volume has led to more workers being put on helpline duty, and this impacts on their availability for other duties. 

SENDIASS Manchester has made strategic decisions on how to continue providing information, advice and support in a timely and effective manner, whilst also dealing with the increasing numbers. This has led to branching out into developing new resources and new ways of delivering the service.

Recently there was the development of the SENDIASS Manchester stand-alone website providing a platform to share information. The website allows users to access and download information previously only accessible by contacting the SENDIASS advisors. All the SENDIASS fact sheets are available to view and to download. SENDIASS has created tribunal guides for each of the separate types of appeals, which are also available to download. The website is regularly updated with information, links and resources relating to SEND education, health, social care, parent/carer groups, local offer, training and SEND organisations/charities. 

t has been fed back that written information is not ideal for some parent/carers. Many of the fact sheets and tribunal guides are long and, out of necessity to provide comprehensive guidance, they are complex and wordy, making references to law and guidance. 

Some barriers to accessing written information is: 

• the average reading age in Manchester is approximately 11 years old,
• English not a first language / new arrivals to UK who do not speak English.
• additional needs/disabilities (e.g. dyslexia)
• time needed to read and digest a fact sheet is not always available to busy parent/carers.
• other personal circumstances can also impact (e.g. health)
  

SENDIASS Manchester decided to record podcasts, to provide parent/carers an option to receive their SEND information by listening. 

Whilst SENDIASS advisors wrote the scripts for the episodes, they worked with an external company to support with the technicalities of recording, editing and uploading the audio content. 

The Podcast series SEND Talk was launched, available on the SENDIASS website, SEND Talk Podcasts , as well as on the usual podcast platforms (such as Spotify, Apple podcasts, Amazon music and more). 

In 2023 the first series of the SEND Talk podcast was recorded. 

The idea was to records episodes reflecting 4 of the most used/shared fact sheets and these were:

• SEN Support in Schools
• Preparing/carrying out school meetings
• EHCPs 
• Annual reviews 

In 2024 series 2 was recorded. The aim for this series was to record answers to commonly asked questions / topics which came in as queries such as ‘Is my child eligible for home to school transport’, ‘How do I check my child’s draft EHC plan?’ and ‘What are the first steps to the SEND Tribunal?’. 

All the titles are purposely written as questions – this is to provide an answer, as if the person listening were speaking to one of the advisors on the helpline. 

In 2025 the third series is currently being recorded, with 1 episode uploaded so far, which continues on the past theme of answering frequent questions/ topics. The first episode is “I don’t agree with the named school on my child’s EHC plan – how do I appeal it?’ and goes through part I appeal process in detail. More episodes are currently in the planning stages.

Each episode has show notes, where the episode is broken down into sections - giving listeners the chance to go straight to the part which is relevant to them. There is a transcript of the episode which can be downloaded and read/printed. 

In the show notes, each episode has links to resources and documents which are relevant to the topic under discussion, keeping all the information in one place and easily accessed. Some of the links are to the SENDIASS website, which then directs service users to the information/resources available on there, hopefully increasing awareness/knowledge.

.In 2024, SENDIASS consulted parent/carers in Manchester to ask them to comment on the podcasts (series 1&2). Feeback was overwhelmingly positive. 

There was a marked preference to listening to SEND information because parent/carers stated they could listen whilst doing other activities such as driving, doing jobs, running errands, walking on the school run etc. They stated they are busy and having an hour to sit and read and digest a fact sheet was a rarer occurrence whilst listening to podcasts could be worked into their daily lives. They also stated that they could go back to it if they were not able to finish it – and said they were less likely to return to written advice when interrupted. 

A lot of the parent/carers said they found reading overwhelming at times, for many of the reasons stated previously as well as feeling like they have too much paperwork on the whole. They liked that the episodes were friendly and conversational and found it approachable and easy to listen to.

Feedback stated that being able to listen to the information over again was useful. It was also useful to allow a friend/supporter to hear the advice too, so they could provide help/support, something which is not available when a parent is talking to a SENDIASS advisor direct. 

Parent/carers who do not have English as a first language also benefit from being able to hear the information over again, and to listen with someone else if support is required. The transcripts can be downloaded which allows for sections (or all) to be translated into different languages, if required.

Podcasts also allow for parent/carers to inform themselves on other issues, which may affect them in future – hence allowing them to be more prepared. For example, a parent who is listening to a podcast about EHC plans may then see and listen to the episode on how to check a draft plan and then move on to the episode on eligibility for home to school transport. 

Having the podcast episodes there to provide comprehensive spoken advice as back up, makes the role of advisor more effective. 

After speaking to parent/carers, SENDIASS advisors can send links to a relevant episode in follow up emails. Quite often on the helpline, a lot of information is explained and it can all be quite new to the parent. Whilst it all makes sense when discussing it on the phone, afterwards points may easily be forgotten even with the summary follow up email. Particularly when the helpline is very busy, it is useful to have the back-up of the podcast. The episodes are a little like having a conversation with a SENDIASS advisor, but one which can be heard when and where and how many times, the parent/carer wants. 

SENDIASS Manchester is committed to recording more episodes of the SEND Talk podcast. The numbers on how many shows have been accessed show a steady increase.

PODCASTS ACCESSED

To date a total of 1,715 podcasts have been listened to with the top 6 being EHCPs, annual reviews, SEND support, home to school transport eligibility, school meetings and wanting to change the named school place on an EHCP. 

After the podcast, SENDIASS Manchester has continued to develop its reach with the Facebook page. This other method of sharing information is useful in promoting the new SEND Talk episodes as well as other relevant information for Manchester’s SEND community.

Any additional resources will never be a replacement for the direct advice/conversation with a SENDIASS advisor.

Factsheets, guides and podcast episodes will always be, by their very nature, specific to one topic. Queries are very rarely only about one topic. They can be complex and SENDIASS advisors use their expertise to provide the information/advice specific to the query about that child/young person.

However, it is clear that the development of the range of resources, in a variety of formats including the podcast, is helping SENDIASS Manchester advisors to provide a more effective and accessible information, advice and support service. And it is benefitted the service users as they have options on how to access their information. 

For now, it is also allowing SENDIASS Manchester to manage the increasing numbers of contacts, whilst still retaining their commitment to a quick response time. 

The SENDIASS website for parent/carers, YP’s and professionals has lots of relevant information with links, podcasts and factsheets. https://www.iasmanchester.org 

There are several ways parent/carers can gain information and knowledge. SENDIASS Manchester Information is shared verbally through volunteer parent groups:

1. Manchester Parent Carer Forum – For Parents and Carers of Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Aged 0-25 in Manchester , 
2. Manchester Parent Champions (on Facebook)
3. Manchester's Local Offer  
4. The SPACE Group | Help & Support Manchester           

SENDIASS also attends local drop-ins in North, Central and South Manchester.



SENDIASS is contactable on the 24-hour answerphone call back service 0161 209 8356 , email sendiass@manchester.gov.uk and via our contact page through the website Contact us (iasmanchester.org)