How to raise concerns about services (parents, carers - SEND)

In Slough, health services available to support children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families are provided by: 

• Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (BHFT)
• Frimley Health NHS Trust.

To provide feedback or complain is about health services provided by:

• Berkshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (BHFT) call 0118 904 3467 or email PALS@berkshire.nhs.uk
• Frimley Health NHS Trust call 0300 615 3365 or email fhft.palswexhampark@nhs.net.

Send your feedback or complaint according to the setting/school’s complaints procedure which will be available on their website. 

If you have spoken to your child’s early years setting/school and you:

• are still unsure of what to do
• want to be sure what the responsibilities of schools are 
• disagree with the setting/school

you may want some independent advice.

Contact:

• Slough SENDIASS on 01753 787693, email sendiass@slough.gov.uk.
• Special Voices on 079 9069 3439, email info@specialvoices.co.uk.

If you have asked for an EHC assessment and it has:

• not been agreed or
• been agreed and there are some unresolved issues

you can contact:

• SEND Team on 01753 787676 or email sendteam@slough.gov.uk
  
• Slough SENDIASS on 01753 787693 or email sendiass@slough.gov.uk
• Special Voices on 079 9069 3439 or email  info@specialvoices.co.uk.

To resolve disagreements about any aspect of SEN provision whether the EHC process is happening or not, you may want to approach a disagreement resolution service.

These services are available to all parents and young people to resolve disagreements about any aspect of SEN provision. 

In Slough, the mediation and disagreement resolution service is provided by Global Mediation. Email sen@globalmediation.co.uk, call 0800 064 4488.

If you want to appeal your case to the SEND Tribunal then you must first consider mediation and contact a mediation adviser before registering your appeal with the SEND Tribunal.

You can:  

• email send@justice.gov.uk
• call 01325 289 350.
• check SEND Tribunal (GOV.UK).

When a pupil is excluded from school it can be difficult to know where to get advice and support, and to know what they should do next.

• Check guidance on school suspensions and permanent exclusions on GOV.UK.

Headteachers can exclude your child if they misbehave in or outside school.

Exclusion should only be used as a last resort when the headteacher feels that allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school.

Your child’s school will let you know about an exclusion, usually on the same day. They’ll follow up with a letter telling you how long your child is excluded for and why. You should also be told how to challenge the exclusion, if you want to.

For impartial information, advice and guidance you can contact:

• Slough SENDIASS on 01753 787693 or email sendiass@slough.gov.uk.
• Special Voices on 079 9069 3439 or email info@specialvoices.co.uk.

If you are still not happy, you can at any time ask the Local Government Ombudsman to help.

Contact details are:

Local Government Ombudsman
PO Box 4771
Coventry CV4 0EH
Telephone: 0300 061 0614
Website: Local Government Ombudsman
Email: advice@lgo.org.uk
Text ‘call back’ 0762 480 4299.

Slough Borough Council's transport policy explains the support available for pupils travelling to and from school.

All requests for travel assistance for children without an EHCP must be made online via the council's Citizen Portal. 

For children and young people with an EHCP families can contact the Travel Assistance Team on education.transport@slough.gov.uk.

Slough Children First provides social care and support services to children, young people and families.

To contact Slough Children First:

• call 01753 477321
• email emailus@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk
• check Slough Children First complaints procedure.

Adults with physical disabilities, sensory needs, learning disabilities or ongoing health conditions, and carers of adults with any of these conditions, should call the Adult Social Care on 01753 475111 (option 1). 

For out of hours social care issues including child protection call 01344 786 543.

Young People’s Service (YPS) provide impartial information, advice and guidance at every point of transition.

To contact the Young People’s Service call 01753 476589 or email youthsupport@sloughchildrenfirst.co.uk.

Slough Family Information Service (Slough FIS) provides information about the range of services available to:

• children
• young people
• parents or carers

in Slough.

Contact Slough FIS on 01753 476589 or email fis@slough.gov.uk.