Every local authority in England has a duty to provide children and young people, (0-25 years) with support if they have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities – this is known as the Local Offer. Every local authority has to publish what support is available on a website: this is called the Local Offer Website.
The Local Offer website gives information about the wide range of services that are available to support all areas of a child’s life (0-25 years) especially those with a Special Educational Need or Disability (SEND). This includes support with education, physical and mental health, social care, leisure activities and moving towards independence and adulthood.
The information on the website is clear and easy to find. It says who a particular service is for, how to apply, and how decisions are made about who gets that service.
The information you should be able to find on a Local Offer Website includes:
- Sources of support, advice and information for children, young people and families including support groups and forums.
- Special educational, health and social care provision for children and young people with SEN or disabilities
- Arrangements to identify and assess children and young people with SEN, including how an assessment can be requested.
- Other educational provision, for example leisure activities, sports or arts provision,
- Information about provision to assist in preparing children and young people for adulthood including post-16 education and training provision
- Arrangements for travel to and from schools, post-16 institutions and early years providers
- Childcare, including suitable provision for disabled children and those with SEND
- Support available to young people in higher education, particularly the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) and the process and timescales for making an application for DSA
- Arrangements for resolving disagreements and for mediation, and details about making complaints
To access the Local Offer website for Birmingham, please use the following link: