As part of our quality standards we deliver training to parents about SEND issues and support. We work with parents to deliver our training. For parents, we offer our free 'Making Sense of' training programme. Making Sense of SEND. This training is two virtual and one in person training session each term. It explains special educational needs, SEN support and how the SEND system works and helps parents to feel more confident about speaking up for their child and working with professionals. Making Sense of EHC plans. This is two virtual session a term. it aims to help parent carers understand their child’s EHC plan and what’s in it, how it is used and how to take part in the review process. If you want to find out more about our training for parents we regularly post information about them on our Facebook page . You can find a list of what is coming up on our events page .

What we do

Our services, activities and roles

DIAS (Devon Information Advice and Support) provides information, advice and support on special educational needs and disability (SEND).

It’s a statutory service, which means it must be provided by law. Every local authority in England has this type of service and what they provide is shaped by chapter 2 of the SEND Code of Practice and the National Minimum Standards for IASS services.

This short animation from the Council for Disabled Children tells you what services like ours must do for children and young people with SEND and their families, and how we meet the standards set for information, advice and support services.

Our service

Our main activity is to provide a service for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, aged up to 25, and their parents or carers. We give support around SEND issues at every stage of a child’s education, including into further education and adulthood. The service offers:

More information

A guide to our services

Download a copy of our leaflet about the services we offer below.

Our service

More information

A guide to our services

Download a copy of our leaflet about the services we offer below.

Our other activities and roles

Reference group

DIAS has a reference group made up of parents, carers and professionals from schools, inclusion and early years. The group’s role is to guide the growth and development of the service. They meet three times a year to talk about a wide range of issues for DiAS, including:

the parent’s perspective on key issues
evaluating what we do and how we do it
how we work with other SEND services
responding to pressure on SEND services

Information principles

These are the principles that parents and carers feel should underpin the development and production of information resources and services for parents and carers.

Information should be clear and accurate, accessible and relevant.

If you want to find out more about our work with parents and carers, or about our information work, contact Sarah Smith.

Training

As part of our quality standards we deliver training to parents about SEND issues and support. We work with parents to deliver our training.

For parents, we offer our free 'Making Sense of' training programme.

Making Sense of SEND. This training is two virtual and one in person training session each term. It explains special educational needs, SEN support and how the SEND system works and helps parents to feel more confident about speaking up for their child and working with professionals.
Making Sense of EHC plans. This is two virtual session a term. it aims to help parent carers understand their child’s EHC plan and what’s in it, how it is used and how to take part in the review process.

If you want to find out more about our training for parents we regularly post information about them on our Facebook page. You can find a list of what is coming up on our events page.

Influencing policy and practice

We work with national and local organisations and teams to influence policy and change or improve practice.

We gather themes and trends from our work and share these to inform strategic decision making of Education, Health and Care commissioning and services. We always take care to be impartial and maintain confidentiality.

Here are some of the things we do.

Working together with Parent Carer Forum Devon to manage the Ambassador Volunteer Programme. This promotes the involvement of parents in developing local and county wide services.
Contributing to the SEND Partnership Board, which sets the strategy and direction for SEND in Devon.
Being a member of several strategic working groups. These are are focused on improving aspects of the SEND strategy for example, Operational Delivery Group, Early Year SEND, Communication and Engagement workstream.
Contributing to the Local Authority inclusion agenda, by attending meetings focussed on children missing education.

If you’d like to know more about any aspect of our work, please contact us.

Page reviewed: April 2024
Page due for review: April 2026