South Tyneside SENDIASS is a self-referral service for parents/carers of children who have, or may have special educational needs (SEN).
Referrals to the service by anyone other than the parent/carer are only made if the parent/carer has given explicit permission for this to happen.
The service is confidential and impartial and aims to make sure that you as a parent / carer has access to the information, advice and support needed to make informed decisions about your child’s education/SEN. This is achieved by:
- working in partnership with you
- providing information, services and training
- working with relevant agencies
- making sure your views can influence local policy and practice
- You will be made aware of the service’s confidentiality policy, and will be advised of why, what
- and how the information is kept when you first contact the service.
You do not have to tell us your personal details and have the right to contact the service anonymously.
Sharing personal data
All information shared with, or held by, the Parent Partnership Service is in confidence and is protected under common law and the Data Protection Act 1998, unless there is a legal reason for the service to disclose that information.
There may be when it would be beneficial to share information with schools, other Council departments and other agencies. This will only happen with your full consent.
The only reason information will be passed on without your permission is if there is a legal requirement or duty to do so (eg issues of child protection).
Data Protection Act - Why do we keep information about you and what information is recorded about you and your child?
We keep certain information about you to help us make sure you receive the services you are entitled to.
How is my information stored?
Some of the information you give to us is written down or recorded on a database.
Information held about you electronically is stored on a secure database, and is accessed only by authorised staff.
Paper files are held in a locked filing cabinet and can only be accessed by authorised staff.
SENDIASS staff will get consent from you before consulting your case file or any other papers about your child, or discussing a child with Council or school staff.
If a request for information is received from Council staff for legal reasons, eg judicial review, it will go to the Head of Service who will consider the request. With your permission, the relevant information will be taken from the file and sent to the relevant member of staff, with a copy sent to you.
If case notes are requested by you under the Freedom of Information Act, the coordinator of South Tyneside SENDIASS will send the requested notes directly to you.
How long is my information kept for?
In line with the Data Protection Act (1998), information is not kept for longer than necessary.
Once a case has been closed the file will be kept for 2 years and will then be confidentially destroyed. Closed files are kept in a locked cabinet, and only authorised staff have access.
What information is stored about me?
Some of the information kept about you includes:
- Your name
- Your address
- Your telephone number
- A record of all contacts you have with the service
- Please note that this is not a complete list.
Some of the information kept about your child includes their:
- name
- date of birth
- gender
- school
- year group
- area of SEN
- stage on the SEN Code of Practice
- Please note that this is not a complete list.
Viewing the information we keep and you / your child
If you want to view the information held about you or your child, you can discuss this with the Parent Partnership Officer. You can also make a subject access request under the Data Protection Act 1998, however there is a small fee for this.