If you are a parent or carer of a child with special educational needs, trying to get advice, support and information can seem very confusing at times. It can feel intimidating to approach the education authority, school or other professionals involved in your child’s education.

Calderdale Parent Partnership service is here to ensure that you receive the advice and information which will help you make the right choices for your child. Our aim is to help parents, carers, schools and all professionals work together to create the right environment for children with special educational needs.

The Calderdale Parent Partnership Service is situated in the council offices in Northgate in Halifax town centre. We are an impartial service and treat all calls as confidential. We support parents of children with special educational needs with advice and information - we also provide a counselling service for parents.  There is also a Choice Advisory Service which offers advice on all aspects of transfer to secondary school, including helping to make the school admissions process clearer.

What Can We Do?

• Come to meetings with you and make sure your voice and the voice of your child is heard
• Give you information about educational rights and responsibilities
• We can help liaise with schools and other professionals
• Explain jargon and decipher official letters
• Liaise with other agencies to ensure your child receives the best provision
• Help and support you through the statementing process
• Help you to prepare an appeal against school placement, exclusion, or refusal to issue a statement or assess
• Provide a range of training (free to parents) to parents, carers and professionals, including training on making a request for statutory assessment
• Provide free counselling to parents of children with SEN
• Provide you with information about specialist organisations
• Provide you with a friendly listening ear - an Independent Parental Supporter, a volunteer who has gone through similar experiences and understands the difficulties facing you
• Keep you informed with up to date information

You can read more about the Parent Parentnership Scheme by downloading our leaflet.