About Us
What we do
The Information and advisory Service in Bolton provide impartial support to families and young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in Bolton , from birth to 25.
Is the IAS service right for you?
1. Does your child have/ potentially have a special educational need and/or a disability?
2. Does your query relate to your child's SEND?
3. Does your query relate to Education Health or Social care?
If you answered YES to all three questions, you are eligible to use the IAS service. If you answered NO to any of these questions, it's unlikely we are the service you need. Please check our 'useful links' section for a service that may be more appropriate for your needs.
For those who answered YES:
We can give you information and advice on a wide range of topics covering Education Health and Social care.
Depending on the nature of your contact, we may also be able to offer you bespoke case work, where we will advocate for you at meetings and support you to resolve the issues you are facing.
At IAS Bolton, all our staff have first hand experience of some of the difficulties you may face having a child with SEND. We are also legally trained to Bar accreditation standards by IPSEA. In addtion, our staff have:
- Independent Supporters legally based training
- Keeping children safe training
- Adult teaching qualification to allow us to deliver training and workshops to parent carers
- Qualified Counselling registration
- Autism awareness training
- Enhanced DBS checks
Our services
Bolton IAS offer the following services;
- 1:1 caseworker (single point of contact for agencies/ support at meetings etc)
- Independent Support Programme for EHC planning
- AMITY mentoring service for young people
- Drop in sessions covering ‘hot topics’
- Out of hours email support
- Workshops
- Tribunal preparation support
- Legally informed advice
In addition to these main themes of work, we support with issues relating to;
- Exclusion
- Bullying
- Requesting and navigating EHC plans
- Transitional support/ changing schools
- Transport
- Asking for social care assessments
- Help with referrals to health agencies
- Advice relating to early years and post 16 options
- Support at formal mediation meetings
- Personal budgets
Bolton IAS are unable to help with DLA/PIP forms. Please contact Bolton Citizen Advice or Welfare Rights. Details can be found on the Local Offer.
Testimonials
“The IAS services rendered have been invaluable to us as a family and without your help and input I do not think we would have gained an insight to the rights our Son was entitled to. Being disabled and new to the country; we as parents are completely unaware of what to expect in terms of educational needs and settings available“ - S.K
“The IAS provide an invaluable service to children and their families. It is a service I frequently recommend to parents because of the experience of the staff and the quality of their support” - M.C
“ The service you provide is invaluable - I could not have got through the EHCP process without your knowledge, support and reassurance“ - L.M
“Bolton advisory service has been an invaluable service. Its supported me through everything relating to my sons place at a special school. They make time for me and help. Without them I would have been lost with no one to turn to” - H.D