With a task as important as arranging a child’s education, many emotions are invoked when problems are encountered.

This is especially true if a child has special educational needs (SEN) and there is disagreement between parents and the local authority or a child’s school about how those needs will be met. 

All local authorities are required by law to make arrangements with a view to avoiding or resolving disagreements between the authority and parents of children in their area about the way local authorities and maintained schools carry out their responsibilities towards children and young people with SEN. They must also make arrangements with a view to avoiding or resolving SEN related disagreements between parents and certain schools. These arrangements must involve an independent element and local authorities must make disagreement resolution services known to parents, schools and others they consider appropriate.