Merton SEN Team
The Merton SEN Team carries out the following duties:
Assessments for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Issue of EHCPs, if appropriate.
Updates to EHCPs, including ceasing plans where appropriate
Who to contact
- Telephone
- 020 8545 4810
- SEN@merton.gov.uk
Location
- Name
- Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Integrated Service
- Address
-
London Borough Of Merton
Civic Centre, London Road
Morden
- Postcode
- SM4 5DX
Other Details
Availability
- Other notes
Making a complaint
If you wish to make a complaint, comment or send us a compliment please contact sen@merton.gov.uk or via the phone number provided. If the matter is sensitive and/or personal, please ask for the contact details of the SEN Manager explaining the reasons why you need to contact them directly.
If you remain dissatisfied and wish to complain about the process followed or the way you have been communicated with by the team, please follow Merton Council’s formal complaints process.
If you are unhappy with the content of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or a Statement of Special Educational Needs, your initial contact will be the EHCP Coordinator in charge of your child’s case or your own case if you are a young person. If you don’t know who this person is, please ring or email us using the contact details above and someone will be able to help you. The team phone and email is monitored throughout each normal working day.
You can also contact the Merton Information, Advice and Support Service (MIASS) who can help you to resolve any disputes and misunderstandings.
Parents and young people also have the right to ask for independent dispute resolution services as set out in the SEN Code of Practice 2015. Our provider of this service currently is Global Mediation.
Parents and young people have the right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal and/or seek formal mediation services during the statutory stages described in the SEN Code of Practice 2015. At these times, you will be informed by letter of your rights, the options open to you, timescales involved and contact details of the people to contact. The process is also summarised on the Local Offer website.
The process for appealing against a decision regarding SEN Transport is set out in Merton’s SEN Transport Policy.
Local Offer
- Description
The SEN Team coordinates the assessment of education, health and care needs when it considers that it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made for the child or young person in accordance with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Normally an EHC needs assessment follows on from planning already undertaken with parents and young people in conjunction with an early years provider, school, post-16 institution or other learning provider.
For more details about the process that the SEN Team follows in carrying out an assessment and issuing an EHCP (where appropriate) ,see the guidance around Transferring to an EHCP. For information about how to request an EHC needs assessment for your child, please see the guidance around How to request an EHC Needs Assessment
Commissioning Provision
The Local Authority is responsible for commissioning the education provision defined in EHCPs apart from health provision which is the responsibility of the NHS. The SEN Team works closely with Social Care and Health Providers.
Annual Reviews
Each EHCP must be reviewed each year. The SEN Team is responsible for ensuring that this annual review process takes place and is carried out in accordance with the SEN Code of Practice 2014. The SEN Team may delegate the running of the annual review meeting to early years providers, schools, colleges, or other relevant providers.
The Local Offer
The SEN Team is responsible for the content of the parts of the Local Offer that relate to the duties outlined above.