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SENA Customer Service Standards

All our staff will

  • treat colleagues, partners, and customers fairly and with respect
  • be polite, helpful, open, and honest
  • provide easy to understand, useful and up to date information about our services
  • respect confidentiality and manage information we hold sensitively and securely
  • have the right to do their jobs without being verbally or physically abused

Service Standards

  • Our service will work in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2016
  • Whenever possible, enquiries will be answered at the first point of contact
  • If this isn't possible, callers will be connected to the appropriate area, this may be a team within SENA or another department within Leicestershire County Council
  • Wherever possible, we will let you know who will be dealing with your enquiry within 5 working days
  • Wherever possible and where appropriate, emails will be responded to within 5 working days

  • When you contact the service, your contact may need to be re-directed to a more appropriate team or service area. In this instance, we will let you know that this has happened

  • We will operate in accordance with timescales as set out Code of Practice 2015

  • The service will treat children and young people as individuals, with a child / young person-centred approach

  • All reasonable efforts will be made to ensure the voice and views of the parent / carer / child / young person is considered in our work. Those over the age of 16 will be supported to promote their own views and wishes

  • We will communicate clearly, minimising technical terms wherever possible

Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA) process

  • You will receive a generic acknowledgement that the application has been logged

  • The SENA team will review the application. SENA may agree to carry out a EHCNA or they may decline the request for assessment. You will be notified of that decision in writing, along with the reason why that decision has been reached. You will be signposted to any appropriate support options and informed of your rights of appeal.

  • If the decision is made to progress the request for assessment, we will aim to complete EHCNAs in a timely manner, making consistent needs-based decisions on provision to best support the assessed, eligible needs that have been identified, communicating these decisions effectively

  • The person that manages this stage of the process is called a Case Manager, they will be in contact to introduce themselves and discuss the next steps with you

  • There are occasions when several weeks will pass without communication from the service, this is a normal part of the EHCNA process. To avoid unnecessary worry or stress for families, information is available via the local offer to support you through the process

  • Following the assessment of needs, SENA will either agree or decline to issue an EHCP. You will be informed of that decision along with the reason why that decision has been reached. You will be signposted to any appropriate support options and informed of your rights of appeal. 

  • If it is concluded that SENA should issue an EHCP, then you will be sent a copy, known as a ‘draft’. You will have 15 days to review this draft and offer your feedback, after which point the plan will be ‘finalised’.

Annual Review on an EHCP

  • An annual review of the EHCP is held to ensure every child or young person continues to receive the appropriate level of support necessary to achieve the best achievable long-term outcomes

  • The named education provider will arrange to review the EHCP. Once they have held this review meeting, they will send all related paperwork to SENA

  • SENA will review the information submitted by the school or college and make a decision based on this. It is therefore important that all involved professionals, the child / young person and their parent / carer have contributed

  • SENA will decide if the EHCP needs any changes or if it remains appropriate to support the identified SEN needs. SENA may also decide that all outcomes have been successfully met and the EHCP is no longer required.

  • You will receive a generic letter that will inform you of the decision, the letter will contain the contact information for the team that dealt with the annual review of the EHCP and where SENA are proposing to cease a plan you will be offered information on support options that are still available along with your right of appeal.