What is the Local Offer

Every Local Authority has a statutory duty to publish a Local Offer.

The Local Offer has 2 key purposes:

• To provide clear, comprehensive, accessible and up-to-date information about the available provision and how to access it, and
• To make provision more responsive to local needs and aspirations by directly involving disabled children and those with SEN and their parents, and disabled young people and those with SEN, and service providers in its development and review.

What is the Local Offer?

• The Local Offer gives children, young people and their families information about what services are likely to be available in their area.
• The local offer is not a guarantee that a particular service will be available, but should be a guide to what you can expect to find and how you can access it.
• The Local Offer needs to be available on the internet.
• The Local Authority must also say how people without internet can access the Local Offer.  If you do not have the internet, please call: 07766 133 865.
• The local offer should not just be a list of services. It should give a broad range of information about the support available.
• The information should be clear and easy to find.

Who can I contact, if I think my child may have special educational needs?

Your first point of call is the Special Needs Co-ordinator or Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in your child's school or nursery.

Please Note: If you wish to discuss your child's needs further you can contact the Special Educational Needs and Disability Teams, whose contact details are below: 

Barrow, Eden and South Lakes
inclusion.b&sl.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Tel: 01229 407403 

Access to the SEND Social Work Service is initially through contacting the central hub on: 0333 240 1727

Our Cumbria SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SEND IAS) can also give you advice about SEN.