SEND Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service

The SEND Mediation and Disagreement Resolution Service is a statutory requirement under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. The service provides impartial disagreement resolution and mediation services to support the resolution of disagreements between parents or young people and education providers, local authorities, or health commissioners around elements of an Education. Health and Care Plan.

The SEND Code of Practice states that mediation must be conducted by an independent service provider.

In scope

• Delivery of independent, impartial mediation covering disputes for children and young people aged 0 - 25 where families have a right to mediation under Chapter 11 of the SEND Code of Practice.
• Provision of Disagreement Resolution for issues outside statutory mediation but still part of SEND processes (e.g., disagreements with schools or providers about SEN provision), as required by the SEND Code of Practice.
• Providing legally required mediation information and advice to parents/young people prior to any potential mediation request.
• Production of a quarterly monitoring report to include thematic analysis and trends alongside specific KPIs

Out of scope

• Any sharing of opinion or involvement in decision-making (mediation services facilitate discussions)
• Any legal or tribunal advocacy
• Any casework, key-working or ongoing support
• Any dispute outside of that governed by the Children and Families Act or SEND Code of Practice