Parents advice centre

Tower Hamlets parents advice centre provides information, support and advice to parents and carers of children with special educational needs in mainstream and special schools. It also provides information and advice to parents and carers of children who have been excluded from school and information on admissions and appeals. In addition, it supports schools in developing close relationships with parents and works closely with voluntary and other agencies in the community.

The parents advice centre provides the following services:

• A telephone helpline from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday (Tel: 020 7702 8316)
• A drop-in advice session from 9.30 am to 3.30 pm on Tuesdays
• Advice and information about special educational needs and the statutory assessment process
• Help with understanding letters and written information and with translation into Bengali and Somali
• Support with writing letters and filling in forms, including the parental contribution to the assessment process
• Support with preparing for meetings such as annual reviews and attending these with the parents and interpreting during the meetings if necessary
• Help in resolving any difficulties that arise relating to the assessment or the support your child receives
• Advice and support with appeals if your child is excluded from school
• Advice on school admissions.

Resources

The Parents advice centre also has the below resources available:

• Videos and audio cassettes about special educational needs which can be borrowed on loan
• A place for parents to meet one another, including free creche facilities
• Workshops and parent support groups
• Referrals to other services when needed
• Parenting programmes, including a range of workshops and courses to support parenting skills
• Informative leaflets on a range of topics, including Early years action and Special educational needs.

Leaflets

A whole range of useful leaflets are available from the Parents advice centre. These can be downloaded from the links below:

Newsletter

Autumn newsletter (PDF 140k)

Parents advice centre

Parent Advice Centre leaflet (PDF 425k)
Parent Advice Centre leaflet in Bengali (PDF 191k)
Parent Advice Centre leaflet in Somali (PDF 171k)

Customer service standards

Customer service standards in English (PDF 134k)
Customer service standards in Bengali (PDF 860k)
Customer service standards in Somali (PDF 125k)

Early years action

Early Years Action in Bengali (PDF 49k)
Early Years Action in Somali (PDF 32k)
Early Years Action in English (PDF 31k)

Early years action plus

Early Years Action Plus in English (PDF 33k)
Early Years Action Plus in Bengali (PDF 49k)
Early Years Action Plus in Somali (PDF 32k)

School action

School Action in Bengali (PDF 34k)
School Action in Somali (PDF 32k)
School Action in English (PDF 31k)

School action plus

School Action Plus in Bengali (PDF 49k)
School Action Plus in Somali (PDF 32k)
School Action Plus in English (PDF 31k)

 

Special educational needs

Special Educational Needs in Bengali (PDF 47k)
Special Educational Needs in Somali (PDF 31k)
Special Educational Needs in English (PDF 31k)
Special Educational Needs Annual Review (PDF 107k)

Statutory assessments

Statutory Assessments in Bengali (PDF 56k)
Statutory Assessments in Somali (PDF 37k)
Statutory Assessments in English (PDF 35k)

Individual education plans

Individual Education Plans (PDF 32k)

Year 9 transition planning

Year 9 Transition Planning (PDF 32k)

Choice Advice

Choice Advice in English (PDF 158k)
Choice Advice in Bengali (PDF 219k)
Choice Advice in Somali (PDF 200kb)

Secondary School Admissions Appeals

Secondary School Admissions Appeals in English (PDF 860k)

Other support services in Tower Hamlets

Glossary (PDF 106k)

Useful links

Department for Education and Skills

This website contains information for parents - Parents Centre Learning Support Page

This website contains information for parents with children with special educational needs - TeacherNet centre for special educational needs

This website has a wide range of advice and materials for teachers, parents and others interested in or working with children with special educational needs.

Helpful organisations

The Children's Information Service - This service provides information on childcare and other services for children in Tower Hamlets.

For further information, please visit the Childcarelink website or call:

Tel: 020 7364 6495

Tower Hamlets Deaf children’s society

Any family with a child who is deaf or who has impaired hearing can join this group. The group meets regularly and raises funds to provide parties and trips for these children and their families. There is a weekly signing class for parents (Mondays 10.00 to 12.00) and also an English class (Tuesdays 10.00 to 12.00). A free crèche is also available. The Tower Hamlets group is affiliated to the National Deaf Children’s Society.

For further information, please contact:

Tower Hamlets Deaf children's society
85 Harford Street
London
E1 4PY

Tel: 020 7364 6489

Contacting the Parents advice centre

Parents can contact us by phone, letter, email or by attending the drop-in advice session. The Parents advice centre also offers appointments at the centre and can arrange home visits if necessary.

You can call the Parents advice centre helpline from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday on:

Tel: 020 7702 8316

You can also attend the drop-in advice session on Tuesdays between 9.30am and 3.30pm.

Parents Advice Centre
85 Harford Street
London
E1 4PY

Fax: 020 7364 6392
Minicom: 020 7364 6450

E-mail: pac@towerhamlets.gov.uk

If you contact the parents advice centre by email or by letter, please allow 3 working days for a response.

Comments or complaints

If you would like to comment on the parents advice centre service or make a complaint, please contact:

Tel: 020 7364 6392

E-mail: pac@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Or the corporate complaints team.

Further information

For further information, please contact one of the following council officers:

Tel: 020 7364 6392

E-mail: pac@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Parents advice centre new referrals form

Pid No: 53