Contact us
Integrated SEND Services for Children and Young People
Find out how to get in touch with the Integrated SEND services for children and young people (formally known as the Children with Complex Needs (CWCN) service).
The Special Educational Needs (SEN) team
The SEN team supports the statutory Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessments process. Senior SEN case officers are allocated to education settings and can be contacted to talk about your child / young person’s EHC plan.
Contact the SEN team
Email: SEN@lewisham.gov.uk
Telephone: 0208 314 6303 / 0208 314 6369
Children with Disabilities Service
The social work service for children with disabilities (CWD) provides assessment and support for children and young people with disabilities and their families. Referrals to the CWD service is through the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) or by calling 0208 314 6660.
Contact the Children with Disabilities Service
Tell us if you're unhappy
There are situations where someone is not happy with something that has happened. It is possible to sort it out through a phone call, email or a meeting.
Resolving situations with a phone call, for example, is an informal process.
Organisations can explain how you can make a complaint if you are unhappy with something.
The SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) can help you to raise concerns in both a formal and informal way.
Informal processes
If you are unhappy with something, you should begin by speaking to someone about it, in person, or by phone or email.
Lewisham Council
Speak to the team dealing with your request. In the SEN Team this will be your Senior SEN Caseworker or their SEN Casework Advisor.
You can write to or speak with a manager.
You can contact the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS) for support.
Schools and colleges
Speak to a teacher, head of year or the special educational needs coordinator (SENCO).
In most cases, speaking with the teams in the first instance should resolve the situation. If you are still unhappy with the result you can follow the formal complaints process.
Formal complaint processes
Lewisham Council
If you're not happy with a service you've received from us, there is a formal complaints process.
If you are unhappy with a decision made by us about your request for an education, health and care (EHC) plan, or the content of your child's EHC plan, there is a mediation and tribunal process. You can contact Kids Mediation and resolution advice service for support.
Health services
View information on how to complain about NHS services.
Early years providers
Speak to your childminder, or talk to your child's key person, SENCO or manager at the nursery in the first instance.
For all registered providers, formal complaints are made to Ofsted.
Schools and colleges
Speak to your child’s class teacher, head of year, tutor or SENCO to try and sort the problem out as early as possible.
If you are not satisfied with the school’s response, you can use their complaints procedure. Every school, further education and sixth form college must have a complaints policy. Check their website or ask for a copy.
Further details about making complaints about a school can be found on GOV.UK.
Feeback on the Local Offer
Tell us what you think of the Lewisham SEND Local Offer for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and their families.
We want to hear about:
- how we can improve the Lewisham SEND Local Offer
- your experience of services and facilities in Lewisham
Share your views by email
Feedback sessions
We will be setting up regular meetings with young people, parents / carers and professionals to help us improve our Local Offer. Watch this space for details.
Publishing your feedback - you said, we did
We publish the comments we get about the Local Offer annually and explain what we did in response. Published comments are anonymous.