Do you need to know more about the Care Act?
What is the Care Act?
The Care Act 2014 instructs local authorities to give all residents and people with care and support needs information and advice which includes:
- how the social care system works and how you access it
- what’s available and a choice of how people receive services (including health, housing and employment)
- financial advice to understand care changes, ways to pay, money management and where to get independent financial advice
- how to raise concerns about safety and wellbeing
To help explain things more, the Department for Education has provided a comprehensive suite of fact sheets describing the duties and responsibilities on their website. Visit the DfE website here
What does SEND IASS mean to you?
The Council for Disabled Children has produced a 5-minute animation that provides an introduction to SEND local Information, Advice and Support Services (IASS).
IASS is a statutory function of local authorities and provides support to children and young people with SEND, and parents, about matters relating to SEND.
We hope you find it useful and informative, and that it is a communication tool.
You can also access the animation here: https://youtu.be/54R4cDbX6L8
More about Hertfordshire's SEND IASS is available on the Local Offer here.
Applying for a school place ?
School admissions can be stressful for any family. The choice parents have is often limited by where they live, complex admission arrangements and increased pressure on school 
places in the area.
Families with disabled children may have additional concerns about whether a school will include their child, keep them safe and give them the help they need to learn.
The information on this Contact webpage will help you apply for a place for your child, whether they are starting school for the first time or changing to another school.
Most children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will get a school place in the same way as children without SEND. There is a different system for children with an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan / statement of special educational needs. The information looks at both.
Winter health - dial 111
The NHS in Hertfordshire is running a campaign urging parents and carers of primary school-age children to call NHS 111 for urgent medical help or to talk to a pharmacist if their medical concern isn’t urgent.
NHS 111 is the single telephone number to get urgent help from a variety of healthcare services. It’s free to call and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Based in Welwyn Garden City and run by Herts Urgent Care (HUC), the NHS 111 call centre provides high quality urgent healthcare to nearly three million patients across the East of England.
Many of us get ill over winter, especially with coughs, colds and flu, but there are lots of things you can do to manage your winter illness yourself and help prevent catching it from others.
Use your local pharmacy
Pharmacists are experts in medicines and minor ailments. That means that you can drop in for advice and support on things such as coughs, colds and headaches without an appointment. Many pharmacies are in handy locations and are open evenings and weekends. You can use the NHS services finder to locate your nearest pharmacy.
For more winter-health information from NHS their leaflet for parents/carers is available online here and there is a NHS flyer aimed at parents with young children here.
The NHS Stay Well website also has lots of further information to help you and your family stay well over the winter in cold weather.
Blue Badge Applications
Since the National Blue Badge non-visible (hidden) disability changes were introduced on 30th August 2019, Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has seen a 10% increase in overall applications. 1000 of these were non-visible (hidden) applications.
During the assessment of non-visible (hidden) applications, HCC has found that those approved, and which met the criteria, were amongst customers with ‘moderate to severe’ cases of the following conditions:
| *Child conditions |
*Adult Conditions |
| Autism |
Dementia |
| ADHD |
Learning Difficulties |
| Learning difficulties |
Psychological distress |
| Anxiety |
Colitis |
| Down Syndrome |
COPD |
*Please note the above list is not exhaustive
Having a certain condition does not automatically entitle someone to a Blue Badge. Customers must provide supporting documentation from a professional with their Blue Badge application.
To find out more or to apply for a Blue Badge visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/bluebadge.
Submitting your application online is the quickest and easiest method to apply.