Volunteers - Independent Parental Supporters

Independent parental supporters (IPS’s) are volunteers trained by Parent Partnership to support and advise parents of children with special educational needs/disabilities.  IPS’s help parents to play a more confident, active and informed part in their child’s education.

What does an Independent Parental Supporter do?

An IPS can offer support by:

• Providing information or helping parents to locate information
• Helping parents complete forms or letters
• Go with parents to meetings
• Helping parents to express their views
• Assisting and supporting parents with a statutory assessment of their child’s special educational needs
• Helping parents to talk through the options available and make informed choices about their child.

An IPS does not:

• Make decisions for parents
• Tell parents what they should do
• Attend meetings or write reports in parent’s absence
• Help parents with issues unrelated to their child’s special educational needs.

How long will the Independent Parental Support be able to provide support?

That depends, some parents/carers feel that an initial visit and occasional telephone contact provides the level of support they need.  Other parents/carers need regular visits and ongoing support, particularly when their child is undergoing a statutory assessment of special educational needs.

Independent parental supporters are independent of the Local Authority and so can give parents unbiased, neutral information.

Could you help?

If you have time to spare you could make a real difference to parents on the Isle of Wight.  The time our volunteers spend helping Parent Partnership varies. The volunteers themselves decide how much time they want to commit. We pay expenses and arrange insurance.  For more information about becoming an Independent Parental Supporter volunteer please contact us for an informal chat.