We have moved from England to Wales where can we get help?

Parent Asks:

We have moved from Wales to England. We have not provided our new address to the LA. Therefore, they have referred us to Education Welfare, who have emailed requesting our new address as they claim they have a statutory responsibility to track all children leaving the authority. Is this correct please? Our reason for the lack of engagement is that they were ignored when we raised safe guarding issues. It was for this reason that we undertook homeschooling.

IPSEA Answers:

IPSEA covers SEND Law in England and therefore the system in Wales is outside of our remit and we could not advise regarding the Education Welfare procedures and policies there. However, you may find information on the following links helpful:

https://www.gov.wales/school-attendance-and-absence

https://contact.org.uk/help-for-families/information-advice-services/education-learning-wales/

https://cerebra.org.uk/tag/wales/

https://cerebra.org.uk/download/education-in-wales-a-guide-for-parents/

The following guidance may also be useful:

https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2020-09/statutory-guidance-help-prevent-children-young-people-missing-education.pdf

Now that you are in England, you may find the information on IPSEA’s website about LA duties useful in understanding your rights to support if needed:

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/how-should-the-local-authority-help

You may also find our information on home schooling useful if still relevant: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/home-schooling-and-education-otherwise