Information Network

About

The Wakefield Information Network (IN) is a register of families with children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), aged 0 to 25 years, and practitioners who work with them. The IN is used to send out information about support and services, consultation exercises and a termly newsletter aimed at them. 
The IN also includes information used for the Disabled Children’s Register, the Council has a statutory duty to keep and update the register although it is voluntary for people to join it. This register helps the Council and partners with planning what services and support may be needed in the area for children and young people. It will also inform the future needs of adult services across the Wakefield district.

When you join the Information Network you can also choose to be given a Max Card, a national discount initiative for children and young people with SEND aged 0-25 years. Cards are funded as part of the Information Network by Wakefield Council. A card will be provided for each child registered on the network and are valid for approximately two years. To apply for a new card on expiry, please contact Informationnetwork@wakefield.gov.uk or call the WISENDSS team on 01924 302471 for information on how to receive a new card

For more information about Max Cards, please see the Max Card and Max Card Flyer

What information will I be asked?

You can join the IN as a parent or carer of a child or young person with additional needs. Young people aged 16-25 years with additional needs can also join the IN themselves and will need to provide the same details as parent or carers listed below. They can do this if they are able to understand and make their own decisions what consent they will give about how we could use their information.

Practitioners who work with families with children and young people with additional needs can also join the IN. This can help them keep up to date with the latest news to be able to make families aware of what is available in the local area.

Practitioners
If you are a practitioner, including those who work in schools, health or voluntary organisation, we would need to know your contact details including email and where you work or how you help families with children with SEND.

Parents or Carers

As a parent or carer, including foster carer or grandparent etc. of a child or children with SEND, we ask you for:

•Your child or children’s names, date of birth and SEND details
•Details of ethnicity, which you can opt not to share
•Your contact details
•How you prefer us to contact you, by email or post.

We ask for information about your child or children so that we understand the needs of disabled children in our area up to and including the age of 25 years old. Information about ethnicity is asked for to help with any anonymous statistics the Council is asked for or must provide. You can choose to tell us or you can prefer not to say.

We ask you about how you would like us to address you when we write to you to make sure post is correctly written; some people like to use the title, initial and surname but some people may prefer we use their first name instead.

You can choose to get information from us by email or post. If we can send information to you by email it will reduce costs to produce things like the newsletter as well as postage costs, allowing funds to be used elsewhere. Receiving information by email will also mean you will get it sooner.

How can I join?

Parents/Carers/Young person can complete an online Application Form to register click here Information Network On-Line Application Form

 

Alternatively, you can download a copy of the paper Application Form or contact the WISENDSS Team by email Informationnetwork@wakefield.gov.uk  and we will send you a copy to complete or telephone 01924 302471.

 

Postal applications will need to be returned to ~WISENDSS Team, Room 232 County Hall, Bond Street, Wakefield, WF1 2QW.

Practitioners can complete an online Application Form to register click here -

Information Network Practitioner On-Line Application Form

 

Alternatively, you can download a copy of the paper Application Form or contact the WISENDSS Team by email Informationnetwork@wakefield.gov.uk and we will send you a copy to complete or telephone on 01924 302471.

 

IN Practitioners Application Form April 2022

Postal applications will need to be returned to WISENDSS Team, Room 232 County Hall, Bond Street, Wakefield, WF1 2QW.

How will you share the information?

As part of your application to the IN, you will be asked to let us know how you consent for us to be able to use and share your information. It is important that you read and complete this carefully to help us make sure we only use the information you provide in a way you are happy with.

For example, you will be able to tell us that you only want is to use your child’s information anonymously or you would like to hear about consultation exercises but would prefer not to receive a newsletter or hear about play schemes.

Please read the Information Network Privacy Policy for further information.

What happens next?

We will contact you again every 2 years to make sure the information we hold is up to date and your consent details are still correct. We will contact you sooner if your child becomes 16 years old during this time as at that point, if they are able to, they will need to complete details about how they consent for us to use their information. If your child is not capable at that point of understanding what they are consenting to, we need you to let us know.

How to change your details

You can call the WISENDSS Team 01924 302471 or you can write to us at WISENDSS Team, Room 232 County Hall, Bond Street, Wakefield, WF1 2QW.

You can also email us at Informationnetwork@wakefield.gov.uk

However, sending personal information by email is not classed as secure and we would advise you use one of the other ways to contact us as mentioned above.