Schools, SEND and social care
Examples: Refused a school place, EHC plan refused or wrong, Worried about a child, Care for an older relative.
If someone is in danger or it can't wait:
What do you need?
Pick one — each answer below says where to start and where to go next.
I want to report a problem or apply for something
Start here
Portsmouth City Council — School Admissions
Apply for a school place or join a waiting list → · 023 9268 8008
Why them: The council co-ordinates admissions and waiting lists for Portsmouth schools.
- Keep your child on waiting lists for refused schools
- Keep a child on a waiting list if you do not respond by the deadline
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Portsmouth City Council — Adult Social Care helpdesk
Report a concern about an adult or ask for care support → · 023 9268 0810
Why them: Adult social care and adult safeguarding are council duties.
- Take safeguarding referrals for yourself, family, friends or neighbours
- Replace 999 where someone is in immediate danger
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I want to challenge a decision that has been made about me
Start here
First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability)
Appeal an EHC needs assessment or EHC plan decision →
Why them: Refusals to assess, refusals to issue a plan, the content of a plan and ceasing a plan all carry a statutory right of appeal to the tribunal.
- Order changes to education sections (B, F, I) of an EHC plan
- Order an assessment or a plan
- Hear most appeals without a mediation certificate (not needed if the appeal is only about the named school, section I)
How long it should take: Appeal must reach the tribunal within 2 months of the council's decision letter, or 1 month from the mediation certificate, whichever is later.
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Independent school admission appeal panel
Appeal a refused school place →
Why them: Every refusal carries a right of appeal to an independent panel following the School Admission Appeals Code.
- Uphold the appeal if admission criteria were not properly followed, or if your case outweighs the school's
- Usually uphold infant class size appeals (Reception to Year 2), which have restricted legal grounds
How long it should take: At least 20 school days to lodge an appeal; at least 10 school days' notice of the hearing; hearing within 40 school days of the appeal deadline; decision usually within 5 school days.
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — Complaint about the appeal PROCESS for a maintained school (not the decision)
- Department for Education — Complaint about the appeal process for an academy or free school
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I need someone to help me with my case
Start here
Portsmouth SENDIASS (run by Barnardo's)
Get free, impartial advice on SEND, EHC plans and appeals → · 023 9323 3656
Why them: The statutory SEND information, advice and support service for Portsmouth parents, carers and young people aged 0–25, independent of council decisions.
- Explain SEND law and your options
- Support you through EHC processes and meetings
- Make or change EHC decisions
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Your ward councillors (3 per ward, 14 wards)
Ask your ward councillor to take up your case or raise it with the council →
Why them: Councillors do ward casework and set council policy and budget, so they can chase officers on a council matter and raise patterns with the relevant Cabinet member or a scrutiny panel.
- Raise your case with council officers and ask for an explanation
- Act as your representative in a council complaint (with your consent)
- Raise an issue with the relevant executive (Cabinet) member or ask a scrutiny committee to look at it
- Instruct officers to overturn a decision taken under a statutory process
- Decide matters that belong to another body (NHS, police, water companies, government departments)
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I want to change how things are done, not just fix my case
Start here
Portsmouth SEND Local Offer (council)
Take part in SEND co-production and strategy consultation →
Why them: The council publishes its SEND and alternative provision strategy and involvement strategy through the Local Offer.
- Shape local SEND services through participation and co-production
- Change national SEND law or the high-needs funding formula
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Your MP (Portsmouth North or Portsmouth South)
Ask your MP to raise national law or funding with ministers →
Why them: SEND law (Children and Families Act 2014) and school and high-needs funding are national, so they are genuinely MP matters.
- Write to or question ministers
- Raise the issue in Parliament
- Make representations on your behalf to UK government departments
- Direct council officers or decide council spending
- Overturn a court, tribunal or council decision
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
I have complained and it has not been put right
Start here
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Complain to the LGSCO about EHC delays, undelivered EHC provision or social care →
Why them: It is the independent, free final step for complaints about council services, adult social care and most council housing functions other than social housing.
- Investigate delays in EHC assessment and annual reviews
- Investigate failure to secure provision in an EHC plan
- Investigate children's and adult social care complaints after the council process
- Investigate decisions that carry a right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal
- Investigate the school's own actions (only the council's)
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Also useful
Department for Education
Complain to DfE after completing a school's own complaints procedure →
Why them: Complaints about schools themselves (not council decisions) go to the school, then DfE.
- Consider whether the school handled your complaint correctly
- Deal with term-time holiday fines, compensation or staff behaviour
Checked 23 September 2026 · source
Your councillors and MP
Useful if the route above has failed, or it's about local policy. Optional: we look up your postcode once and never store it.
Good to know
This tells you where to start and what comes next. It is not legal advice. Time limits shown are the ones each body publishes; always check your own decision letter, which may give a different deadline.