Enquire

Enquire is the Scottish advice service for additional support for learning. It is funded by the Scottish Executive and managed by Children in Scotland.

Enquire provides independent information and advice to families of children and young people who need extra help at school, to children and young people themselves and to practitioners who work with them.

Independent information and advice

Enquire offers information and advice on:

• the education system and how it works
• legal rights and responsibilities
• resolving disputes or concerns
• local support services
• the meaning of educational jargon and terminology
• participation in decision making processes       

The Enquire service

Enquire offers:

• a telephone helpline and online enquiry service
• guides, factsheets and regular bulletins
• two websites, one for parents, carers and practitioners and one for children and young people
• training and talks tailored to the needs of parents and practitioners
• workshops and dedicated information for children and young people              

The helpline

The helpline received over 3000 calls in 2004-2005. The helpline is staffed by trained advisers who can promptly give impartial advice on all aspects of education for children and young people with additional support needs. There is an answering machine to take messages out with the advertised, staffed, hours if callers wish to be called back.

Service users can contact the helpline via the lo-call rate number or using the online enquiry form. Interpreters can be arranged through Language Line in over 100 languages. A Textphone number is available for service users who are deaf, hearing impaired or have speech difficulties.  
Enquire aims to offer a confidential service but may at times need to break confidentiality where disclosures of abuse are made or where a child or young person is at risk of serious harm or neglect.

Enquire is a member of the Telephone Helplines Association.

Publications

Enquire has an extensive range of publications for families, children and young people and practitioners. The publications area of the Enquire website has free factsheets, guides and bulletins you can download.

Enquire has revised their publications to take into consideration changes brought about by the Additional Support for Learning Act. This Act came into force on the 14 November 2005.

If you would like to be added to the Enquire mailing list to receive new publications, bulletins and information, please email the Enquire office.

Publications can also be downloaded from the Enquire website. In 2004-2005 visitors to the website viewed over 40,000 pages, finding information about the service, answers to questions and links to other useful sites.

Children and young people have their own pages with information that can be played as audio clips or watched as videos of British Sign Language translations for increased accessibility.

Training, talks and workshops

Enquire offers a flexible training and outreach service aimed at parents, carers and practitioners involved in the education of children and young people who require additional support for learning.

Enquire can give talks or workshops at conferences, and events can be arranged in partnership with local agencies. Enquire delivered 22 information sessions and 4 training sessions as well as holding a national conference in 2004-2005. To find out more please visit the training and outreach area of the Enquire website.

Enquire also offers workshops in schools and out of school groups for children and young people. Workshops raise awareness of the Enquire service, give the young people a chance to ask questions, and look at issues such as 'having your say' in decisions about education. Enquire delivered 20 workshops to children and young people in 2004-2005. To find out more about this and other aspects of the Enquire service for children and young people please visit the young people's service area of the Enquire website.

If you would like to receive monthly email updates on the outreach service please email Katy MacDougall and ask to be added to the list. 

Participation

Enquire aims to empower children, young people and families to make choices and participate in decision making processes in education. We believe that the best way to do this is by supporting the exchange of information and encouraging partnerships and communication between families and practitioners.

In addition, Enquire encourages children and young people to 'have their say' on the Enquire bulletin board and to participate in out of school clubs through the interactive map (imap). If you run a club or service for children or young people you can add it to the imap.

Enquire regularly consults with children, young people, families and practitioners on their service. If you would like to give feedback on any aspect of the Enquire service, or be involved in future consultations please get in touch.

Contact Enquire

Helpline: 0845 123 2303

Textphone: 0131 22 22 439

Website and online enquiries: www.enquire.org.uk

Enquire, Children in Scotland, Princes House, 5 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh EH2 4RG

Office tel: 0131 22 22 425

Email: info@enquire.org.uk

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