provision specified in the statement, including the named school, and the procedures t followed if they wish to do so.

4:69. Recourse to the Tribunal will inevitably be stressful for parents and time-consuming for the LEA concerned.  To minimise appeals to the Tribunal, LEAs should ensure that parents have the fullest possible access to information and support during the statutory assessment process and that they are fully involved in contributing to their child's statement.


The Named Person

4:70. When the LEA send the parents the final version of the statement, they must inform parents in writing of the name of the person who in future can give the parents advice information about their child's special educational needs.  This is the parents' Named Person.

4:71. Part 3 of this Code recommends that LEAs and parents might discuss the identity of Named Person at the start of the assessment process.  When parents so choose. individual can then help them during the making of the assessment and any subsequent statement.  Some parents may decide not to have a Named Person at this early others may need the help of a voluntary organisations, or parents' group in choosing Named Persons.

4:72. It is the LEA's responsibility to identify the Named Person when a statement is made. should always seek to do so in cooperation with the parents.  The Named Person should be someone whom the parents can trust.  He or she should be capable of giving par-. accurate information and sound advice.  LEAs may wish to consult local voluntary organisations, parents' groups and relevant professionals in order to identify individuals who are willing to act as Named Persons.

4:73. If the parents decide that they do not wish to suggest a Named Person, the LEA must still give them the name of someone from whom advice and information can be obtained. There is no statutory restriction on the identity of the Named Person.  Normally, however, there will be advantage in that person being someone who is independent of and who is not employed by the LEA.  The role of the Named Person is not the same as that of the Named LEA Officer.  Both help parents.  But the Named Person acts as an independent adviser, while the Named LEA Officer acts as a source of information within the LEA.  The Named Person might, therefore, be someone with whom the LEA works in a pa:partnership scheme.