How to access and use the Citizen Portal

The Citizen Portal is a secure online resource which allows parents, carers and young people to provide input into the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) as well as view documents shared by the Local Authority.

The Citizen Portal is used by:

parents and carers
a young person over the age of 16

What you can do via the Citizen Portal

check the current status and track progress of an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) assessment
complete Section A
view the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
view Annual Review documents

Take a look at our guide on how to complete Section A.

If you require a printed version of the EHCP, please contact the SEND Service by email:

Barrow, Eden and South Lakes
SEND@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Tel: 01229 407 403

Citizen Portal - User Registration Guide for Parents and Carers

The Citizen Portal allows parents, carers and young people to share their views directly via the SEND Portal. This gives full visibility of all the information being provided by schools and professionals during the:

assessment process
as well as draft
final Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)
Annual Reviews
the Portal’s flexibility gives parents and young people more control over how and when they submit information

How to register

If you have used the Citizen Portal for School Admissions or applying for the 30 hour entitlement, you will not need to register. Use your existing account.

Before you can use the portal you must first register your details.

Parents or carers registration screen

All the information requested is important. Please complete all the required fields.
The email address is used to communicate with you.

Please Note: The password must be 10 characters or more and must include:

at least one upper case letter
one lower case letter
one number
one special symbol (e.g. !*^?$#)

You may enter 3 telephone numbers. However, only one is essential as long as we can contact you during the day.

Nearly done

Once you have submitted the registration you will be asked to check your email inbox for a message from donotreply@cumbria.gov.uk. You must click the link contained within the email to confirm we have the right email address. A thank you message will appear on screen informing you that your email address is your username.

Signing into the Portal

When you sign into the Citizen Portal for the first time, you will be required to set up Two Factor Authentication which provides an elevated level of security. Two factor authentication means that when you log into the Citizen Portal, you will need your password and a unique code that will be sent to your email address (you may need to check in your junk email folder, as the email may end up there). Every time you log in, you will be sent a different code. You need both your password AND the unique code to log in.

If this is the first time you have tried to access information for your child or young person you will need to complete and submit the Request-Authentication Form which will ensure we are giving access to the correct people. Please note that this only needs to be once, and you do not need to do this every time you log into the Portal.

There's a walk-through video which explains how to do this and will also help you navigate your way around the new system.

If you are experiencing any problems registering, then please contact:

SEND@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
Telephone: 01229 407 403

Frequently asked questions

What information is on the Citizen Portal?

For new assessments you will be able to see assessment information and the Educational, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) should one be issued. For children and young people with an existing EHCP you will be able to see the current EHCP and going forward documentation relating to Annual Reviews.

Who has access to the Citizen Portal and my child's information?

The SEND Service has access to your child’s information. The SEND Service can control who can see the SEND information about a child or young person via the portal. Each parent, carer or young person will require authentication. Required authentication is decided upon on a case by case basis.

I have already used the Citizen Portal to make school applications, do I need to set up another account?

No. Once it has been enabled, the SEND tile will appear in existing accounts.

I have more than one child, would I need to set up an account for each child?

No. You can add multiple children under the same account. You can add each child after selecting the SEND tile.

How safe is it?

When you sign up for the Citizen Portal, you will be required to set up 2 Factor Authentication which provides a high level of security. Two factor authentication means that when you log into the Citizen Portal, you will need your password and a unique code that will be sent to your email address (you may need to check in your junk email folder, as the email may end up there). Every time you log in, you will be sent a different code. You need both your password and the unique code to log in.

Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs)