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What happens if your appeal date is imminent and the leagl team reperesenting the Local Authority withdraws.
Today was the final date to submit evidence on our choice of school for our child. I was also awaiting evidence from the legal team acting on behalf of the LA. They informed me they have not been instructed and ceased to act on their behalf.
Watched by 1
Still waiting for EHCP, son not coping in state school
We started the EHCP process in Feb 23, and we still haven't seen a draft plan. There's been huge breaks between specialist appointments but we've finally spoken to the educational psychologist. We're nearly at 30 weeks since this process started.
My contact at the council isn't responding to me.
Can anyone advise who I should be contacting within a council to get an update.
My son has just started a mainstream school and has become violent and isn't receiving much support as we don't have this plan.Helen Murdoch
20 Sep 2023
Watched by 1
Taking children out of school during term time
I will be taking my children out of school next month for our family holiday. 2 of my children have additional needs, one is diagnosed combined adhd and one awaiting assessment for adhd/asd. Neither of them cope well in overcrowded situations with one having social anxiety and the other being liable to wonder off etc. this is the main reason for going out of term time so it will not be as busy. Is there anything I can do in order to not receive an fine from my local authorities for doing this.
Mark Walker
16 Sep 2023
Watched by 2
As the parent of a child with an EOTIS package, where the provider is not meeting need, and it has broken down, do I have the right to source other tutoring services?
My LA are refusing to consult with another tutoring service, which I have found, and incidentally are on their tenured list of providers. My daughter has no education right now, is nearly 16 and has not even started her GCSEs. They are ignoring my urgent request for an annual review too.
Watched by 3
Can we appeal for transport to specialist school if we've said we'll organise it?
D14, autistic, SPD has been given a placement at an independent specialist. Nearest mainstream said they could still meet need (though they have to say that, right?) so we've had to agree to transport my daughter. Daughter lives with dad (my ex) and he now says he can't transport every day (he's a lecturer and his work can't put all his lectures during her school hours). I'm 90 minutes away and disabled. The EHCP is still in draft as moved from one LA to current after draft received and EHCP is vague and missing huge amount of necessary detail. Annual Review to be held 6 weeks into first term to transfer ECHP into new LA's format etc. Main issue for my daughter is environment so mainstream could meet academic need but she'd not be able to attend as she needs a small, quite setting. Is there any point trying to appeal this? Do I wait until the Annual Review and hope the EHCP is more detailed and therefore it's easier to prove that the mainstream can't meet need? Very frustrated that I've worked for a year to get her an EHCP and a suitable placement for her to risk losing it!
Lindsay Ellis Holland
25 Aug 2023
Watched by 306
Should an LA go out for consultation to schools to see if they can meet a need with a draft EHCP which has not been agreed by parents and excludes much of the expert evidence?
We are applying for an EOTAS package for my autistic daughter who is in burnout and cannot access school. We have an EP report, specialist OT report and CAMHS letter to confirm that EOTAS is the most suitable education for her and we have carefully put together a detailed (and reasonable) package mapped against the needs, outcomes and provision detailed in the expert reports. The draft EHCP we were sent in response to this excluded a lot of the evidence from the expert reports which indicated EOTAS and that specialist support was needed and then sent this draft to panel and out to consultation to schools before we had returned our comments (on time within the 15 days) which highlighted the evidence which was missing. Is this right, as any consultation will be based on inaccurate information/plan? The LA are consulting schools as they need to be satisfied that educating her in a school is inappropriate - even though all the expert evidence clearly shows this?
Also we are being told that we cannot include any details in the EHCP about the skills and attributes the person providing the provision must have e.g. trauma informed, SEMH experience. Is this correct?
Any advice would be very much appreciated.Watched by 5
If a school states that placing your child in their school renders the efficient education or use of resources. Is a judge still likely to overturn this if witness statements and evidence from the schools support their view point. What evidence can I bring to challenge this?
I will need to submit further evidence before the hearing.
Watched by 2
LA duty to support during school holidays
Good Afternoon
School Holiday Help!
Bear with me it’s a long one, we have 4 year old boy/girl twins. Who are off to separate schools come September my girl the local mainstream and my boy ASD hub another mainstream. For the last 2 1/2 years they’ve attended preschool together, my boy has had a 1:1 for a good portion of that time and although they really didn’t have to they have absorbed the cost for this during holiday club. They are happy to keep him during the holidays but we need to fund 1:1.
I have been trying since April to get something sorted. I initially applied for participation funding but the form was lost, I then applied again and was told to also apply for a carers assessment which I did. We’ve just had that back but it seems the social worker had done an assessment for participation fund which I asked her several times if this was the case as far as I was concerned the participation and the carers assessment were two very different things so wasn’t sure why she was involving herself in it.
We’ve been given 6 hours for 6 weeks only (which isn’t what I was asking the social worker for) my bill for the twins is close to £2,500 for the summer. We’ve had to take a mortgage break to pay for it.
We both work full time and have no family locally and I believe my son should have the same opportunity as my daughter, and our family have the same opportunity to work as other families do (and not working isn’t an option)
I have tried everything we have one SEN play scheme for his age which is only available to book 1 day a week and is grossly oversubscribed. The HAF activities all ask he has a 1:1 and are at schools/playing fields and he’s a runner he’d be out of there. Childminders/nannies don’t wanna know about school holidays only.
I’ve raised a complaint with LA about the way the whole thing has been handled but also about lack of services.
Do I have any more options? What is the LA’s duty in supporting us? I remember reading something in the children’s act about them having a duty to support parents who wish to work/study? Could I call an emergency review of his EHCP to look at the social care element as his needs are currently met during term time we can muddle through.
Erm yeah just help! Thanks if you got this far!Alex Price
08 Aug 2023
Watched by 2
We were issued an EHCP over the summer for my 7 yr old daughter which left out SALT and OT input, even though we supplied very detailed private ...
... assessments in both these areas - these are the two largest areas of need. The LA told us they would update the EHCP when the NHS OT/SALT had seen our daughter. As the time was running out for mediation or appeal to be triggered and we still had an EHCP that was not fit for purpose, we initiated mediation. Mediation is now December, the OT and SALT reports have just been done. Yesterday, through the mediator, the LA sent the NHS OT and SALT reports with a word version of the current EHCP, and asked us to mark up what changes we want. Are parents really expected to write the EHCP's with no qualifications, having no idea of what a good EHCP should look like? I'd like to know what should happen in the process, and what's the most practical thing for us to do now - if the best shot at getting what we need is to go back and pay a private EP to review and make changes, then I'll have to take it, but seems unbelievably unfair. Doubt they will do it in time of our December mediation date, in which case we will have to move the mediation date. Any advice would be really appreciated! Thank you.
Watched by 7
I have received the consult response from SEND schools from the local authority Solicitor. When I respond back with my evidence /comments do I include all parties involved in the case and report back on which school I want named?
My child's case is at the tribunal as the local authority wants to place my child at a school 1 hour away outside of the local area. All other schools in our local area have reported being oversubscribed, not able to meet his needs. Additionally some state that my child would impact negatively on the needs of other existing students due to lack of resources and capacity.
Watched by 2