Help! 8 days to the end of the year and told there is NO educational provision for my son going into Year 2.

[Butterflyface]

Re-posted here for traffic -Last September, after his annual review being delayed from the previous July, DH, his SENCO and I jointly decided that DS3 then DESPERATELY needed to transfer to special school. DS4 is also on the spectrum, but has a more severe SAL delay, so he is due to start at the special school in September in Reception.
But on Monday, Children's "Services" informed us that, there is currently no plan for ANY kind of provision for DS3 in Sep. He's struggled in mainstream for two years with a FT INA, who is leaving, and the school, thinking that DS3's transfer was all in process, have not replaced her.
Now, here comes the real reason as to why this monumental fuck-up has occurred - although we submitted the forms in September, the school and we were asked to resubmit the forms in April/May, apparently as they needed more information. The school and we knew that they had obviously lost the original paperwork.
The panel was in June, and it was decided that DS3 needs specialist provision, backed up by school, his EP, the Outreach SALT who says out of ALL of her outreach children, he's the one most in need.
But naturally the special school no longer have any places available, as they've already been allocated.
ALL of the communication we've had with Children's Services, bar the phone call I had today with them, has been initiated by us. The only way we've known anything about what has been going on is because we've tried to keep in touch with mainstream school, but even that's been hard going.

To say I'm stressed about this is a VAST understatement - we have two other DCs (so 4 altogether) who this will also impact on -
I know they're going to say keep him in mainstream with a recruited-at-the-last-minute INA, but his SENCO and we know that this year his frustration has escalated to the point where he's violent, kicking, hitting, pinching, swearing, head butting etc because he can't deal with being there and being forced to be in an environment with NT children.

SO, the SW said to me today that:
a) She can't talk to anyone until Wednesday, as she only works part-time (which is why I can never get hold of her on a Thursday or a Friday either)
b) the best she can do is take it to the complex case panel - which is 10 days away on the 20th.
c) the likelihood is that his mainstream school will have to get an INA.

And yes, I went to see my GP and get some anti-depressants today because with all the other changed I've had this year, this is proving to be the camel's back-breaking straw!

[Tissie]

Ths is totally unacceptable. If the SW only works part time then refer upwards. Her supervisor must have the relevant details. however, I'm not sure what a social worker has to do with your son's education.
First of all the local authority has a duty to provide an appropriate education for your child. If the local special schools are full then they will have to apy for place at a private special school. Threaten them with tribunal. Ask for a multi agency annual review to thrash out what is needed for your son. Take a friend with you to back you up. Make a fuss. Complain, complain, complain until they give you what you need. Best of luck.

[kojackscat]

Oh how stressful, I sympathise. This was my situation on Thursday. Suddenly on Friday everything got sorted. We still don't have the ss we wanted, but an acceptable alternative.
I hope things suddenly go right for you as well.

[Butterflyface]

No such luck, I'm afraid. I wrote a complaint letter on Sunday evening, detailing exactly the lack of communication and inefficiency we've had from them this year. They rang today to say that they've asked two schools to consider taking him, both of which are a 45 minute-1hr drive each way. While they will provide transport for him, as they will for our younger DS, it's a long way for a 6 year old to go every day, and it will mean we'll have three children going to school in this town, while he gets to go to school ridiculously far away. And there's no guarantee yet that either school will even have a place for him, it being so late in the year.
I'm very angry still, because this has come about due to their mistake somewhere along the line, but at least they're doing something. I did ask what would happen if both schools came back saying they didn't have a place, and she said it would have to go to further meeting between managers, but wouldn't say what that might mean. I am, quite figuratively, climbing the walls with stress, and completely unable to do anything now.

[kojackscat]

When will they let you know? Can you get your MP to intervene to speed things up and insist on a better solution. Cant he stay where he is for now, the school will have to employ someone, and appeal the special school, which may not be as full as they say it is.

[Butterflyface]

I'm sure it is - they were promised a new school building as they were so oversubscribed back when we last had a Labour government, and as soon as the Tories came in, it disappeared - all the schools in our area are ridiculously overfull, with all of them having mobile classrooms to try and cope, and the LA deciding that instead of building another school, it would tack on infant and junior classes to two secondaries, thereby making it look like they're creating provision, but in the cheapest way possible. It's a dire situation, and it's not going to get better.
I will be sending a copy of my original complaint letter to the MP, as I said to them I would do, but this is the fastest they can work, as the schools are actually entitled to have 15 days to answer, but obviously, that will take us into the holidays, so the LA said it would be by Friday.