Anyone successfully got a personal budget

[Springsnake]

Child with autism ,EHCP ,2 failed special schools
They are expecting me to walk away and fund it myself.
Secondary as well ,no idea where to start
Has anyone successfully managed to get a personal budget,and if so what did you put in it
Thanks

[AspergersMum]

If the 2nd special school has failed, are you getting council tutors while your child can't attend? Is your child classed as EOTAS rather than deregistered to EHE, electively home ed? The council doesn't get to drop a child with SEN and expect the parents to provide everything, if that isn't in the parents' plans.

[Springsnake]

No tutors
The special school has not contacted us in 6 months
I think they are leaving it to the lea to sort out ,but they have only contacted me twice in 6 months ,once for a ,meeting ,where I co operated fully and once to inform me ehcp was renewed

[AspergersMum]

www.ipsea.org.uk/pages/category/making-a-complaint-or-challenging-a-decision

You could try making a formal complaint to the council and make sure you put it in writing that you want your child tutored under EOTAS, starting as soon as possible. They should have provided tutors from the moment all involved realised that the time away from school would be 2 weeks or more. You could get in touch with IPSEA for more advice about getting the LEA to do what it is legally obliged to do.

[AspergersMum]

Or if you want do change the named school to Elective Home Ed, I believe you'll need to ask for an emergency annual review in order to make the change. But definitely get advice from professionals so you aren't railroaded into doing something you weren't planning on doing, and to understand fully your rights and responsibilities with Home Ed and funding.

[AspergersMum]

@Springsnake you might have more luck with advice on the SEN parenting board. Plenty of SEN parents have had their LEAs try to push them into offrolling and taking on all financial responsibility.

[Soontobe60]

Senco here. From what I’ve understood with other parents who’ve wanted to home ed their child with an EHCP, the distinction is between a child whos parents have ‘chosen’ to remove their child from suitable provision and one where there is no suitable provision so the LA support home ed.
edyourself.org/articles/SENDPs.php#whynoDP

If you have chosen to remove your child from provision that the LA have deemed suitable (which I assume is named on their EHCP) regardless of what you think of the provision, then it would be almost impossible for your child to receive a personal budget in terms of actual hard cash. The first reason will be that there is suitable provision which you have chosen not to utilise, and for the LA to fund home ed would be an unreasonable use of resources.
As you can appreciate, an EHCP brings with it an amount of money. Eg £12k is an average amount. Within a school setting this money can go quite a long way to provide support. If it were to be used solely for home tuition, it would not go far. The amount has to cover holiday pay, pension, national insurance etc. So in reality, you may get a TA1 for a few hours a week. Or a teacher for even less.

[Springsnake]

Child is school refusing..
Someone needs to say enough,they clearly are not going to

[10brokengreenbottles]

Have you contacted the LA? They are unlikely to do anything unless you keep on at them. You need to be proactive. DC whose parents can fight and navigate the system get the best support.

Other than the placement does the EHCP meet DC's needs? If it doesn't you need to request a reassessment of needs. If it does, request an early review. IPSEA have model letters you can use. If the LA do not agree the former has the right of appeal, the latter does not.

Is the provision in section F specific and quantified?

If you EHE the LA are likely to say you are making suitable arrangements to educate DC and therefore they are relieved of their duties.

EOTAS is possible, it is important to distinguish it from EHE. What it includes depends on what is specified and quantified in section F. It's unlikely the LA will agree if they believe there is a suitable school.

DS1 has a comprehensive EOTAS package including tutors and therapies, some are provided direct and some via DPs. It is exhausting orchestrating it and if there was a suitable school for him he would be going.

You have the right to request a personal budget, although the La don't have to agree and you have no right to appeal. If they believe there is a suitable school it is unlikely they will agree.

Are there any other suitable schools?

Separately to EHCPs, LAs have a statutory duty to provide education to CSA DC out of education for more than 15 days because of their health (including their MH). See the guidance here. If the LA won't you can threaten Judicial Review, which usually prods LAs into action. If it doesn't SOSSEN can help with a pre-action letter.

I second heading over the the SN boards. There are a few of us who receive DPs, and some knowledgeable, supportive posters.

[Springsnake]

He’s got anxiety around children and toilets .
He’s not been near children in 3 years