NEW SEN TRIBUNAL REGULATIONS

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

Hi i am the mum of a child who has aspergers we are due to go to tribunal very soon my child has been out of school for twelve months he has failed in three mainstream schools and only now have the lea decided to do anything about it now they have been given such strong power . i have just discovered that under new sen regs the lea now have extrodinary powers ,they can demand to assess our children and make us pay, if we use a lay rep in tribunal the rep- who is acting voluntarily- can now be liable for costs also parents will no longer be able to defend by themselves as the lea will have barristers on their side this will affect any one who has a sen child and may at any time need to go to tribunal basically we will have no power they will take away what little there is. Anyone who has gone thru this will know.At special women special children we need your support to make sure that such powers are not given we are fighting for the kids now but more importantly the kids of the future we never know where life will lead us if you feel you can support please email us at [email protected] or visit our web blog at specialwomenspecialchildren.blogspot.com and leave your views and comments on this issue. We really need as many supportive comments as possible to help change this regulation so if you could please please show your support.

[GentleGarotter]

This is truly dreadful.

Is this in England & Wales only or is it a countrywide proposal?

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

As far as i know its a country wide proposal please see our blog for more info Can you believe that any educational authority would purposely stop children going to school, it is't my fault that my child isnt at school and yet i've been threatened with court!!!!

[GentleGarotter]

Oh yes I can believe it because that is the very situation we are in right now
I am up in court in December.
Will have a look at your blog SpecialWomen.

[vjg13]

From the SENDIST website it looks like the new regulations have been approved and come into place on the 3rd November. Is this correct?

[GentleGarotter]

SENDIST Information on new regulations

I cannot find your blog Special.

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

its under the web address www.specialwomenspecialchildren.blogspot.com and we do also have a facebook group so if you are a facebook member you can support us by joining our group- also under the name of specialwomen specialchildren.

They have not yet been officially approved but have already been published on the sendist website. They will be official starting from this tuesday coming, we need as much support as possible to prevent this and as many supporters as we can.

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

On behalf of hazel : As a grandparent of a child who is going through this at the moment its about time that whoever is responsible for all this stupidity to stop. Every child needs an education so why should special needs children be any different? In fact if anything they should need more attention. As a council tax payer where is my money being spent?

[isgrassgreener]

Specialwomenspecialchildren - I have posted a tread in the special needs section to highlight your post

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

many many thanks!!!! the more help and support we can get the better chance we have of stopping this ridiculous motion going ahead!!!

[AttilaTheMeerkat]

IPSEA are appealing against these changes too and this was published back in July of this year:-

www.ipsea.org.uk/tribunal-rules-08.htm

[needmorecoffee]

oh good lord. Well thats me taking them to tribunal right now then to get hydrotherapy for dd. Rather than waiting.

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

these laws are coming in on the 4th november so even if you start now your still at a disavantage it has taken me a year to get to tribunal with my child thats why we need everyone to join our blog posting comments we must stop this now!!!!! please please please just become a follower on our blog or email me direct with your comments so i can forward these onto the blog at [email protected]. Together we can stop this ridiculous regulation!

[needmorecoffee]

we did get everything in the statement I asked for except hydrotherapy. I couldn't prove dd would benefit cos she's never had any. And she's never had any despite having spastic quadraplegic CP cos the PCT stopped paying for it whe her name reached the top of the waiting list when she was 3.
Least I got 'communication aid' in there although the one she needs is about 40 grand. That'll upset the LEA

[HairyMaclary]

I wrote to our MP about this back in July, he is the shadow minister for DWP which was useful but while he looked into it in great detail and thought it was appalling he didn't have any suggestions about what to do next. The responses he received from the ministers involved were pathetic.

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

The only people who seem to be backing our disagreement with this are the conservatives and the lib dems who are backing us in the house. we need as much help as we can get if everyone could possibly let others know about this thread to post their comments and email us we would be most grateful!

Good on you for going for communication aid

[TCB77]

Hi y'all as a mum of a disabled child i'm sick and tired of fighting all and sundry just to get my child the education he deserves Do these crazy politicians that make these rules actually have to be governed by them the only CRIME my child has committed is to be born with a dissability!!!!!! The L.E.A.'S go backwards instead of forward im sick to death of all the people in our L.E.A'S earning money for basically lying and cheating how they sleep at night i'll never know. In one form or another i've been fighting since my son was 4 he's now 13 and i'm no further forward. I've been told that a large percentage of mothers with special children are on anti- depressants, instead of giving us pills take away all the lea's because i was perfectly sane until i had to deal with them. I think its brilliant that specialwomen.... are finally helping us to help each other Keep on going Girls!!!!!!!!!

[dyslexicmother]

I think that the planned changes to SENDIST Tribunals are despicable. There was not enough consultation on the planned changes. I would never look on the Ministry of Justice web site. Only 11 people commented on the proposed changes to SENDIST Tribunals. How can the government think that that is an appropriate number? I think the government has tried to pass these laws through the back door, informing as few people as possible. When I did find out about the proposed changes, I immediately contacted my MP who in turn wrote to Beverley Hughes MP Minister of State for Children, Young People and Families. The Rt Hon Beverley Hughes MP said "The committee responsible for making the rules represent a wide range of Tribunal users. Its membership includes members of the Administrative and Justice Tribunals Council, the Bar Pro Unit and Free Representation Unit, all of whom have the interest of Tribunal users at the heart of their work, as do all members of the Committee."

I have had a look at the web sites for all the aforementioned committees and councils. Not one of them are comprised of parents of SEN children. Also, not one of them had from what I could ascertain any specialisation in education law. The government needs to get the real users of SENDIST Tribunals to comment. The parents who have had to fight for their children's education. The parents who have had sleepless nights before going to a SENDIST Tribunal. The parents who have won and the parents who have lost.

Parents of SEN children are being discriminated against by the proposed changes. Why should the LEA be given the right to assess our children without our consent? Teachers are not allowed to check for lice so why should the LEA have the right to decide who is going to assess your child and then for you, the parent, to pick up the bill?

Why should going to a SENDIST Tribunal be only for the very rich? How many parents of SEN children can afford £20,000 plus, the cost of going to Tribunal with a barrister? The proposed changes make a mockery of the original purpose of SENDIST Tribunals which were supposed to be free and accessible to ordinary people. To implement the proposed changes is to enter the dark ages for SEN children.

I am sick sore and tired of having to fight the LEA and the government. Why didn't Ruth Kelly go through the Tribunal process to get her son into a special school? Do you think we could sue the government for the stress and heartache they have caused?

[Candlewax]

JUST HAD THIS URGENT MESSAGE FROM SOS!SEN

Dear Parents

I AM SENDING THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO EVERYONE BUT HOPE THAT YOU CAN TAKE EVEN MORE URGENT ACTION AND GET THIS LETTER OFF IMMEDIATELY, CONTACTING FRIENDS TO DO THE SAME.IT'S A DISGRACE THAT SO FEW MPs HAVE SIGNED DESPITE THE LETTERS AND PROMISES.

The Early Day Motion "prayed" in the House of Commons last Thursday still has not the requisite number of MPs signatures - 12 only when 20 are needed. I do not know all the names but they include David Cameron, Vince Cable, Michael Gove, Tim Loughton, Nick Gibb, Maria Miller, Patrick McLoughlin, John Burcow + 3 others.

It is unthinkable that, despite parental efforts and indications of support, there are not enough signatures and we can only suppose this is because of the workings of the House and the fact that MPs have a lot to think about. Also understand that the regs. will be debated in the House of Lords tomorrow and so everything is URGENT, URGENT!

PLEASE for our children can you simply send the following email to your MP saying simply

"Dear....

For the sake of all children with Special Educational needs will you please add urgently your signature to the following Early Day Motion:-

Early Day Motion EDM 2273
TRIBUNALS AND INQUIRIES ( S.I. 2008, NO 2699)

This has already been signed by 12 MPs including David Cameron and Vince Cable but at least 20 signatures are required to ensure that proper debate takes place.

With sincere thanks"

Send simply ( we are advised) to your MP using the following email address.

[email protected] e.g. [email protected]

So strike a blow for democracy and PLEASE SEND.


SOS!SEN

[Candlewax]

Shameless bump as there is still time this morning!

[vjg13]

Did it last night!!

[Candlewax]

I am praying that they get the other 8 signatures needed.

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

Thank you for that we will do our best to get this over turned!!!

[chatee]

have just sent to our mp too, hope this raises awareness

[SpecialWomenSpecialChildren]

We need to let Mr Oliver know that if he is going to make major descisions concerning our children then he has to consult with us first which he could have donr so thru- parent partnership -schools- publications even dare i say it face to face at a meeting!!!!A back door procedure is not the way!!

[vjg13]

SWSC will you keep us all up to date on what is happening with this. Thanks