Some background: we have received ds' final statement which doesn't name the special school we wanted, still mainstream. I was slightly surprised when told it had been finalised as I thought we were still negotiating about best placement for him. But I guess LEA were making sure they met legal deadline, regardless of "completeness" of statement. Lea had agreed to put his case to special schools placement panel, but because of delays in various professionals submitting reports (and snow) he has missed out on being considered by panels before Christmas. Barring any other delays will now go to panel in early January.
I am staring at sendist appeal form now and feeling a bit daunted. I feel that the paperwork I've filled out so far has been by and large ignored by lea - our parental evidence and objections to draft statement certainly don't feature much in his final statement. Does anyone know how much weight 1) Special Schools Placement Panels, 2)Send Tribunal give to parental views?
We feel that the professional reports (CAMHS, ed psych's, salt, school) either directly support or are compatible with our view that he needs special school setting, and were given the impression by lea officer, that if the special school we wanted were not over numbers, that LEA would have been prepared to name it.
This is building up to asking, do you think we need to commission our own independent reports, and how difficult would it be to argue your own case at tribunal without legal representation? We would have to get into debt to afford outside help but would consider doing so if necessary. If anyone here has experience of going to tribunal over content of statement and school named in part 4, did you go it alone or pay for lawyers etc? Does anyone know of experienced SEN lawyers who are prepared to do pro bono work and what their criteria are?
(We have been in touch with IPSEA and SOSSEN earlier on in the process, but both organisations now closed for Christmas holidays)
TIA.
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tribunal advice - how important is it to have legal representation and independent professional reports?
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pinkorkid · 19/12/2010 12:10
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