Qualities of a Good SEN Statement ?

[Toppy]

Head down until the small hours over the last few weeks working on Parents Report (for ASD preschooler DS) and have started thinking about what the qualities of a good Statement actually are.

Can anyone add their (helpful) advice/insights ?

[pinkorkid]

On a simple level, someone who doesn't know your child should be able to read their statement and understand what the child's needs are and what is going to be done to help them.

For the fine detail you need to refer closely to the SEN code of practice which you can refer to online but as it is very bulky it will be easier to ring and ask for a free copy to be sent - tel number on the directgov site.

There are also useful advice sheets on what makes a good statement on the websites of partnership with parents, ipsea and sossen.

hth.

[mullymummy]

Yes, it should describe the child and their particular needs very well. It should also contain advice which is research based and known to be effective (from the professionals). The focus needs to be on meeting the needs of the whole child rather than just listing strategies without consideration as to whether they suit the child in question.

[bigcar]

some useful links would be the sen cop and ipsea not just this page, have a good look round the site, also this booklet from ace particularly the section on weasely wording and sossen has some useful info.

You want as the others have said for someone to be able to get a good picture of your ds needs from the statement. You want as much specified and quantified as possible, eg, x no of hours of direct salt with qualified salt, x no hours direct 1:1 support with a ta qualified in xyz etc. And avoid all wooly wording like, would benefit from, should have access to, etc. You want all needs in part 2 met in part 3 and to make sure this matched what was said in the reports and the support they recommended, there is a legal duty on the lea to provide all that's in part 3 so all therapies should be in there rather than in part 6.

When you get your draft statement through, make sure you get it checked by a neutral party, whether that's parent partnership, if they are any good where you are or one of the charities in the links.

[Toppy]

Thank you all so much - I'd forgotton about the PP as a resource. Barnet's has a really good set of PDFs that I used to nail the Request and they have a similarly good one on the actual Statement.

Bigcar - that ACE booklet is perfect and saves me trying to rephrase the CoP. Thank you.

I want to draft a final paragraph in my Parents Report that asks for a clear and unambiguous statement with each specific need listed and the provision required to meet that need etc
ie everything the CoP requires of the LEA but with a gentle reminder from me/ nod to the fact that I have done my reading

All of the above will also be excellent when (if) I get the the proposed Statement