Agenda's for meetings and do staff come prepared?

[supermum98]

I am sick to death of turning up to multidiciplinary meetings where it seems that I am chairing the meeting and proposing the agenda. The LEA are very good at citing lack of resource, yet one of the most costly outgoings is meetings, with therapists and Senco's etc. When you add up their salary times to attend meetings, it is very high. I am raising my game on this as a consequence and the last meeting, I sent out my agenda for the meeting in advance so everyone could read it and have a think about the issues. Normally I am the only person that turns up with a typed up agenda, with multiple copies. A friend of mine said 'well at least if you do that you get to talk about the issues you want to talk about', which is true, so perhaps I shouldn't moan, but it all seems so amateurish. The Senco, often acts as secretary and doesn't chair the meeting or say much. Apparently it is best to avoid meetings if things can be resolved on a 1:1, but people don't always make the time available to do this. We have termly multidiciplinary meetings written into the statement, but this applies to annual reviews as well.
In main-stream the annual reviews have been chaired by me, not a role I want. Our special school, where he attended until 8, did AR's properly and meticulously well and I never had to chair a meeting with them. They always came prepared and circulated reports in advance of AR's as they are supposed to. In main-stream I have found at AR's reports often given out on the day and people have not had time to read them. I don't then get maximum benefit for my child from these meetings.

Surely if the LEA invest in some management training, it could save money in the long run. What are your experiences?

[MommyUpNorth]

We've never had an agenda circulated before a meeting... and getting notes afterwards is getting harder and harder!

I normally send an email to everyone attending just before the meeting asking for the issues we'll be covering so that I can write up my notes/points before I get there. Most of the 'professionals' just seem to wing it. We've had a few good people over the years, but the majority don't seem to see these meetings as worth their time.

[EllenJaneisnotmyname]

I would think that it's the SENCo's role to prepare an agenda and chair the meeting? That's what has always happened for my DS, both in his SS and his MS primary. I agree it's a waste of everyone's time if reports aren't handed out until the meeting. You need time in advance to read and then bring up any issues. Is your SENCo lacking in confidence, ability?

You are obviously a very competent SEN parent! How are these meetings handled when the parents are less confident and knowledgeable? My DH and I both have degrees but it's taken us years to really know what we want for our DS, I pity those who don't have a handle on it all.

[supermum98]

I know EJ it's really worrying isn't it, I never thought the main benefit of doing an MSc would be to know how to shore up a defense for my child. The whole system is unjust for those who haven't got the confidence/know how.
As for my Senco, bright and confident, and a very good delegater, trouble is I think she is too hands off.