Interim review meeting? Need urgent help please

[Tiredmumno1]

We spoke to the LEA yesterday and they agreed to hold an interim review meeting as an emergency. They suggested Thursday at 1pm, which we agreed to, now we get a phone call today and they are refusing to meet with us, and telling us to put it in writing, they will NOT meet with us and only talk to us over the phone. This is getting ridiculous now and puts us in a terrible position.

As we have complained about the LEA but they just close ranks, they have not made sure that any school in this area have been meeting the provisions set out in his statement, which was the reason for the original complaint, as they do not listen to us.

We have now pulled my DS from the school he is at, as he is getting bullied (which the school have done nothing about) and the work is too hard for him, even though it's supposed to be structured around him as his statement says, they have not done this. It tears us apart to see him crying everyday about this.

We just wanted this emergency review meeting to get an emergency placement at the local special needs school with a view to him staying, the special needs school were the ones who advised us about how to go about it, but now the LEA have put these barriers up with us, and they don't even know why we want to talk to them.

We have absolutely no idea what to do, They seem to think that the reason we want to meet with them is to criticise them? We have explained this is not the reason why and that it has nothing to do with them or us, and that it's about our DS and doing what's best for him, they obviously don't care, and now we are stuck in limbo not knowing what to do, we have home tutored our DS for 2 days so far ourselves, they do not realise this yet, and this is why we wanted to meet. Please does anyone know where to go from here? I am so sorry this is so long.

[sickofsocalledexperts]

I used a very good legal advocate called Fiona Slomovic. It is amazing how differently LAs may react when a letter or email mentions that your legal representative is copied in. I would talk to her - alone, they may just fob you off again and again. I too tried to play nice for ages, but they really do need a nudge of this kind. If you google I think her firm is called Advocacy and Mediation services, and she is way less expensive than a lawyer as she is an advocate.

[Tiredmumno1]

Thanks sickofsocalledexperts (love the name) I will look into it, I just think its so unprofessional that they refuse to meet.

[AgnesDiPesto]

Have used Fiona and def recommend.
Legally you can request a statutory reassessment see IPSEA - which is exactly same process as when you first asked LA to assess for a statement they have to reply within 6 weeks saying if they will or will not do a reassessment and if they don't you have a right of appeal. IPSEA link has a suggested letter. Get some advice but in these situations its always worthwhile starting the statutory procedure which gives you a right of appeal as well as trying to negotiate so if they are just stringing you along there is a set timeframe they have to follow.

[Tiredmumno1]

Thanks Agnes I shall be looking into this, as we moved to this area 4 years ago from a different district and they have never once done their own statutory assessment, not even sure if they were meant too.

Why are they trying to make life so difficult