FFS - had another SEN officer from the LA turn up at my house this morning

[bjkmummy]

my daughter fell over at school yesterday so pop her to the walk in clinic at the hospital as her ankle was swollen and she found it painful - its all okay - shes sprained it so ive taken her back to school and shes to do no pe for a few weeks to let it heal.

anyway = whilst sat in the hospital with my daughter a voicemail message came through from the sen officer to say she had had my email yesterday and wanted to discuss it. she then said I have been to your house this morning and hand delivered a letter to you! it was the minutes from the meeting last week - I cannot see any urgency on why these needed to be hand delivered - they could have posted them, they could have emailed them, they could have even included it in their response on Thursday!

I have an awful feeling that on Thursday when the deadline is for the LA is to respond that again they will turn up at my house - I will be brutally honest I am finding it quite intimidating. I know no one else in my LA gets this privilege but am I over reacting/over sensitive! can I tell them to stop! I think its also cos sometimes I hand deliver stuff into their main reception rather than posting it but that's to a generic receptionist - im not going to the sen officers home to do it.

the minutes of course are all one sided - they say nowhere where the teacher repeatedly stated that as she is not 6 years behind they will not call an EP or specialist teaching in. teacher quoted saying shes making fantastic progress but doesn't actually give any levels to back this up!

feeling rather stressed as sen officer said she would phone back at 10.30am!!!! don't want to speak to her at all.

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

Turn your phone off and don't answer the door to anything but booked appointments.

Your SEN officer is displaying very odd behaviour imo and you need to record these personal visits and write to her line manager asking if this is usual procedure in tribunal cases (sumbit document for final evidence).

I don't think you need be intimidated though. If anything this kind of thing (Professional making unannounced personal visits alone to your property during a legal dispute) will go in your favour and show her up to be highly unprofessional and unstable imo. You hand deliver to an organisation, not a personal address ffs.

[bjkmummy]

yes but her boss is the one who came last week!

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

You don't need to speak to her. You can email her and inform her that any contact must now be in writing as that is your preferred method of communication (It is good practice for LAs to abide by requests like this) as you like to keep a record of conversations to enable you to clarify gross misunderstanding and inaccuracies such as are displayed in the minutes you have just received.

[KOKOagainandagain]

Either she fancies you or is trying to intimidate you as this is definitely 'unusual' behaviour

Just listen to what she has to say and follow up with an email to confirm.

Bask in the attention - they will soon disappear when it becomes clear that you can't be fobbed off.

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

LOL, - well you can still write to her and say, given your unannounced personal visit on x, and x's unannounced personal visit today, you would just like to ask if this is usual procedure?

IIRC this LA are utterly hopeless at these things and don't know their arses from their elbows when it comes to even common sense, let alone professional conduct.

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

Have a soiled nappy in your hand and when she opens the door immediately hand it to her before she has time to check her reflex, and utter the words 'Hi, would you mind putting this in the bin at the front of the garden, that's a great help thanks, I knew you were able to do something useful.'

[bjkmummy]

I like this bit in the minutes ' the officer referred to the criteria for statutory assessment in the LA sen handbook - the handbook has been given to parents' the handbook with the blanket policy then and the handbook which is an earlier edition as they have nicked another LA criteria as the book had the other LA name through it and the copy they gave me had lots of handwriting over it questioning if part of it were lawful!

the minutes keep going on about her making progress sigh but no actual tangible evidence is given - just words

also says - the senco stated that in their LA a similar process is in place and she does not meet the the criteria for school to request a statutory assessment - this is where the teacher kept saying - shes not 6 years behind.

says they discussed process of getting advice from EP and specialist teaching service - but then doesn't say school made it clear cos again as she is not 6 years behind that they will never ever call or use any of these services for my daughter

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

' the officer referred to the criteria for statutory assessment in the LA sen handbook - the handbook has been given to parents'


And the handbook will be given to the tribunal.......

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

Minutes say they 'discussed whether to get an EP' but didn't actually agree yay or nay?

ROFL.

Discussions are not outcomes.

Write back to them and ask them if the handbook they are referring to in their minutes is the one with the illegal blanket policies in it, another LA's name throughout and handscribbled notes about how it breaks the law? - just to clarify that you have got the right one.....

And then ask them to remind you what the outcome of the 'discussion' about whether to get an EP or professional as it isn't in the minutes and you don't recall it.

Finally, ask them whether, given it does not appear in the minutes, they have retracted their insistence that your dd has to be 6 years behind before she can qualify for a statement.

Put at bottom (Copy to tribunal file)

[TOWIE2014]

It really is odd behavior and I can understand why you are feeling intimidated. How about firing off an email to the Tribunal Services stating what is happening and that you want the Tribunal to issue directions that it should stop because it is not pre-arranged and is twice in two weeks?

[bjkmummy]

of course star :-) and the other LA handbook as well - which in the other La one it mentions that they have to have regard to the rose report as well - don't think my LA even know what that is! the rose report states that intervention should happen asap.

my LA criteria is a strange on - at age 7 they have to be 2 years behind but then as the child gets older the gap has to widen so by my daughters age of 10 she has to be 6 year 4 months so the gap has widened to 3 year 8 months - how is that fair! frustratingly the school put her at 6 yr 6 months at age 10 so shes 2 months over their 'criteria'

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

Convenient...

[bjkmummy]

are we going to put money on it that they will turn up on Thursday as well as that's the deadline? I know I live in town but im across town across a railway line so as far as our geography is concerned im a different end of town to the LA offices - what if I lived in a village? is money now so tight in my LA that they cant afford to post anything!

I just worry that im over reacting and don't want to be seen by the tribunal as being 'difficult' which im not and at the meeting the school were clear that we were good parents, who did their best for keira and we no way at all being awful with the school. we were at pains to keep that relationship = maybe she hoped we would go after the school but the fact is that within the resources the school have they are doing a fair bit - yes im sure they could do more but that's where I argue at tribunal they need more resources so hence another reason for the assessment. at no point did the LA ask about the school budget - in fact when she mentioned to the school that their LA expect the school to fund the forst £6K teacher said - well that's news to me cos their whole sen budget isn't even that amount. the school and LA are sticking to the 'criteria' and of course not the law

and that's the whole LA case, shes making progress ( but haven't specified what progress) and she doesn't meet the criteria , she was only placed on the sen register in nov 2013 at our request apparently - In fact the whole minutes seem to turn it on us as parents as being the only one with concerns - the whole history of pre nov 13 has been erased from memory specifically where the senco wrote in sept 2013 that interventions had failed, she had forgotten everything she had been taught blah blah - do they really not think I wont submit this to the tribunal?

[bjkmummy]

and it also says - 'the LA officer explained school are putting in place appropriate interventions. the officer stated that the LA took the view that the teaching and learning has to be monitored and evaluated over a reasonable period of time' so silly me everything pre nov 13 doesn't matter - the whole of her school life before then is non exsistent. she doesn't state what a reasonable period of time is though

[ouryve]

Your LA's placement and provision service clearly have too much time on their hands. Ours always give the impression of being on a treadmill and struggling to keep up. I can't imagine them ever finding time to drive the 6 miles from Cunty Hall to my house.

You have to worry when Agent Smith appears at your door :o

[bochead]

I have a good feeling about the outcome of your Tribunal as the dottier the LA seem - the more the panel are likely to think "wtf???????", raise their eyebrows and rule in your favour.

On a single A4 sheet type the dates and times of the home visits for tribunal submission. It'll make a very clear point without you having to say a word.

[dinosaursarebisexual]

I think you used her real name OP, you might want HQ to delete that.

[TOWIE2014]

Tbh, on reflection, I think the LA are s**t scared of you - hence the house-visits. You already have a track record for beating them at Tribunal for your other DC. The LA are doing everything in their power to make you give up and not go to Tribunal.

That's why they are behaving so dottily (is that a word?) They are terrified of you!

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

They probably wanted a good look at your house to see if you can afford legal fees. Might have even looked through your window to see if you own any books.

They sound unstable, but harmless, and likely to shoot themselves in the foot.

[bjkmummy]

gosh towie - I am one of the mildest people you would ever wish to meet - im just a mum who will fight for her kids. I find it hard to think that they would be intimidated by little old me but I think its because I wont give up, I get the evidence quietly and I back everything up in writing. these minutes are a desperate attempt to sway a tribunal without them even realising the stupidity of what they are saying. no where does it mention the code of practice - just criteria. cos they know Im a stickler for facts etc they truly believe that as their criteria states it then I should accept it as will a tribunal accept it - its just laughable but remember my LA have never been to tribunal over a refusal to assess so they have no idea what they are doing. so far (and I guess it will change) there has been no mention of a solicitor for the LA and also the sen officers line manager has gone quiet - last time she dealt with things so its as if no one wants to put their name to this at all. would explain why the sen manager came last week with the documents to cover her won back. its a sad state of affairs if all they can throw at me is intimidation

[StarlightMcKingsThree]

They're scared of your challenge, of your logic and of your reasonableness.

It makes them look shit.