EHCP Section I - how should it be worded?

[Laura223939]

DS2's EHCP went to panel a couple of weeks ago and the placement issue has been complicated. We want him to go to our local state ss, which is massively oversubscribed.

Panel decided this was a yes - but that there are no places until Sept 2017 so he can start then. He's a September baby so is already 5 and can only stay at his nursery until Christmas. They need to find something to fill the two term gap.

They wanted to consult a further two mainstreams (mainstream they consulted previously said they couldn't meet his needs) and I said no, we need to find an alternative, either home ed or two more terms at nursery, as DS wouldn't cope with two transitions in such a short space of time. Mainstream is totally out of the question. Primaries round here are packed and he just shuts off in large groups so wouldn't get a decent education. I'm not putting him through it.

Yesterday we had the EHCP through and they haven't named anything. just put "X will attend a mainstream primary school". Apparently they will reissue once the ss head has confirmed in writing that DS has a place for Sept 2017 and something between now and then has been decided upon, but I am worried they are being their usual duplicitous selves. I want his SS place in writing on the EHCP before I feel safe!

How can I expect his EHCP to be worded once it is all decided? Can it say something like XX nursery until Sept 2017, Local SS after?

How does it happen when you get an EHCP issued while they are still at nursery?

[Ineedmorepatience]

They normally name the nursery and then review before Feb of the year they start school!

If it was a finalised plan you received then you now havethe right of appeal I am sure you can appeal placement but I will check and come back later.

[Laura223939]

So since it is after Feb of the year he will be starting, they should name the ss, right?

Thanks!

[Laura223939]

Sorry, that should read ONCE it is after Feb ....

[Ineedmorepatience]

Yes they should unless you want him to go sooner but that would involve an appeal which could potentially take the rest of the year to get through.

[Ineedmorepatience]

Is he going to still go into reception next september?

[Ineedmorepatience]

And I have just checked and you can appeal placement. If you wanted them to place him in the SS sooner. They can sometimes be encouraged to "find" extra places.

[Laura223939]

I was prepared to appeal if they said no to ss altogether, but as you say, an appeal is likely to take a long time and after two years of stress, I want this to be over! Sept is not going to make much of a difference to him as long as there is something suitable in place between Christmas and then.

Reception at this ss is one class for KS1 so it won't make any difference to the class he starts in.

They are prepared to pay for a mainstream plus support for two terms, so ideally I would like him to continue at his current nursery. Has anyone successfully done this? Would it be through personal budgets etc?

I ask because I believe that only one person ever in my area has received a personal budget and I suspect she is much better off than we are!

[ZuleikaDobson]

They could certainly put something like "X until September 2017, Y Special School from September 2017" into the EHCP. But I suspect they could stretch to an extra space at the special school. Have you looked at other special schools, including independents? I suspect if they thought they might have to pay independent school fees they would definitely decide they could find a place at the local special school.

Tribunals these days don't take as long as they used, the appeal should be heard within 12 weeks. It could be worth doing anyway, given that unless you're very lucky the EHCP will almost certainly need to be tightened up and improved anyway.