Are SEN case workers to be trusted?

Please explain to me the point I’ve missed!

And send a follow up email after every phone call so you have a paper trail.

Absolutely do not trust that they are working in the best interests of your child. They are employed by the LA.

That said, be completely professional in your dealings with them, even when not reciprocated, because you need to work within the system to get an optimal outcome.

Best hope is to learn as much about the law in this area as you can, keep meticulous records and don't give up!

Gosh you sound lovely.
Caseworkers leave in droves and the turnover of staff is huge and yes, parent must get so frustrated when they have another new case officer! They are allowed to resign/ leave too.
But with an attitude like yours I am not surprised they do, and now let’s hope your case officer does not leave now. You are missing the point entirely.

Of course SEN case workers are human. And of course everyone deserves to be treated lawfully and with respect, Unfortunately that isn’t the lived experience of many of us who have been forced to advocate for years and years.

And whilst I have some sympathy for caseworkers and their colossal work load, you have to remember that this is their CHOICE to work there. Paid on the public purse.

Parents didn’t choose a single day of the journey they walk. They can’t resign. So when I hear bleating about how hard it is for SEN teams I think “oh do fuck off. Seriously. You don’t have the same skin in the game.”

What an absolutely horrible thread. Posters attacking professionals ( many from teaching backgrounds ) who entered this role with the best intentions, trying to do their best with a huge caseload of children and schools (up to 250 children! Yes you read that correct) and the pressures are huge, often without proper management support. The amount of work for one EHCP is huge and everything lands in the lap of the case officers’s lap- from being asked arrange a COViD jab / help their child to learn cook / recharge a wheelchair are a few of the requests that spring to mind.
The SEN service is not an emergency service and is often is treated as one. The system is broken as someone pointed out and the amount of need/ assessment requests coming though is huge ( & concerning)
There is a fair bit of misinformation on this thread too, and many services services are stretched but that is not the Case officer’s fault
Thank you to the posters who gave a more balanced view, and remember your Case Officer is human and trying to do an impossible job.

Where possible, or where in the best interests of the child and the other children in the same educational setting, are 2 very different things. I have seen too many children placed inappropriately in mainstream, and not get the right support. SEN will 'nudge' parents towards it, in the knowledge that every parent who chooses mainstream is one less special school place they need to find and fund.

@DisabledCaseworker unfortunately when you work for a statutory service, to some extent you act as a representative of that service. I used to cringe turning up to public meetings with 'NHS' badge as people would tell me in detail all the horrifying ways the NHS had failed them as if I was personally responsible. It's very tricky to navigate but ultimately (barring actual abuse which I personally never faced) it is so important to hear and hold the stories of the people you serve.

I am sorry you have faced such difficulties and I can imagine working for an LA is not much fun, but please do not assume all Caseworkers care as much as you do and do not dismiss what families have faced. I think others have felt your "bells and whistles" comment was quite insensitive and most people commenting here will have also had extremely difficult journeys like you have. It's also safe to assume many parents are neurodivergent themselves given the strong genetic link.

I always advocate for all children to be supported in mainstream where possible.

that's not your call to make though and the decision what schools to name should be informed by the statutory assessment (EP report etc). <hides before being accused of yet another personal attack>

LAs and Tribunals cannot direct Independents

That depends on the type of independent school. Section 41 independent schools can be named against their will. An offer of a place is only required from wholly independent schools.

It’s a frighteningly broken system and the sad thing is, the more inclusive and supportive a mainstream school is, the more SEND children arrive at their doors, often sent by other local schools who say “we can’t meet her needs, try xxx school, they’re good with SEND”

so those schools who are genuinely making an effort end up being the most overwhelmed but with no extra funding.

I think what they are actually hostile to is the SEN teams at the council, and despairing at the system (or lack of it) I am a governor at a mainstream primary with an ARP. With a reputation for excellence with SEN, many children with SEN are advised to apply. These children usually don't have an EHCP, but often require a full time 1 to 1, personal care, OT, SLT. The school doesn't get funding for these until the EHCP comes through (which is taking up to 2 years) but needs to fund them anyway, in the best interests of the child. But this then diverts funding and support away from children with lower level needs, who are equally important. The number of times I have seen the incredibly dedicated head in tears, after having to make yet another cut to one child's provision to fund another, of having to terminate the contract of a skilled TA as the budget is exhausted, is heartbreaking. I fear it's not long before she quits or collapses under the pressure.

The reality is the school cannot meet need for many children the council asks them to take, and accepting a child whose needs cannot be met is harmful to both that child and the rest of their intended class. But the council has a legal duty to place, and will force a school to take a child to tick a box.

I've never met a single child minded case worker and I've dealt with many over a decade.

As I say my son's caseworker consulted with 21 schools and it took over a year to find him a place. Thankfully the school he is at now is a great fit for him. It's bloody hard though. The area where there is just nothing out there is particularly SEMH at primary age range. There is just nowhere that will take them. And schools are using perm exclusions all over the place to off roll kids. I am currently dealing with a reception child who is looked after the the school are threatening to perm ex him.

It's awful. The mainstreams are outright hostile, there are no special school places. It's just an awful way to treat people.
The mainstreams are more hostile than I have ever seen to SEND learners.

Ah ok, that makes more sense.
Although the push for inclusion at almost any cost to both children with SEN and those without is equally harmful. Special school places are in such high demand, that many children who need them wait far too long in mainstream, which is far cheaper than many special school places, even with a full time 1 to 1.