Urgent advice needed. Meeting tomorrow.

I currently teach on the course your ds is on and I have also taught on the “tech support” one, there is significant crossover between the two courses

I now teach at a college that doesn’t have the staff resources to offer both courses but is fairly remote so it’s a long way to travel for students who want to take the digital support route.

There are two strategies I use. One is the T level placement - he can still do his placement in digital support, many employers in my experience offer apprenticeships after the course. The other is projects within Cisco learning and creating VM machines for students if the college normally run the digital support course they will have the technical and learning resources, can they run an extra curricular project?

Also if he got a L8 at CS gcse he obviously can program in python or C# to a certain standard already so does have the skill set which is harder to compensate for.

Has he cross referenced the two courses? I’m sure with the information he would see that making a stand and saying he doesn’t want to do the DSD because he wants the DSS is just not a logical
response.

Right, so back to my question. What do you think? Sometimes just because settings/LAs say somewhere can’t meet needs doesn’t mean they actually can’t or that the legal test for refusing to name them is met.

Support in free periods can be in F.

Now I am confused because earlier in the thread you said “It was our preferred setting.” when I asked “If the post 16 placement wasn’t your/DS’s preferred placement, did you appeal?” Now you are saying your preference was “a school sixth form to do A levels”.

If a school sixth form was your preference, did you appeal?

You keep mentioning what the LA said/think, but what do you think?

What do you mean your city only has 1 EOTAS/EOTIS/C? EOTAS/EOTIS/C isn’t a place. It isn’t just for autistic individuals. The bespoke packages can includes A levels. Passing GCSEs or not isn’t part of the legal test for EOTAS/EOTIS/C. Leeds has far more than 1 CYP with EOTAS/EOTIS/C.

For specialist schools, have you looked out of area?

So if it is inappropriate (in the legal sense) for provision to be made in a school or college, have considered EOTAS/EOTIS/C?

Previously you said other settings and LA said others couldn’t meet needs, but what do you think? Sometimes just because settings/LAs say somewhere can’t meet needs doesn’t mean they actually can’t or that the legal test for refusing to name them is met.

Have you looked at EOTAS/EOTIS/C?

So then what are you expecting the LA to do now? This is why I said he needs to be more flexible. If the course he wants to do doesn't exist in the settings which will be most suitable for him then what do you expect the LA to do? They can't run a course especially for him.
This isn't being picky, you have been asked this repeatedly and avoid answering.

What do you expect the LA to do? What outcome do you/him want?
What if the outcome you want doesn't exist? What is Plan B/C?

But the original T Level isn't a possibility, right?

So for A Levels, do you have a 6th form in mind? Will he manage 6th Form do you think?

I mean if the provision detailed, specified and quantified in F of the EHCP wasn’t being provided, you could have enforced it, including via the judicial review process if necessary. I was asking if you had done that.

So did you enforce the EHCP, including via JR if necessary? In several of your posts, you have complained about the school not providing provision, which is why I mentioned it ultimately being the LA’s responsibility.

Do you have an idea of what your preference is @Devsmum13 ? What your son wants to do next?

OP, you are focusing on the past. You need to now look at moving forward.

It would also help you to read more about EHCPs and SEN law, so you understand the system. For example, it would help you understand that if provision in the EHCP wasn’t being provided, it is ultimately the LA’s responsibility and you can enforce it.

If DD is still at university and receiving UC, whoever told you there was a 26 week rule gave you incorrect information. The rules for disabled full-time students claiming UC haven’t had a 26 weeks in the last several years. At least 5+ years from the 2020 amendments following a JR case after it was finally picked up in 2018 UC was breaching the 2013 regs. And I can’t remember for certain, but I am pretty sure UC has never had that rule. The rules tighten in 2021 to make it harder for students to claim.

ahh thats good, they must have changed it from when my daughter started her degree (she is in her final year now) as she had to have been LCWRA for 26 weeks before she would have been allowed.
she gets about £181 a month UC,during the academic year and full rate of UC/LCWRA in summer but if she had a housing allowance it would be much more, so it does help alot if you need to pay rent

EHCPs do not continue in higher education. They can continue until 25, or 26 in some cases, but they do not continue in HE. However, it isn’t too late to be pursuing amendments to the EHCP. Even more so if DS may not go to university at 18.

There is no requirement to be in receipt of UC for 26 weeks before beginning university in order to be able to receive UC. For disabled students, they need to be in receipt of PIP and LCW/LCWRA needs to be established prior to the beginning of the course (this can be done via a credits only New Style ESA claim) but they do not have to be receiving UC for 26 weeks beforehand. Although, for some, the deductions wipe out the UC elements, so the award is 0.

OK, so SENCO fucked up, and it seems reduced timetable was needed for some things but at the cost of English.

what support is written on his EHCP - what is it that he needs help with in an academic setting on a day to day basis. THAT is really the only thing that is important right now in regards where he goes.

You say you are fighting tio change his EHCP, but what is wrong with it - what do you want to change. This is a late point to be doing it in his educational career, and if you are looking at uni, then the EHCP does carry through, but they tend to have their own inhouse disability services, plus DSA. The support for disability at uni is fantastic if you can get there.You may be better concentrating on what you want going forwards, and if he might be better placed elsewhere or sticking to this course, or changing courses in his current school.

And as others say, there is always a foundation year on many uni courses now, to bring your points up. If your son gets PIP and would qualify for LCWRA then its worth taking a year out between end of 6th form and uni, because if they have been receiving it for 26 weeks, they will qualify to continue getting UC at uni and in the holidays, which will relieve financial pressure, which is another potential stress of the uni experience.

Stop believing everything the LA tells you. They will tell you what they want you to know and their version of the law.

If the ASD school was your preference and the LA refused to name it, you could have appealed.

Don’t leave researching placements to the LA. You need to be proactive.

There are other options in Yorkshire for academically able DC.

It also sounds like the EHCP needs improving. Things like provision from a specialist careers advisor can be in F. It is part of PfA.