Urgent advice needed. Meeting tomorrow.

Why? Sadly so many of them are.

No it isn't. It's an essential part of the EHCP process. Legally mandated. So why are parents being encouraged to pay, especially when the LA will unlawfully refuse to use it anyway?

OP won't answer 🙄

OP there are a number of issues here.
Like others, I am surprised that the SENCO did not understand the EHCP. What did they not understand? What was the outcome of this? Is it better explained now?

You repeatedly say that various settings could not offer or cope with “the academic” – what do you mean by that? In your last post you say: “The majority of them [post-6 settings] do not have the academic.” Academic is an adjective not a noun – do you mean they could not offer the academic content your DS could access?

If your DS got an 8 in CS GCSE, how did he do in the other subjects? He was planning to take A levels – what subjects? What grades did he get? Is there any way he could maybe use this year to retake one or two GCSEs and start A levels inc CS next September?

I think as others say that you need a clear idea of what will be a good answer going forward. If he would be better taking a T level or single-subject Btec, what subject? Where is it offered locally to you? Can the setting that offers it (if there is one) look at how he would need to be supported? I agree with a PP - have you actually looked in detail at what other settings can offfer?

It’s not reasonable to say he is excluded bc of being ND; schools and colleges need to set levels of attainment to access A levels, like 6 or even 7 in the A level subject and 4 or 5 in maths and English; and lots of DC will not achieve these grades, for all kinds of reasons, and will have to look at different routes.

How about an IT support apprenticeship?

https://uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=2517d2413f3c9a4d&from=serp&mclk=default&xpse=SoAE67I3smng1V2OFZ0LbzkdCdPP&xfps=26313b1d-585b-4121-94a0-c00a9e196a78&xkcb=SoCT67M3smnmW0RugZ0AbzkdCdPP

Or if he doesn't feel ready for an apprenticeship, a Supported Internship?

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/send-information-young-people/flying-high-your-future-what-about-after-secondary/flying-high-your-future-supported-internship

How about an IT support apprenticeship?

https://uk.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=2517d2413f3c9a4d&from=serp&mclk=default&xpse=SoAE67I3smng1V2OFZ0LbzkdCdPP&xfps=26313b1d-585b-4121-94a0-c00a9e196a78&xkcb=SoCT67M3smnmW0RugZ0AbzkdCdPP

Or if he doesn't feel ready for an apprenticeship, a Supported Internship?

https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/children-and-families/send-local-offer/send-information-young-people/flying-high-your-future-what-about-after-secondary/flying-high-your-future-supported-internship

In an ideal world, yes. Sadly, in the current climate, most parents can’t access EP input outwith the EHCP process (or going down the independent assessment route).

In the example I posted, it was a school who wasn’t offering EP input, wouldn’t request an EHCNA, told the mother she couldn’t make the request herself without already having had an EP assessment, and was offering very limited support.

Assuming they have spoken to school who has confirmed they aren't able/prepared to prioritize for their EP (if they have one).

One off EP visits from highly stressed EPs stuck in a cycle of only doing one off statutory assessment visits because everyone is requesting EHCPs doesn't lead to best outcomes.

I understand the issue; if universal and targeted support aren't effective (is there aren't enough EPs and other services) then everyone ends up swirling through to the specialist vortex and EPs get stuck working in that zone, but we really are more effective working at targeted level and observing response over time working with a child and family, and then supporting the move into the 'specialist' zone (EHCPs, not literal specialist schools, being the specialist zone).

when my daughter transferred from home ed to each of her different provisions (and she went to 4 different colleges - two BIG FE colleges, 1 sixth form attached to a smaller school, one tiny specialist SEN alternative provision) we had meetings with each one where we sat down with their SENCO, the LA rep and us, to see how the EHCP needed to be adapted to their particular placement.
You have seemed to have taken the LAs word for it that he shouldnt go to certain places, but have you actually been to visit and spoken to them. My son's friend has ASD which severely impacted him, and grades which didnt come up to scratch in some areas, and he was able to attend the local FE college with support, and complete his A levels. Another friends child had fairly extreme end of PDA, but is now at uni but it took a bit longer to get there.

I dont understand what you mean by 'the academics' are you referring to subjects?

Perhaps an apprenticeship would be a better route for him to take.
https://www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/

But it isn’t part of the legal test, which is how it was portrayed, and no parent should avoid requesting an EHCNA because they haven’t got one.

they said that they didn't think that a school/college setting would be appropriate due to the free periods

Support can be put in place for free periods. If it is inappropriate (in a legal sense) for provision to be made in school/college, did you consider EOTAS/EOTIS/C?

He couldn't get a SEN school place because our city only has one suitable specialist school available and it's for the whole of Yorkshire.

You aren’t limited to placements only your city. Have you looked at out of area placements? There only being one suitable SS, doesn’t mean DS couldn’t go to it. If that was your/DS’s preference and the LA refused to name it, did you appeal?

also worth noting that many university courses offer 4 year courses now, which include a foundation year that brings them up to speed if they dont have the grades/background needed for usual entry.

Both my kids took longer to get to the uni stage because they both have autism, and one has additional issues as well.

I knew that at 18 my son was not in the place to go and study independantly as he lacked the life skills, so his extra year in education at home was more about helping him develop those skills rather than the course he was doing (which he actually excelled at) whereas my daughter didnt go to uni until later and is studying locally.

what are his plans when you say university? what are the struggles that the other schools are not able to meet? you refer to him having been in mainstream school, so what is it that makes you say that he wont cope in a school environment - are there things that he could be learning skills/ adjustments/ coping skills to allow him to develop strategies? These are really important going forwards, and stuff that my kids (and my daughter has an EHCP and had to be withdrawn from mainstream) needed to do in order to progress. Some comes with maturity, and obviously autism never goes away (I have it too) but we need to survive and adapt in the world - be that education or workplace - to enable us to live

"You need an EP assessment before requesting an EHCNA."

It's true that you don't, but it's a great deal better for everyone if you can.

But you are.

You are expecting the LA to come up with a magic solution but aren't prepared to say what outcomes you want.

All you are giving is reasons why places can't take him so what do you expect LA to magic up?

Some of the incorrect things people I have recently supported have been told by different SENCOs:
-To get an EHCP we need to have spent £6k.
-You can’t get an EHCP for children who aren’t 2+ years behind ARE.
-Academically able DC can’t get EHCPs.
-We can’t request an EHCNA without 2+ APDR cycles.
-You can’t get an EHCP for a child who isn’t attending school. Or conversely has 100% attendance.
-You need a diagnosis to get an EHCP.
-You need an EP assessment before requesting an EHCNA.
-You can’t get EHCPs for just dyslexia.
-This LA doesn’t include 1:1 any more.
-Sharing 1:1s (when it is detailed, specified and quantified in F) is fine.
-SALT/OT (insert other therapies) don’t go in F. They should be in G.
-Mentoring doesn’t go in EHCPs.
-Study skills support doesn’t go in EHCPs.
-The EHCP contains suggestions. We decide what to provide.
-That wording is fine (in response to vague and woolly wording that is unenforceable).
-We can’t be named unless we agree.
-We can show incompatibility (when they actually can’t).

If all SENCOs understood EHCPs and the law surrounding them, none of these would have been said. These are just examples, it really isn’t ‘very strange’ for SENCOs not to understand EHCPs and SEN law.

You only have to look at how many parents are incorrectly told their DC doesn’t need or won’t get an EHCP but the parents go on to successfully make the request themselves.

Isn't there anywhere that offers computing btec?
If the ehcp is the barrier, can you adjust whatever it says in there, that could have been written years ago, to stop it preventing centres from thinking they can meet need ( unless you agree that they wouldn't).

Incidentally this is the one downside of a highly specific quantified ehcp...

your young person wont be forced to work at 18 if he chooses a slower route - you can get child benefit and any additional benefits (so if he gets PIP, the uplifts to UC) up to age 20, so long as he stays in education and then starts his final course under age 19.

Not quite. CB can be paid until 20. The child element of UC can only be paid up to the 1st September following the young person’s 19th birthday.

Although OP’s DS, or his appointee, can apply for UC in his own right. A credits only New Style ESA claim can be made in preparation.

We fundamentally disagree then because I maintain many times it's lack of being able to meet the EHCP due to lack of funding and resource rather than a lack of understanding. I'm not saying there aren't cases where SENCO don't understand but imo most SENCO try their utmost to meet EHCPs but are severely hampered by a broken system

Most LAs can’t meet need. Because there are a HUGE amount of children with a huge amount of needs, and the funding just doesn’t match.
Its unfortunate for your son, but he’s not on his own with this and it doesn’t make it right, but there are plenty of students who have left school with an idea and grades for what they want to do, but there just aren’t the places available. Your son will need to look at other routes, and may have to accept that the specific course just can’t be offered?
There are crappy SENCOs out there, but there are often SENCOs who are doing the absolute best they can with the extremely limited resources they are given…
This is where, sometimes, getting a place automatically just because of an EHCP isn’t in the child’s best interests ultimately. The whole system is very broken!

You don’t need specific information about one case to know it isn’t “very strange that a professional SENCO wouldn't "understand" an EHCP”. It actually isn’t uncommon. I was commenting on your generalisation rather than OP’s case specifically.

your young person wont be forced to work at 18 if he chooses a slower route - you can get child benefit and any additional benefits (so if he gets PIP, the uplifts to UC) up to age 20, so long as he stays in education and then starts his final course under age 19.

my daughter got PIP, she was very unwell during ages 16/17 but was on roll at a local HE college, she then started a level 3+ art foundation at 19 and her child benefit didnt stop until her 20th birthday.

My son did A levels and then also did an art foundation, and I received child benefit for him until the end August after he finished the course, and UC until the course end day in July

so there is time for him to take a slow year, so long as he stays in some sort of education, and then possibly transfer to somewhere else next year

Well we haven't got any information to go on ie what didn't they understand/was it that they didn't understand or was it they couldn't meet it? OP doesn't answer most Qs and gives very scarce details.
It's impossible to give decent advice.