Advice on securing suitable Section 19 alternative provision for medical needs

I’ve no understanding /experienec of S19 but have just been through tribunal process.
What type of provision are you needing a short term one with a view to integration back in to mainstream? Or a long term one? I’ve just gone through challenging provision but we have a EHCP so it was much more straightforward. . Your council website will name all schools so you can ring any you think might be suitable or look on their websites you can also look at out of area too if you are happy to drive or are eligible for transport. But a lot is special schools/ independents will require a EHCP. You can ring the sen team at your local council or your Sen advocacy team (ours is called sendias) for advice .

Sorry your daughter is struggling.

There is some excellent advice here: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/alternative-education-for-children-who-cannot-attend-school

Your LA is failing in its duty to provide a suitable education. See template letter 22.

Would she be self motivated enough to be educated at home?

Just seen your update.

LA processes for deciding what to provide under s.19 are a mystery to me. I'm aware of two children at our school with, on paper, similar needs - one got 6 hours of weekly 121 with a tutor, the other just got work sent home from school.

I am not aware of this sort of thing "psycho education, mentoring, building her back gradually" being provided under s19. Some schools may provide this.

Is your daughter neurodivergent or potentially neurodivergent/awaiting assessment?

Would you consider home education at all?

It’s mental but we had to do the leg work and find suitable schools and request the LA consult with them. The Sen team and sendias wouldn’t t/couldn’t
recommend specific schools although they could advise on type.
The issue we had was my son is very academic but can’t cope on a typical secondary but a lot of Sen schools only offer functional skills or a couple GCSE’s.

I would do your own research then fight for what you want but expect a lot of schools to be full. Alternatively could you look at working with the mainstream and staying on roll but your child doing a few hours in a ap and then slowly integrating back into mainstream?

Just to reiterate that this (excellent) advice relates to EHCPs rather than s19.

It's worth pushing for better s19 provision (or, if you have the resources, to buy in your own provision - but do NOT deregister, as then the LA can wash its hands of you) while you wait for the EHCP, especially as it's completely normal for LA to ignore the legal deadlines for EHCPs.

Is she currently enrolled at an independent school? I’m not sure they have to offer anything? Are you trying to switch to mainstream state?
If you’re paying at indi they may ask you to self fund 1-1 support or recommend an ed psych or help develop an iep.

I think that sounds right (well, as in correct. I think the situation of no support for children in this situation is completely wrong...)

Might also be worth posting in the SEN board here and joining the Autistic Girls' Network group on Facebook, which has a lot of parents of autistic girls experiencing burnout who can share experiences. You will probably get advice about focusing on rest and recovery for now, and gradually trying to work out what would make school a more sustainable environment for her when she is ready.

I'd also recommend Naomi Fisher's book on burnout - called something like Teenager's Guide to Burnout. (She is a psychologist who comes from a position of scepticism about schools, but I think there is a lot of value in the book regardless of whether school is the right path for a particular child.)

I meant also to say that, as you know, the LA must assess need as the first stage of the EHCP process (just not, in any sensible way, for s19). They may decline to do a EHCNA at first but keep pushing - advice is available from IPSEA and your local SENDIAS.

Email the Director of Children’s Services reminding them of their duty. You could also email the Monitoring Officer. If that doesn’t work, you can look at a pre-action letter. You may want to start looking for someone with capacity for this now in case you need to go down that route because demand is high and it can take perseverance to find someone who has capacity.

DD being in an independent school is irrelevant. It is the LA with the responsibility, not the school, anyway.

Section 19 provision has to be suitable, so in that sense, yes, the LA has to consider individual needs, but it won’t be an assessment like a good EHCNA.

Even if a reintegration plan was the right route to go, it wouldn’t be instead of alternative provision. It should be as well as.

What you list can be provided via s19 provision. Unfortunately, LAs will opt for the easy option unless pushed.

Personally, I would not electively home educate. It is not lawful, but LAs sometimes refuse to assess/issue because they know a proportion of those EHEing will continue to EHE rather than appeal.

LA processes for deciding what to provide under s.19 are a mystery to me. I'm aware of two children at our school with, on paper, similar needs - one got 6 hours of weekly 121 with a tutor, the other just got work sent home from school.

Unfortunately, it is often based on parents advocating for their DC. However, the LA isn’t fulfilling their responsibility in either of the cases you mention. Work sent home does not relieve the LA of their duty. 6hrs a week 1:1 with a tutor is not a suitable full-time education.

@Randomeemoh sorry to hear about this, it sounds stressful and upsetting and you sound like you’re doing an amazing job navigating this.
Where abouts in the uk are you?

Hi, we’re in a similar situation. Look at the barriers to education website. Autistic burn out takes 1 to 3 yrs recovery time for an adult. There is no data for children.

I would consider using the services of a SEND advisor. I would be wary of pyscheducation as it is rarely suitable for autistic people in burn out.

Join a local facebook page to find out what AP is avaliable in your area. Your daughter will need very low demand and that probably doesn’t include academic work - things like art, horse riding or forest school. Feel free to PM me.

Personally, I would save your money rather than spend it on an advocate/advisor now, but if you do go down that route, choose carefully. While some are excellent, there are some who do more harm than good.

Even if your LA has preferred/approved providers they like to use, other provision can be provided. You aren’t limited to what they typically provide/want to provide/provision within your LA’s boundary. It has to be suitable.

I agree that it's worth writing to the DCS, and then sending a letter before action if nothing comes of that.

However, because so many LAs are in breach of their duties towards children and the timescales for LA support are extremely slow (despite the statutory obligations) - and the tribunal waits can be long - it may be worth getting your own advice and provision (assuming that you have the financial resources to do this). Your LA CNIS team may be helpful or may be working to LA policies that are in effect at odds with the law. I would expect, and push the LA for, the best but plan for the worst: an LA that drags its feet at every stage and fails to provide any meaningful support for your child, for years.

Potentially ed psych and OT assessments may help you, and you could share these with the LA when they are undertaking the EHCNA. And buying in the sort of one to one support that your identify will be far quicker than waiting for the LA.

Obviously you should not have to do any of this, but the law is disregarded daily in LAs across the country.

In terms of education, while your daughter will be worried about getting behind, it may be that the most productive approach right now is to help her understand that her brain needs to rest; and that you will, in time, work out together the changes that she needs to make her life sustainable for her.

https://www.spectrumgaming.net/post/what-is-autistic-burnout

Although there is still a wait, if you have to appeal anything related to the EHCP process, because DD is out of school, you can request an expedited hearing.

If this was a state maintained mainstream they would pay for tutors or an online school
in the interim or a place at a small
alternatice provision. I doubt a private school has the inclination or budget to provide that without charging you extra.
the council will only take over after they have assessed and and ehcp has been issued, until
then youre not in the state system so they won’t help you - unless you remove from private school and use in year admissions to apply for a loc state school then she becomes the new state schools responsibility until the ehcp kicks in.

Nescot has a course for 14-16 year olds who are currently home Ed if that help

This isn’t true.

AP under s19 provision is separate to the EHCP process. An EHCP is not required.

It is the LA, not the school, with responsibility for providing AP. That applies whether the child is in a state or independent school. While some state schools will fund AP, many do not.

Surrey’s DCS is Rachael Wardell - [email protected]. For SCC’s Monitoring Officer the general email is [email protected]. Her direct one is [email protected]. You might see a couple of other names mentioned in relation to the monitoring officer because of the transition, shadow authorities and the interim roles, but I would use the two addresses above.

Ah so miles away from us but there is a lovely alternative provision in Lincoln some kids from Notts go over too.
I hope you can find a solution you sound such a positive and inspiring role model as a Mum, I hope some of the advice helps.