Ehcp case officers/writers/etc

[BirdFeederFun]

Hello!

Is anyone an EHCP writer/ officer/ whatever local name is?

I've seen this role advertised and I'd love to know more about this job. I'm a former teacher with experience since leaving teaching working with parents (but not a SENDCO or senior leader ) and was wondering what it's like.

Id decided not to go for social work due to not being able to meet needs and wondered if you just constantly feel you're failing everyone in this role/if it's very stressful or if it's a good job. Or even a good step to something else.

@BirdFeederFun i feel the same . I was HOD , phase lead. I was meant to be a deputy head . But after my second child and a physical altercation from a child I walked out and never went back. I feel a failure as I earnt almost 20k more 5 years ago than I do now and I feel like I can’t get out go these job roles under 30k. I look at some colleagues who are now head teachers ! I think of their pay and great pension and I hate myself. DH has suggested I return to teaching as we need the money but I can’t. I am mid 40s in a job with no progression and my confidence is gone. I am so disappointed in myself.

@Pinkflowerpower I'm sorry you feel the same too. I'm looking at friends who are OTs who have worked up and now in 40/50s salaries. Or even looking at job, ads and a few years into OT/social work/teaching kids in their 20s are earning into 30s.

I feel so rubbish that I'm applying for a role that needs A levels and as my partner doesn't earn well either we've just crashed and burned.

LA school attendance role would be a good shout

Hmm. I think there's a good reason for so many send students /undiagnosed students not attending schi at the moment I think I'd be causing more harm in that role!

If it had been easier to retrain I would have done. I'm envious of those with 20year career histories in their field now and comfortable/part wfh/earning well.

Its so hard starting again. I'm clever and was a good teacher but can't go back and feel so deskilled!

What about Assistant Ed Psych role as a starting point? There are some advertised as LA's are desperate for EP's, even if your local LA might not be recruiting, I would contact the lead EP as they may well consider this.

Following as I went for a job with sendiass last year. They had recreated from the case officers.

How about tribunal rep? I'm a sen parent and some of tribunal reps have been decent humans.

Would you work in a private school?

I think it's worth giving it a go, you can apply your skills and you can work from
Home as much as you like
Usually which could help you. Low risk as no more expensive training to do first. And it's going to get much easier with all the ai software

Does your LA have area SENCO type roles? I used to work in the early years sen team (just admin) and there were lots of ex-teachers doing the inclusion co ordinator / area SENCO / SEN Advisory support roles
They seemed fun and I always wanted to get in that line of work but I couldn't even get onto a teaching degree let alone anything else 😭

Op you could definitely train to be an ep at nearly 50 I know some that did. It's a very easy job to do part time, you can work anywhere in the country or abroad and remotely often - in a LA or privately. Youll work for another 18 years probably so do something you love!

Why don't you apply for an assistant Ed psych job to see what it's like?

Try again! Now you know the interview process you have a much better chance of being accepted

Both unis I could apply to are over an hours commute away so full time this now won't work out while I have kids at home unfortunate 😔

Hi,

I'm a parent who's just been through the EHCP process so I do understand what you mean. I wondered if you'd considered applying to join one of the online schools as a tutor?

We're having our schooling remotely from a private provider, all correspondance courses and it's really good. Good for SEND kids and for the teachers as far as I can see.

Places like Wolsey Hall, Pembrokeshire College Online, Oxford Learning Online.

I wondered if that might work for you?

@BirdFeederFun

Attendance roles can be heavily focused on EBSA now rather than enforcement. These two areas are often separated within teams.

Children missing education tracking is satisfying, important and can be done WFH.

Elective home education monitoring - LAs employ teachers

Inclusion / access / exclusions - a little more knowledge maybe but learnable

Traveller education support for LA

You can probably guess I work for the LA in these teams. I have done most of the roles above and found them all enjoyable. LA is flexible and can WFH usually, also most will consider flex between all year round or term time. Pension is good too

@halesie I'd like to do something like that, go that woman.

What an eye opener thi(s thread has been someone should link it ( I don't know how) to Bridget Philipson

Wow yes that does appeal actually! I haven't seen anything advertised recently. There was a virtual school role (higher paid) hut I didn't really have enough experience as just a classroom teacher.

If I jump into housing support to escape teaching I wonder if that would mean I'd no longer be able to apply for these LA roles.

No, don't do it - the case workers aren't given the proper time or training to do their job, and not only the person employed suffers, the child and their families go through untold stress.

Other options - retrain as an educational psychologist (EP), I know a teacher who did this and finds it rewarding or tutor SEN kids who either need help with study or are school refusers.

Well our LA got a richly deserved pasting at the Ofsted inspection so it seems parents' criticisms were pretty fair. Mass exodus of staff, Director, Head of SEND among them. Not certain whether the dept is even functioning presently as generic emails are closed and complaints dept are no longer answering emails. Have LGO and ICO chasing my out of timeline responses.

FWIW our EHCP has been brilliant. The LA ed psych was really good. We were given an EOTAS package without difficulty (no tribunal) and got started right down to work on the first day of term in September just as though he had been going to school. DS is gradually recovering from the school problems and learning a ton of stuff that he never could have done at school. So sometimes the system does work.

I did have to work hard for that though, and poor DS went through hell at primary and secondary before he finally folded right up.

@ItsProperlyColdOut Dd has EOTAS too. She loves it me less so. Different experience though dd left independent specialist at 19, LA agreed EOTAS as there was no college place. Appeal submitted as EHCP had been butchered and nothing would be enforceable. Wait for SENDIST LA made no case, offered no evidence but refused all provisions even refusing a textiles tutor instead asking an equine therapy service to teach textiles. They conceded day before hearing to a 32 hour per week package costing about 4x what I had originally asked for and they had refused.