to think nobody does their job properly anymore unless you follow it up with written paperwork

[OwlLady]

god I am so bloody angry again at my council

i have been ringing them up for weeks regarding my sons transport for school and it's too big an issue so always a manager has to look into it and they will ring me back
etc
etc

School starts tomorrow and we still have no confirmation of the correct transport arrangements (ie. the timetable we have been sent doesn't go past the house, nor does it go to the correct school) and when I rang this morning they have no recollection of trying to sort it and the woman I have been speaking to has been signed off work.

I am now frustrated with myself because I didn't follow it up with email and now they are saying they have no evidence it has been raised.

this isn't the bloody first time either. They don't seem to be able to plan a piss up ina brewery and it's the most expensive council tax I have ever paid in regard to area

I will now sit here whilst you all tell me I am being unreasonable and should buy a bike or something and cycle with a squirrel on my back to the nearest school whereby he didn't get a place

YABU

especially to expect someone to keep important facts like that in their heads

hope you get it sorted soon though

I expect someone to keep important facts in their heads? :o

I'd be fed up too.

Its nerve wracking enough...all this school stuff isn't it?

I'm in a similar situation actually... I'm a little bit done in

sorry Owl, i'm having a shitty day myself as my DD still hasn't got a school place

ignore me

Wtf false

All the OP wants is for someone to do what they are paid to, sort out school transport .

I had my letter weeks before the start of term.

The contract should be put together with completed pupil lists as soon as a school is awarded.

X post false

You should have indicated sarcasm at those who work for the LA being able to do the job they are employed to do .

False, why hasn't she got a school place? we didn't get our catchment school either which is a complete pain in the arse tbh as I now have three children at three different schools, one 15 miles away but we did at least get given a school.

it's a long story, ignore me

I don't want to ignore you, I feel concerned now about your dd's lack of school! Would she be a new starter?

she would be Y1 - she finished YR early - school wasn't suitable for her. she has ASD and the SENCO was contacting our doctors etc to query DDs DX, she also denied any knowledge of where/why/who would do a cognitive assessment for DD as her Psych suspects a mild LD. she had a fight by letter with DDs consultant!

i'm tired, i'm disillusioned, i'm grumpy. i've made more calls and sent more letters and reports this school holiday than i care to think about.

hope you get transport sorted soon

Sorry Falsestartered, that sounds really hard :( It makes me sick the way they piss about with vulnerable children like this, your daughter has the right to a suitable education as much as the next person. Have you got a good parent partnership by you? sometimes they can be helpful

Don't. We have a major problem with DD's class allocation. DP rang the Head practically the minute we received it, in mid-July. School starts tomorrow and it still hasn't been dealt with, though it is entirely the school's (massive) cock-up.

I wouldn't have liked to have been the Head on the receiving end of DP's ire during Monday's telephone call .

gah they are not answering the phone now

Sorry you're having such a frustrating time.

But in answer to your question, no, YABU because some people do their jobs properly, but I always expect them not to and so I always follow everything up in writing.

It's a pain and time consuming though.

I always follow things up with an email. Tis my lawyer's training .

Also, it often irons out misunderstandings and nuance.

you just keep phoning them you will get answer in time but remember every parent that need the service will be doing the same

Contact your local councillor and ask them to follow it / hurry it up for you?

I managed to get it sorted at the last minute ffs. I am so bloody frustrated. The only reason they do it is because they want one less child to have to pay for because they think you will just give up and take them yourself (and I can't)

glad you've sorted, Owl bit of a struggle for you i'll make you a

i agree about they reckon you'll give up and do it yourself

i was speaking to someone (from County Council) yesterday about school place who suggested we might just go back to the old school and try to work things out

unless they have a time machine and can undo all the letters/phone calls to other services, i think not!

YANBU to think that you should always take your own note of any important conversation with a service provider on any matter of importance to you, unless they are providing you with written evidence that they are dealing with the issue (a case number and summary). It's often a good idea to keep your own note anyway, in case your recollection of important detail is at odds.

You don't have to assume everyone is incompetent, the point is the importance of the matter to you. If it turns out there is a problem, you have a record and can send your notes to someone more senior.

I do agree that a lot of people in all sorts of jobs with service providers don't take good notes - partly because they have poor listening skills - so cannot deal effectively with customers' problems, or understand the history of an issue, so that you usually have to explain the same thing over and over again and sometimes, IME, facilitate communication between different departments yourself.

Definitely talk to your councillor and give them a written summary of events so far. They can be very effective at focusing attention on your case by taking an interest.