Dla waiting times

[Suzzie101]

hi! New to this all but I started a new claim for my daughter and it was received and stamped on 30th October, reaching 9 weeks and no response as of yet, any ideas of the waiting time ?

Your a week behind me I’ll keep you posted, good luck xx

Hi,

could anyone advise what is the correct address to send MR to please? Just want to make sure its correct.

Also, the current wait times if anyone has received one recently?

Thanks in advance

Forms received 17th February. Decision made 5th May. New claim. 11 week wait. My son has been awarded LRM & HRC.

Brilliant news @Momof4boyos. A pain waiting but at least its been awarded.
I'm still waiting. I really need some stuff for dc that I want to use the money for if she is awarded it

Do you have any reference for this, @Imitatingdory? DD2 is having an EHCNA and the LA have said they'll only ask OT for advice if they are already involved, and OT say they don't 'do' sensory anymore 🤔They have to decide whether to issue a plan by 03/05/22, so time is running out.

@Lougle Under Reg 6(1) SEND Regs 2014 during an EHCNA the LA must seek advice from:
a) the child’s parent or the young person;
b) educational advice (usually from the head teacher or principal);
c) medical advice and information from a health care professional;
d) psychological advice and information from an educational psychologist;
e) advice and information in relation to social care;
f) advice and information from any other person the local authority thinks appropriate;
g) where the child or young person is in or beyond year 9, advice and information in relation to provision to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living; and
h) advice and information from any person the child’s parent or young person reasonably requests that the local authority seek advice from.

A sensory OT assessment for an autistic pupil would come under H.

Anyone approached for information must respond within 6 weeks (Reg 8(1) SEN Regs and 9.52 SENCOP). If that cannot happen the LA must commission an independent assessment. There’s more information on this IPSEA link.

IPSEA have a model letter you can use to complain. Ask the LA in writing if that is a blanket policy they are deploying. Sadly too many LAs act unlawfully and force parents to appeal and pay for an independent assessment.

Many CCGs no longer commission sensory OT outwith EHCPs but will often undertake the work for EHCNAs and EHCP provision because otherwise the LA have to commission independent assessments/provision.

Having looked at IPSEA I think that they are covered, sadly. It says:

"Under point SEN Reg 6(1)(h), a parent or young person can ask the LA to seek advice from anyone within education, health or social care, as long as it is a reasonable request. This can include a speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist or someone from CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services).

A request would be considered reasonable where, for example, a child or young person has been identified as needing an assessment already and they are on a waiting list, or where the school, college or other professionals have said this advice may be needed."

The SEN department say they will only ask people already involved and if I want them involved I have to seek that:

The SALT department has rejected the referral because they say that her difficulties are a function of her ASD.

The OT department say they don't do sensory so won't accept a referral.

The Specialist Teaching and Advisory Service Communication and Interaction team, on the phone, said they only deal with people who have an EHCP already. However, I had emailed the service lead prior to this and she has replied to say that she will try to help DD2 and asked for the case co-ordinator's email address, so that's something.

A request for OT and SALT assessments a pupil with ASD who is struggling to attend school would be reasonable under H. Does DD2’s diagnosis report or any school correspondence mention sensory differences? Just because DD2’s SALT needs are related to her ASD doesn’t mean she doesn’t need a SALT assessment. If Having a blanket policy of refusing because the services aren’t already involved is unlawful, the LA must judge individual cases on their own merit.

Yes, huge sensory issues. Wears tinted glasses in school to cope with lights. Has a uniform pass because she can't bear the feeling of the blouse. Had to buy brand new jumpers last week because she couldn't bear the ones she had but also couldn't face not wearing a jumper. Wears leggings under the trousers, etc. Noise sensitivity.

I tried to complain last week and asked for the complaint procedure. The woman wouldn't give it to me until she talked to me and said that if we pursue the SALT/OT the waiting lists are huge and they would just go ahead without the information if it wasn't in by the deadline.

The information in your posts is enough evidence the requests are reasonable, although sadly as you are finding it doesn’t stop many LAs refusing.

Waiting lists are irrelevant, you don’t need to sit on the normal waiting lists as if they can’t assess within the statutory timescales independent assessments must be commissioned.

Thank you @Imitatingdory I have put a formal complaint in this morning. See what they do.

@Imitatingdory thank you so much. I sent the complaint by email, directly to the director of children's services and the SEN team. I have now had a reply from DD1's caseworker that they are looking in to why the SLT assessment was refused and they will try to get a sensory OT assessment done in-house but if not they will need to look outside the LA for assessment. Result!!

Brilliant news, although a shame they couldn’t follow the law initially and it takes parents persisting.

Hi, anyone else put a MR in and received phone call? My daughters was received 5 weeks ago Thursday coming, I’ve had 2 missed calls from DWP and unable to ring back just a recorded message 🤦🏻‍♀️ He left voicemail Friday to say his name and we’re he was calling from and that he will ring back, and I’ve gone and missed it again this was 7PM this evening ? Anyone else receive a phone call? It’s the only benefit claimed so can’t be for anything else. Thank you

Hi all
Ds14 has received DLA since he was 2 for severe autism /ADHD etc. He's always received HRC/LRM. I sent off his renewal form last week signed for and it's been received.
Just slightly worried now, I sent his last 2 hospital letters from his neuro consultant, school stuff, copies of prescriptions etc as it just asked fir the most up to date reports. I've read some people send everything from the time of diagnosis onwards, I have a big shoebox full of hospital stuff, SALT, Ed Psych letters etc which has been sent with previous claims.

Have I done the right thing not sending it all again? Tia.

any forms you have sent in the past will be on his files they scan them I think and they are uploaded xx

They would disregard stuff from years ago anyway, don't worry. They need to know his current position.

@Amyxkx Hello, did they call you back? X

No I blocked them it was a scam 😮 rang dwp the number didn’t belong to them and nothing on system to say anyone has rang me x

Omg glad you managed to find out from Dwp before they called you back!!! Have you had your decision back for your mr? X

Has anyone who filed a claim early March had an answer yet? We had a holding letter a few weeks ago "sorry we've not got to you yet" type thing.

Claim received 8th March, money in account 19th May, just over 10 weeks.

Sorry for late reply, yes she was awarded x

I've no idea how they work through the forms. My sons renewal was April. I got the forms November, left it until last minute mainly due to how depressing filling the form in is and had a letter back 2 weeks later. Renewal all done. Seems odd that people are waiting do long, yet ours was done so quickly.

Trinity I believe renewals are generally looked at in order of the date they run out, which might explain your timescales.