Best place to live with special needs children?

[FatEaredFuck]

I have 2 children both with SEN and live in an area of the country where it's difficult to access support. The LA is sluggish, there is no charity set up to support parents and children etc.

Money no object, where in the country would you suggest moving to for better support?

If money was no object I would stay where I am and pay privately for the supports my child needs.

Where are you now?

Norway, Finland or Sweden.

Sorry I meant the UK, need to be here for work.

I am in West Sussex. Chichester to be specific. My daughter has been out of the education system for some years now so can't comment on that now. Although there are 2 SEN schools in Chichester. One for severe learning needs the other, I think, moderate.

We were very fortunate and got my daughter into an excellent school in Portsmouth with transport provided. We have always had good physio/OT input.

There is also a Parent and Carers support group who run respite sessions. .... summer play scheme etc. Again we are too old to access now but they are very proactive. Certainly worth looking at.

Housing is more expensive on the South coast but if that's not object then may be worth looking.

Agree with Choopi. If money was no object I would buy a bigger house where we are and pay privately for all the extra support my child needed and probably look at setting up and funding my own charity/support group to connect with other parents and children around us.

Not East Sussex. It takes ages to get an EHCP and while there is some very good provision, there's nowhere near enough of it.

What sort of special needs? Just interested as it varies so much according to what support your DC need.

I’m honestly not sure anywhere will have everything to a really good standard. It’s a post code lottery round here - DD has awesome physio but I had to fight tooth and nail to get her a decent wheelchair. Next borough - her friend the same age has a stunning wheelchair but rarely sees their physio or OT

I agree with a PP - the cost of moving would buy a lot of private physio/equipment/SALT/therapy/short break care etc - and basically, at least something will be crap everywhere to be honest. (Avoid Manchester )

Camden. Relatively wealthy area + traditionally left leaning authority = better than most places. But nowhere is amazing.

Whatever you do don't come to Scotland. Very poor, and no legal framework to appeal via either. Just appalling.

I think it entirely depends on what your specific needs they have. For example some areas have great schools for autistic children but much worse provision for physical disability, or for PMLD.

Wandsworth here.

Great care for one DC, born with multiple physical disabilities, from the NHS but had to fight hard for EHCP provision.

Another DC with high functioning autism has had appalling care. Long waiting list for assessment and no support at all when he needed it.

Sadly, I don’t think there is anywhere that is brilliant. The system requires parents to constantly be on the ball and advocate for their children whichever LA you are in. If money is no object, I would stay where you are, use ISPSEA and SOSSEN, get independent reports and appeal (if you want/need to using the services of a solicitor or direct access barrister with experience of SENDIST), then enforce the provision in the EHCP.

52blue have you been in contact with Enquire? There are legal resources to challenge decisions in Scotland, via independent adjudication and The Additional Support Needs Tribunal.

I am just so fed up with needing to fight for even a scrap of support!

Thanks for all your advice so far, yes it us on learning difficulties/autistic side of disability rather than physical impairement.

I advise living somewhere cheap and using any spare cash on a lawyer to fight for your child

We’re in a nice bit of Essex but the charities and groups are miles away. Essex council is quite shit and failed its Ofsted for Sen recently. Ehcps aren’t written brilliantly and to contest them would cost money. I’m also a bit jaded about ehcps as both of mine attend specialist schools and I wonder how many actually have time to read the ehcp.

I don’t think there’s any area that is great to be honest. I’m panicked about after education as we live in a small market town which isn’t teaming with job opportunities for people with special needs.

You have to fight for support everywhere. The main thing is to know your rights and enforce them. Suitable schools is probably the thing to look at if you are trying to avoid long journeys to school.

It depends on the child and their needs surely I'm in the northwest my town has two special needs primary school,s and two special needs high schools,and several autism hubs ,they can meet my son's needs but it's not a one size fits all .

My friend went to a tribunal in Scotland to get her child (who’s genetic special needs had been missed at birth - despite warning signs).
The tribunal was an awful experience - you have to be made of stern stuff and determined. Cost a fortune in their lawyer’s fees, and during it she was grilled by the Council lawyer for at least two hours. Horrendous experience.

@Needtogetoffmyphone

My friend went to a tribunal in Scotland to get her child (who’s genetic special needs had been missed at birth - despite warning signs). The tribunal was an awful experience - you have to be made of stern stuff and determined. Cost a fortune in their lawyer’s fees, and during it she was grilled by the Council lawyer for at least two hours. Horrendous experience.

God forbid anyone want the best for their children. How do those contributing to that system sleep at night?!

There is no ASC provision where I live so you either rely on the mainstream schools or severe learning difficulty schools refusing to take your child or it is off to tribunal for a place at the further away ASC independent school.

You have to fight for support everywhere. The main thing is to know your rights and enforce them.

^This.

It's incredibly difficult to single out specific places.

My county area (Bedfordshire) has an excellent and sizeable NGO called Autism Beds which is all encompassing, running summer playschemes and providing support and expertise of all kinds. But within the county there are three LAs. The special school provision in Luton is (or was when I last knew much about it) very good. Central Beds provision is terrible (the schools are good but the access to EHCPs and school places is the subject of an investigation - lots of SN kids not having a schoool place at all). Bedford Borough, I don't know much about.

So yep, it's pretty much a postcode lottery.

The NE has a couple of charities that one covers the whole of it. They provide help with LAs/forms/support /advocacy etc. Mainly autism based but covers all disabilities.

@FatEaredFuck Totally agree. The parent is more often blamed for causing problems, than supported in coping with them.