To wonder how a £36k a year education can meet DS’s needs if a £250k one can’t?

[GoneBatty]

Private residential SEND college (out of area) costs £250k a year. They are saying DS’s needs are too high for them to manage.

Council are saying a £36k a year local outreach provision can meet his needs.

It’s all very fishy as SEND college at first said they felt they could meet DS’s needs so we visited, all was OK. As as soon as the council (who will have to fund it) got involved, college backtracked and said they couldn’t meet his needs.

They have given nonsensical reasons which I have mitigated numerous times. Both the college and council have told blatant lies and I’ve caught them out in two big ones!

Now we have reached Tribunal the college is suddenly full which was not an issue a few months ago so know they’re lying again as they would know numbers of students months in advance due to Tribunals and the time it take to get funding. Also most Tribunals due to take place over the summer were postponed for this age group.

AIBU to suspect the council has given the college a backhander to say they can’t meet his needs? It would cost council £750k for a 3 year program. They could have given a £100k ‘investment’ per se? Still saves a lot of money!

There is literally no other provision like this in the country. I have approached 21 other colleges, local and out of area. DS has had no proper provision for over a year and he is running out of time as age 20 - EHCP is to 25.

Do I sound nuts (I feel it)? Can this actually be possible?

It isn't. Local authority budgets have no relevance to NHS budgets.

The simple fact is that local authorities are required to identify and meet the needs of children with SEND. They can't get out of it by saying "Where is the money supposed to come from?" One resource might be what they currently pay out on defending tribunals over 90% of which they lose.

How much do you know about this subject? Have you read the thread?

Firstly EHCPs are about more than just education. The respite you mentioned will also be part of the cost of provision in an EHCP as EHCPs include social care provision.

Education is also about far more than academics, the curriculum or qualifications. Even where young people are working at preschool level and further progress will be small they are still legally entitled to educational provision. Just because progress is limited doesn’t mean the provision isn’t of any benefit. Things like SALT, OT, physio, accessing the community, ‘enrichment’ as you call it can all be educational provision.

Yes I understand and I’m not saying that those associated things arent of value. But the most costly elements aren’t of value to everyone and I’m sure there should be a way to acknowledge this. I suppose it happens in adulthood with the transition to day centres and residential care that is not an educational facility too.

Sorry to jump on here, but unfortunately we've received several reports that some posts have broken our Talk Guidelines. Hopefully the OP has received the opinions and advice they were after, as we are now going to close this thread.