Page 27 | Are SEN case workers to be trusted?

Ricecakesaremyjam · 2025-04-05T17:37:11+00:00

Are local authority SEN case workers to be trusted? Do they work to serve the child, or on behalf of the school who aren’t delivering EHCP interventions? Can anyone advise?! Thanks x

Agenoria · 13/04/2025 23:17

CleverButScatty · 13/04/2025 17:55

I'm on two LA steering groups at work (AP development and EBSNA), work with the parent carer forum in my work LA as a link and my home LA as a parent rep. I volunteer my time to a group run by my local MP to lobby the government on SEND reforms, am the SEND Governor at my son's school as well as working 50 hours min a week and being parent to 3 SEND kids. What about you? Enough to leave me physically and mentally broken to be honest but if I don't who will? Someone bitching that their caseworker is a cow ...that's going to achieve sweet FA.

It's a lot more than someone who is in a couple of parent FB groups, reads special needs jungle and bitches on MN (not saying you but plenty on here clearly met that description).

Like many of you, I have navigated nearly 20 years of being a SEND parent with 3 children wth SEND (actually that's a lot more than some on here feeling like their nastiness should be untouchable)pre pandemic, during and post. Working in mainstream schools, special schools, SENCO roles and as an LA. Post-grad quals in SEND, Autism and a level 3 legal qualification.

I have a very broad view of the challenges of the system, the nuances and parental difficulties.
I have never posted the depths of my children's struggles on here, that is their business and not a means of me point scoring against some random on the interne. But according to some random up thread I have had an easy time of it in the SEND system ..Have I heck!! Because I have an ounce of intelligence I know that this is because of funding and government policy, not because only people who are untrustworthy and 'have the skins of rhinoceros' become SEND case workers.

Some people were nasty cows before they became a SEND parent, but they now feel they are justified. And brush off what my colleagues have experienced all you like. Just know that people who are abusive to them are completely contributing to the lack of stability in the workforce and the impact on delays etc. A bit like people who are awful to teachers then whinge that their child has a new one every term.

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I'm puzzled that you dismiss so many people talking about their actual experiences as being people who "just" turn up on FB groups, read SNJ and bitch on MN. You simply have no evidence of that assertion, but it's a very easy way to try to put down people quoting actual evidence that contradicts your views. Ditto the way you keep putting down other people's intelligence when it is you who keep misquoting the law. I have a great deal of respect for IPSEA, but you seem to be unaware that their courses don't actually offer accredited legal qualifications.

Agenoria · 13/04/2025 23:22

CleverButScatty · 13/04/2025 18:03

My post was a response to someone suggesting that the way to improve the situation is for all caseworkers in the country to immediately leave their jobs and leave the roles empty. Because then the government would apparently fix everything straight away 🙄 I wish.

The situation with perm exclusions is an outrage. I work with care experiences children who are probably the biggest groups affected by this. It is an underhand way of schools offrolling SEND learners and the SEND teams are as disgusted as parents. Our service lead went through a phase of attending the governors panel to try and force the point .. it specifically states in the perm ex and suspension stat guidance that a child can't be excluded due to unmet SEND needs but schools (academies especially) ignore this and use it to unlawfully off roll.
The LA font have a legal redress route for this it's the parents who would go to tribunal for disability discrimination but most don't.

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You've been asked before but may have missed it - have you helped children in care with SEN to challenge decisions when necessary, including by helping them appeal to the tribunal?

hiredandsqueak · 14/04/2025 05:44

@CleverButScatty you are so dismissive of local parent boards and yet when you are in an LA where SENDIAS doesn’t meet minimum standards and parent carer voice is LA mouthpiece then parents have nowhere to turn. Successes from the boards a child of 7 never been to school full time, EHCP in place since 5 was doing 20 mins 3x a week nothing provided by school or LA outside of that. mum supported to call emergency review ( no AR in 2 years) another parent attended with her. Child happily in special school full time as a result. Many parents with children in independent specialist as parents share their experiences, their professionals used to support, some unaware the option existed previously and had no idea how to secure. Many with EOTAS packages secured ( some 6 figures) so many there is now a spin off board just for EOTAS. Thousands upon thousands of pounds paid out in recompense as a result of those formal complaints, LGO rulings. ICO judgement for data breeches One caseworker dismissed for endangering adopted siblings by being free and easy with their personal information identifying whereabouts one Tribunal lead removed for being largely incompetent and costing LA thousands of pounds. So yes just parent boards but parent boards helping other parents to secure an education for their child when LA seem intent on doing anything but.

Bushmillsbabe · 14/04/2025 09:05

Agenoria · 13/04/2025 22:47

Also, when schools make decisions it is often on the basis of the inaccurate and/or out of date EHCP which is the only document LAs send for consultation purposes in many cases. I've seen schools believe, for instance, that a child is cognitively really low because no-one has bothered to update the EHCP in years so they think he has made no progress since nursery days.

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For primary reception entry it would usually be the child's first EHCP, issued in draft form for parents and professionals to review (so inaccuracies can be corrected before being finalised) before being completed and sent to the school for comment, so it should be up to date and accurate. Our school invites child and family for a 'look round' before offer of place to gain additional information on whether can meet need. And pretty much every child who at this point they told LA unable to meet need but forced to take anyway, they continue to feel it was not an appropriate setting, and many have since moved to specialist setting or awaiting a place in a specialist setting. No child has been more able than EHCP suggests, usually its the reverse from our experience. Moving is disruptive for the child, and much better to start in correct setting in first place. Plus they have taken a place in the ARP away from a child for whom it would have been appropriate, who has then struggled in standard mainstream class.
I can only speak for our school, but they definitely know best which children will thrive in their school and which will not.

Morph22010 · 14/04/2025 09:52

Bushmillsbabe · 14/04/2025 09:05

For primary reception entry it would usually be the child's first EHCP, issued in draft form for parents and professionals to review (so inaccuracies can be corrected before being finalised) before being completed and sent to the school for comment, so it should be up to date and accurate. Our school invites child and family for a 'look round' before offer of place to gain additional information on whether can meet need. And pretty much every child who at this point they told LA unable to meet need but forced to take anyway, they continue to feel it was not an appropriate setting, and many have since moved to specialist setting or awaiting a place in a specialist setting. No child has been more able than EHCP suggests, usually its the reverse from our experience. Moving is disruptive for the child, and much better to start in correct setting in first place. Plus they have taken a place in the ARP away from a child for whom it would have been appropriate, who has then struggled in standard mainstream class.
I can only speak for our school, but they definitely know best which children will thrive in their school and which will not.

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Our la has a tendency to try in certain cases to try and make the ehcp/consult fit the school so that the school say yes. This happens a lot with children starting school. Parents don’t know the sen system well yet and still trust that it makes the right decision for their child. They are thrilled when they are told that little Johnny with highly complex needs can have his needs met in mainstream.

but the childs actual needs don’t change just because you don’t write them down properly and a lot of caseworkers only see as far as getting a school named they don’t seem to appreciate the fact that the child will then go on to actually attend in practise and if there needs are much greater than what was on ehcp/consult the placement will break down. It’s also not just a case of trying and seeing if it works works out, children who have had a failed placement on the whole tend to be end up having bigger behavioural issues than children who had their needs met in an apppropate setting.

it is good that you school invites parents in as you can then get the full picture from the parent and child

Lyannaa · 14/04/2025 10:14

Morph22010 · 14/04/2025 09:52

Our la has a tendency to try in certain cases to try and make the ehcp/consult fit the school so that the school say yes. This happens a lot with children starting school. Parents don’t know the sen system well yet and still trust that it makes the right decision for their child. They are thrilled when they are told that little Johnny with highly complex needs can have his needs met in mainstream.

but the childs actual needs don’t change just because you don’t write them down properly and a lot of caseworkers only see as far as getting a school named they don’t seem to appreciate the fact that the child will then go on to actually attend in practise and if there needs are much greater than what was on ehcp/consult the placement will break down. It’s also not just a case of trying and seeing if it works works out, children who have had a failed placement on the whole tend to be end up having bigger behavioural issues than children who had their needs met in an apppropate setting.

it is good that you school invites parents in as you can then get the full picture from the parent and child

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Yes. I completely agree with all of this.

StrivingForSleep · 14/04/2025 11:32

issued in draft form for parents and professionals to review (so inaccuracies can be corrected before being finalised) before being completed and sent to the school for comment, so it should be up to date and accurate.

I’m not sure if this is what you meant, but schools should be consulted before the EHCP is finalised.

LAs don’t always make the amendments required in response to parental representations, so it doesn’t always result in an accurate picture. If LAs always made the necessary amendments, there wouldn’t be so many appeals to SENDIST.

They shouldn’t, but it isn’t unheard of for LAs to consult placements before parents have had the opportunity to respond to the draft, either.

Some DC entering reception have existing EHCPs. Although the phase transfer review process should still ensure parents get the opportunity to comment.

Agenoria · 14/04/2025 17:51

Bushmillsbabe · 14/04/2025 09:05

For primary reception entry it would usually be the child's first EHCP, issued in draft form for parents and professionals to review (so inaccuracies can be corrected before being finalised) before being completed and sent to the school for comment, so it should be up to date and accurate. Our school invites child and family for a 'look round' before offer of place to gain additional information on whether can meet need. And pretty much every child who at this point they told LA unable to meet need but forced to take anyway, they continue to feel it was not an appropriate setting, and many have since moved to specialist setting or awaiting a place in a specialist setting. No child has been more able than EHCP suggests, usually its the reverse from our experience. Moving is disruptive for the child, and much better to start in correct setting in first place. Plus they have taken a place in the ARP away from a child for whom it would have been appropriate, who has then struggled in standard mainstream class.
I can only speak for our school, but they definitely know best which children will thrive in their school and which will not.

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It would be lovely if LAs could be trusted to make corrections to inaccuracies, but regularly that simply doesn't happen, especially if they are under pressure to meet a deadline.

The vast majority of EHCPs are issued at a later point than primary reception entry. I have however seen EHCPs that were issued at the nursery stage that have not been updated for several years: it is not surprising if a school sees a 10 year old's EHCP which claims he is, after 5+ years of special educational provision, still only beginning to learn letters and numbers and comes to the conclusion that he has severe educational delays.