Anyone been to tribunal over EHCP placement for specialist college?

[TheOpalFox]

Has anyone Ever been to tribunal over their child’s placement please named on the echp. ? Did you gather any evidence.? Did you win or lose please. Thanks
my sons 16. He’s been given a mainstream college and I want to to go to specialist. He’s been a mainstream school and won’t sit his GCSE’s due to his anxiety …. And school refusal and he’s struggled a lot
:(
thanks

Yes I've been tribunal.
I appealed B, F and I.

I had independent EP, OT, SALT and Dyslexia reports.

I paid the EP & OT to be my witnesses. I also asked the headteacher of the school I requested to attend as a witness.

I won, despite the fees being twice the cost of the LA choice of school maintained school.

Its all about the evidence.

Ipsea are a great source of information.

Good luck

do you mind if I ask please what kind of things you put in your evidence please? Thank you

@TheOpalFox I have prepared for Tribunal 6 times (for 3 of my DC); two of those proceeded all the way to hearing.

I’ve won all 6 cases. I had no legal representation and I had no witnesses.

One was a placement appeal from mainstream to SEND. My DC was out of school at the time and was not attending the named mainstream.

Evidence is the key. Independent Educational Psychologist reports can be hugely helpful in assessing and outlining your child’s difficulties. You need to show that the mainstream cannot meet your child’s needs even with best endeavours to do so.

IPSEA and SOSSEN have lots of information on their websites. There’s also an angel of a poster on the MN SEND boards who really knows her stuff, if you post on the EHCP support thread, I’m sure you’ll get loads of advice on there.

Yes, and I have supported parents. You do need evidence. If this is a phase transfer, when you submit it you need to write - new appeal - phase transfer - in the title to have the hearing expedited.currently being held around mid July.

you can use annual review paperwork. Why is mainstream not suitable for him? Ipsea is great on this, focus on the legal test. Can you have a witness for. His old school if they agree and the new placement. They will probably be called by the LA anyway. School can write a letter of support. And please get your young person to write a letter about anything - eg why mainstream won’t work, what he finds hard at school, what might make the experience easier. Take not of the new evidence page limits. Good luck!

Sorry - go through the consultations of the placement named for post-16 at section I. They may also have agreed that they cannot meet needs.

How can i find this information please?

What type of specialist college is your preferred college?

What further evidence you need depends on what you already have and the individual case. Remember, each case turns on its own facts. Think about what evidence you already have, what evidence you don’t have but can gather, e.g. via submitting SARs to the current placement, LA, named post 16 placement, your preferred placement and any other agencies/professionals involved, and consider independent reports.

You can ask the LA for the consultation responses. The LA should include the responses for both proposed placements as part of the appeal, anyway. The SARs should disclose them too.

Have you spoken to the named college?

You might want to re-read your previous threads about appealing the post 16 placement as well.

I would go back to your case worker at the La and ask for all the papers considered by panel including the consultations made to all settings. Is your preference a maintained or indep specialist? You may need an offer from the to be considered by the tribunal. You could ask your local SEnDiASS service for help, though I know the quality of service differed in different boroughs.