What to do to find wrap around care for Sen child with no EHCP?

[Immy1]

hello,
I’m just wondering what other parents of SEN children do for childcare?

my son is 7 and diagnosed ASD since he was 3, educationally he is really smart and inquisitive. He’s got an amazing memory and retains an extraordinary knowledge for pretty much anything.

He does however struggle with his social and emotional needs, he can be very demanding of attention, and his outbursts are becoming more violent as he’s getting older.
but because educationally he’s doing well in his mainstream classroom, he keeps getting refused for the EHCP.
he does have an ICP though.

the wrap around childcare within the school won’t take him as he needs 1:1/2:1 in social settings and they can’t provide that without the funding from the EHCP.
we have tried a few childminders, but they have had to refuse him after a couple of weeks at most because of his behaviour.

is there something I’m missing here? An option I haven’t considered/been aware of?

because I am acutely aware that as a single parent the majority of my income comes from (Child)benefits. I do work part time, but my contract was changed a year ago (company policy) so now I’m supposed to finish at 4pm. Work have been great with Altering my hours, but I’ve recently been told that they have given me adequate time (a year) to find suitable childcare so I can fufill my work obligations and they won’t be able to alter my hours any longer - which is totally understandable from an employers standpoint.

I need to get myself financially stable before my children are grown so I can support myself, but I just don’t know how to do that if I can’t find childcare so I can work or study.

any advice? Please.

We’ve hired babysitters through childcare.co.uk - you can filter by SEN experience so that helps.

But really he should have an EHCP, the law provides that they are for pupils who might/do have special needs and might/do require additional support in school, the local authority can’t reject him because he’s coping academically.

If you come over to the special needs board there’s lots of posters who can advise on getting an ehcp

School legally can't refuse wrap around care due to his disability (or difficulties which are the result of it) - because it's discrimination.

If you aren't confident in arguing this with them then I recommend speaking to the SEND support service where you are.

My child's school tried to withdraw wraparound for one of my DC due to them being unable to cope in the unstructured environment. I argued and pressed them to be completely explicit in what they were saying (which made it obvious that it was direct discrimination) and they found an alternative. So now my DC helps a member of staff tidy up while the after school club is on - not ideal but allows me to keep my job.

My daughter is at specialist school there is no out of school provision for kids like her in our whole county, I had no choice to to leave work in 2020, a a special needs nanny here is £25 an hour I made minimum wage. I hope you find something.

Some wrap round care isn’t provided directly by the schools though, where I am they’re private child care providers.

I would have another attempt at the EHCNA. You mentioned in your post that he needs extra support in social settings and that violent outbursts are getting worse. Both are signs he might need an EHCP. Did you initiate the process by parental request last time? Did it get refusal to assess or refusal to issue? Also it might be worth considering applying for DLA. If you think through each part of the day if you are giving care and support above what would be needed for an "average" child of the same age he may qualify. It may also allow you to claim other benefits. Doesn't directly solve the work issue but could possibly help to pay a 1:1 at the after school club? Also you mentioned your hours were changed to to company policy. You could make a flexible working request and suggest that you do that last hour of work from home later in the evening when DS is in bed. Of course they may decline, but worth a try.

We had this 25 years ago, (Our DD is an adult now.)

We advertised in the local free paper and were very, very lucky to get 2 sisters who were both childcare students at college who shared the wrap around care between them.

Absolute Godsend for 3 years! (DD then had to move to SN boarding school as the day school could no longer cope with her. All worked out great in the end though.)

He’s been declined EHCP twice now, and declined on both appeals. First was my request, second was school request.
he receives DLA highest care award, lowest mobility.
im Claiming everything I’m entitled to, and financially we’re doing ok right now. However I have 5 children that I claim for on my benefits, and I know living comfortably now is not going to be the same when my children get older and start dropping off my claims.

I have no qualifications not even GCSE, but I have been employed by the same company for 11 years, and it’s a pride of mine that I have remained working - albeit it part-time - whilst raising so many kids. I know that I fit the ‘stereotype’ and I don’t want to prove those people right about me. And yes it’s exhausting and often depressing and very lonely. But it’s the only thing I have left that’s just mine that I have achieved and worked hard for.

But it’s retail, and unfortunately I’m very expendable, and is impossible to do from home.

Are you on uc ? If so then childcare costs can be paid up to 85% if ofsted

So I would get an ofsted nanny so has the 121

I have looked at that, but I have 4 other children. A 4yo that is in childcare and 3 teenagers which are old enough to be on their own for a few hours, but not capable of babysitting each other or their youngest siblings.
unfortunately if I had someone come in to my home to do childcare they have to take into account all the other children. And those costs are way way more than the UC childcare allowance, nanny or babysitter.

I had 1 company say they would need to send 2 people because of my SEN child and 4 others, and I only needed a babysitter from 5pm-9pm for a short work event. Fortunately the event wasn’t compulsory.

@Immy1 that's madness

A nanny can look after 7 children from one /two families under her insurance

A nanny charges a flat fee for her work regardless number of children she cares for

So she would have your youngest but tech not teens