Education for a child unable to attend for medical reasons

[sunonthetrees]

Not sure where to put this!

DS - Yr 8 - is likely to be unable to attend school for some/many months for health reasons. Although he's not got any major underlying special needs or disability, at the moment he is profoundly disabled (unable to care for himself in any way, or move or speak).

He's cognitively just the same as he always was...

What can I expect from school and/or other services? What can I ask for?

It'd be so helpful to hear from anyone else who has been in a similar position as I haven't found anyone at all IRL who has been through anything like this at all...

In our area we have the hospital education service. This service covers children who are in hospital and children who a consultant (including a psychiatrist) says are unable to attend due to medical reasons (including mental health). Our son needed it because of mental health reasons and it was very hard to obtain but I would hope that for physical reasons it should be fairly straightforward.

For his communication I would look into 'eye gaze' both low tech and high tech.

We have an AAC setup so that’s ok (well, not ok but…)

Hosp school say they only cover him when he’s actually an in patient, but I will ask more.

I can’t understand what his own school will/should do, or really work out what to ask for

Good to hear AAC is set up - it must be exhausting for him.

So frustrating from the hospital school. I can imagine his mainstream school will have limited experience of this situation but hopefully the SENCo would be able to know who to contact and I would push saying that his educational needs are not being met.

Not sure of your timescale and whether an EHCNA could be pushed through quickly to get an EHCP so that the school could access money, support, etc. as soon as possible.

I work in a specialist setting where we would have the expertise to manage the physical and communication needs but would not be as appropriate for his cognitive ability. I am afraid my knowledge of other specialist settings is limited.

Your school SENCO should be helping you organise this. I hope they are being helpful? In our county we have a service called Medical Needs Education and Reintegration Service (MNERS) which is available to children who cannot attend school due to illness.

I hope you manage to get something set up. I hope your son recovers quickly.

Have a look at your LA's Education Otherwise than at school (EOTAS) policy. When my dc had chemotherapy, the local offer was one hour tuition a day. If I remember rightly, we were linked in to that via the hospital, but I'm sure school can do that too.

MNERS sounds like just what he needs. And an hour a day would be all he could manage right now.

this is v helpful, thank you

I don’t think you can expect the school to be involved. Too often teachers are asked to provide work for pupils that is never completed. Would they be able to set up zoom links to lessons? Maybe they could at least give you the syllabus for next term in English, Maths, Geography, History, RE. Subjects that can be taught at home. Otherwise you need to push for home tuition. That is often provided for school refusers.

The local authority are responsible for providing an alternative as soon as it becomes clear that the child will miss 15 days or more. Some LAs will push that onto the school to pay for. Some will pay for it themselves. It could be a home tutor or on line. You could contact SENDIAS in your County to advise you, or the school SENCO. They will probably try to fob you off, but they have a legal responsibility to provide an alternative if a child can't attend.
You don't need an EHCP to get alternative provision, and schools can access funding for this without applying for an EHCP. EOTAS does require an EHCP and is more of a long term solution for children who will never get back to school.

On IPSEA’s website, there is a model letter you can use to request provision under section 19 of the Education Act 1996. This provision should begin as soon as it is clear 15 days (can be cumulative, it doesn’t have to be consecutive) will be missed and provision should begin by the sixth day. When DS is able to cope with more, the LA must provide more. 1 hour a day does not discharge their duty when DS is able to manage more.

Alongside this, request an EHCNA. IPSEA has a model letter for this too.

Be careful with SENDIASS. Some are good, many are not. Many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies.

EOTAS via an EHCP differs from EOTAS LAs provide to compulsory school age pupils as section 19 provision. But EOTAS can be used to describe section 19 provision. EOTAS stands for Education Other Than At School, which includes all forms of education outside of a traditional school setting, including medical needs tuition provision. LAs call it different things, but EOTAS encompasses it all. The legislation also includes "Each [local authority] shall make arrangements for the provision of suitable...education at school or otherwise than at school for those children of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not for any period receive suitable education unless such arrangements are made for them." The LGO also acknowledges EOTAS covers s.19 provision.