EHCP-Residential School

[calmingdown]

Hi I m considering a residential college for my 17 dd. She was diagnosed of ASD 3 years ago while in a mental unit because of anxiety. I m beginning to feel that residential placement will give her a more structured environment than it can also she prepare into a more self reliant life.

I want to ask those who ve been though the system how it works. Can you apply a place for your dc in any Send college/s anywhere in the uk. I only know if you apply for a college that is within your county then you will only get a day placement.

How does it work? What is your experience like with your residential college or school? Is it worth?

I know people who have been through it. I looked into it for DS16, but ultimately its not appropriate currently.

It's all down to the EHCP. If an expert deems it necessary for whatever reason, that's when it happens. It needs to be considered essential for a childs education for whatever reason and shown that nothing lical can meet need. Usually you send your EHCP to the schools you are interested in, and they tell you if they can meet need, often they will help it throughthe process.then as part of an ehcp review or an emergency ehcp review you request a change of placement. If the LEA agree you get the placement, if they don't you take it to tribunal

In practice I think it's fair to say residential school normally happens when you can evidence previous local education placement failure/failures. Often there is a social services component so the placement is joint funded. Historically the unique educational feature needed was a waking/sleeping curriculum, although im not sure this is quite the golden ticket it once was. Realistically you will most likely Solicitor or legal advocate support, so check if you are entitled to legal aid

We had a residential specialist school for autism named on DS's EHCP, it was over a decade ago and anecdotally it seems harder now. He was deemed to need a waking day curriculum. We used solicitors and expert reports, and needed 2 appeals, so it was expensive. No social services involvement and it was funded entirely by education, including taxi and chaperone. He attended from age 11 to 19 so the costs involved were worth it.

@kifroe my dd needs a more structural environment to prepare her for independent living. Also therapy to help her manage her anxiety, stress and regulate her emotions. I don’t know these are good reasons.

Just thought of something. Can someone go to a less academic residential college first then move on to a more academic residential college as they progress?

Try to get an appointment with IPSEA. They normally release some on Fridays. It's a minefield and there's a lot more EHCPS than ever before so it feels like everything is getting more difficult.

Are residential colleges tend to for those require variety of therapies?

Yes often

You will have a hard job getting any LA to fund it. You will need to justify why local provision isn't appropriate

I m sure it s hard but we have to try. I feel she needs therapies and trialing to help prepare her for an independent adult life. I m not able to give her that level support.

No but locally they might be able to. The LA must look at their budgets too. Some residential settings are double the price of Eton. Wanting that money from sorely stretched budgets is a big ask snd lessens the budget for all if too many get it. Sad but true.

@Foxesandsquirrels thanks I will try to get in touch with IPSEA.
Also has anyone heard of SENDIASS?

Ds's day placement is not double the fees, but does cost more than a place at Eton. I disagree that the OP should be worrying about LA's budgets, that is not her concern. Our LA decided without us appealing that Ds needed an expensive independent specialist placement. We shouldn't be made to feel guilty for getting his needs met.

@Punxsutawney I agree. LA budgets are not for the OP to fix. This is irrelevant to OP and for the LA to worry about. My DDs day specialist placement is nearly the same cost as Eton. It's actually the same as the cost of her being in her mainstream state but with all therapies under one roof. People underestimate the cost of SEN in any setting. Esp if the child has a well written EHCP.

My dd definitely needs counselling and occupational therapy for independent living. Just wonder do residential colleges offer CBT? Or it s something we needs to look at before she goes (if it can happen.)

I don't know about residential colleges but my DDs specialist dyslexia day school has 3 onsite therapists who offer counseling incl CBT etc.
A lot of the time once these kids are in a setting that's suitable for them they really come to their own though.

Lots of SEN day schools/ colleges offer OT and services to move into independent adulthood. My neighbours DD had exactly that. To get residential you must need a lot of support beyond local provision. Whether anyone likes it or not, there are needs that can be met locally and few get residential. All LAs have budgets. I’m just cautioning that what the op says is not bad enough for residential.

Contacted a college but I was surprised that they said the EHCP has to come to them from our LA not us parents.

@calmingdown That's how it always works. The steps before that are taken by you though, unless this is very specialist provision than they will likely know that all local provision has to have been tried and they're a last resort. I'd speak to the admissions team there and see what they say. They'll be very experienced with many LAs.

Dd had tried two different local providers in the last two years but both failed. The first one was with a wrong approach and the second one the staff were not skilled enough.

Is your dd currently in college?

Call an annual review and request a change of placement through the annual review process. Make sure you have any updated professional reports ready to give to the LA. Do you have any reports from when your dd was an inpatient that would support your request for a residential placement?

In my experience it's really hard to get a residential college unless needs are extremely complex, or if there is no local provision available or if there is social care needs meaning dc cannot live at home.

The problem was the first one was just unfit. The second one was mismanagement but the wouldn’t they didn’t want to admit it of course. I feel exhausted as I m her only carer also her sister has a long term health issue atm.

What makes you think a residential placement won't have those issues? I mean that genuinely. You will need to have this answer at the ready to be honest

DS boarded at his special school (in the county where we live) from Y6 to Y9, when they closed down the boarding house. We got boarding mainly because we live at the extreme other end of the county to where the school is, so it actually worked out cheaper for him to board Monday to Friday than the LA funding a taxi to and from school every day. We wanted boarding for various reasons, but the LA was mainly interested in costs.

I think you will have a tough fight to get residential college for your DD. If it’s out of county it’ll most likely be even more expensive for the LA than funding a placement in-county. You would need to prove that there is nowhere nearer than your choice that can also meet your DD’s needs, and also that it’s essential that she boards.

Also, therapies are only available to each individual young person if they are named in section F of their EHCP. My son’s combination of special school and 6th form college provide his life skills, preparation for adulthood, SALT and OT, but only because they are all named and detailed in his EHCP. Other students don’t get the same package even though the therapies are there on site.

Good luck with it.

@CatkinToadflax “life skills, preparation for adulthood, SALT and OT” are what my dd needs. We re having a meeting with her MH professionals to discuss the possibility and at least they aren’t in disagreement with us atm.