Education welfare / prosecution

[PurpleOne]

In the space of 3 months, it has gone from the school meeting, consultative meeting with the council..and now have a letter of pending prosecution and a summons to appear at magistrates court.

Does it normally happen this fast?

Please don't flame me. There are personal things going on at home which people don't know about.
Just wanting a little advice...

Thanks

That sounds quite fast, not really much time to make any improvements.

It seems quick, but it depends on what the problem is exactly. Usually the EWO should help you and the school agree an plan and a timescale to put it into effect. The summons would seem to indicate that they don't feel that any progress is being made. Do you think you could give any more details about what has happened so far?

TBH I am trying to make the little improvements at home with personal life stuff...but it just doesn't seem to be enough.

Sounds fast, and as if they are assuming that you are not co-operating. I assume that you have told the school about what is going on at home?

What is it they want you to do, PurpleOne? Do you have any support?

I self referred to an alcohol treatment place a couple of months back. GP did nothing.
I'm doing reduction therapy now and have drastically cut back to an acceptable amount of units.

It all seems a little too late though.

It is never too late, PurpleOne. You have sought help and you are working at it. Is there anyone who can go to the magistrates court with you for support? What is it exactly they need you to do, is it getting the children to school? Can anyone help you?
Sorry about all the questions, just trying to get the full picture.

DD1 is fine going to school as she's 13.

It's DD2. Just getting her to school on time.
I even got her an alarm clock but she just sleeps right through it.
I asked DD1 to give DD2 a nudge on her way out to school, not that it's her responsibility, but she won't.

The only person that can attend is my alcohol keyworker. There is no one else in RL to help, and exh doesn't know. Even if I did ask him to take them to school, he won't cause he has to work.
There is no one to help, and in the end I had to help myself with the self referral and AA meetings.

So basically, what happens is that DD1 goes off to school leaving you and DD2 asleep. What happens then?
How old is DD2? How late does she tend to sleep? Is it that she goes to bed late or does she just sleep a lot?
Once she is up, does she take herself to school or do you need to take her?
Is this every day or just some days?
Sorry loads of questions again

DD2 is 10 and she would sleep until half eleven in the morning if I let her.
She goes to bed at half 9, which I call early and watches a dvd until 10. Lights off then for her. I think she just likes to sleep a lot.

I don't need to take her as we live 3 mins walk from school. If I use bonoculars, I can peep into DD2 classroom, we are that close. No excuse I know. It's not every day.

School said she has 90% attendance, but just really crap with the lates. especially if I've been on a bender, but since self referring that's not happened.

It just seems to have happened so quick. And with the lack of support in RL, except keyworker, I feel the rug has been totally pulled out from under me. A huge boulder has hit me in the face. can't see the wood for the trees right now, even with all the hard work.

90% means she's missing one full day every 2 weeks - that isn't good.

I think maybe you need to do your best to enforce an earlier bedtime, everybody up & has breakfast, walk dd2 to school (3 minute walk or not).

It would give a shape to the start of the day?

Brilliant work staying off the benders btw

Well done on working on your alcohol problems!

I'd agree with ravenak that dd2's bedtime might be another problem. Going to sleep at 10 is actually quite late for a 10yo. My 11yo has to be in bed by 8.30 and lights out by 9. It may be that your dd needs even more sleep; children are individuals. Try an earlier bedtime and see if that helps any.

And definitely get somebody (your keyworker?)to come with you and support you before the magistrates. If you can show them that you really are working on turning things round, that's probably all they want. Best of luck!

They did this with me, very fast from initial meeting to summons. We had different reasons for it, but it seemed to be a general overall clampdown by LEA's.
I don't want to worry you at all, but if it's going to court I would really suggest you get yourself a solicitor. I had no clue what I was supposed to do when I got the summons. I after advice got a solicitor and they dealt with it for me. After having been through it, I am very very glad I did, I don't think myself or even someone else who wasn't a solicitor could have done it.
With our case the LEA tried to bring up a lot of hearsay and assumptions about us and our situation. If it wasn't for my solicitor an awful lot of what was essentially gossip would have been presented as fact in court.

Sorry I've gone on a bit haven't I
Good luck with it, and try and see someone legal about it all if you can

We never got as far as court, but we have had a lot of problems with the LEA making assumptions and not being very cooperative. The advice to get a solicitor is good.

Have no advice - but wanted to say, really sorry to hear you're going through this.