Help! Anyone receive Ehcp funding for sen tutor at home

[homeschoolingautismandpda]

Hi everyone,

Just before lockdown we came to the realisation that mainstream education was not the right environment, emotionally and educationally, for our two children (7 and 9) and chose to deregister them from their schools.

For context, our eldest was school refusing the majority of the time for several terms at this point and the days we could grapple them in, they went in Pyjamas with the Senco's help to coax them out of the car. The school knew about and received reports from OT regarding their significant sensory difficulties, received several requests for information via the paediatric consultant regarding their anxiety, selective mutism and is being assessed for autism which they ignored. The school have known these details, we have requested help and support termly since reception which they have refused to never placed them on the sen register.

Our youngest has struggled with school in every sense since nursery. They have been on a myplan etc and was at ehcp stage before we deregistered as they are significant sensory seeking, anxiety and demand avoidant behaviours. They refuses to play ball and was bullied and would cry most morning about having to go to school.

Both of them wanted to homeschool and after having them assessed they are both around 2 years behind academically as neither coped with their classroom environment or were supported enough to access the curriculum.

They now have a wonderful Tutor a couple days per week who understands them and built such a wonderful relationship with them both. They have engaged with learning for the first time and both children seem less anxious with this new pace of life and educational style.

In short, neither child can cope and successfully access an education in the mainstream environment and we are hoping to apply for ehcps for both children. Has anyone received funding to pay for home tutors and groups to ensure they get the education they are entitled too?

Any advice, signposting or shared experience would be so appreciated

It is possible, but they don't make it easy. The first step is the EHCP, and you'll need to request any extra professional assessments like SALT, OT then when it finally comes time to name a setting, that is when you can start negotiations. Don't let them off the hook, they will say they can't fund Home Ed as it is voluntary but you can always ask for a private autism specialist school, costing tens of thousands of pounds per year... know your rights and don't give up.

Thank you!

I will start researching!

There are no specialist autism schools near us, would that make a difference?

Does your child(ren) have an ehcp awarded when home schooling?

@homeschoolingautismandpda yes EHCP while Home Educated. They may automatically refuse to assess but the response to that is to immediately appeal. You need to really lay out the reasons why your child needs to be assessed, and send proof if you have it. You could ask your tutor to write a report to send with the request to assess, and be sure to give info about the Myplan or whatever it was called. Also any professional help you've had (you could get a private Ed Psych report or Speech and Language report if you wanted, although once the LEA agrees to assess they should provide these for free - you may need to request the SALT assessment).

Having no schools locally may help although your LEA may try to push you into "trying" mainstream first (fail in order to try the next, more expensive option). You can fight for whatever you want to be named, specific school or home ed with funding, and you can appeal if the LEA refuses to name your choice. It is a long process when you consider how long appeals take. IPSEA is a good website to look at for advice, or Ed Yourself website.

I see that you've had specialist input - try to get those reports, if you don't already have them, to add to your request as proof. Ask the school or if they refuse, do a SAR (Subject Access Report) covering the time your children were in school so that you will be able to see what they've received for reports.

SAR = Subject Access Request, not report as I've typed. Good luck and let us know how you get on! It is a long road and the LEAs make it more difficult than it should be, just be the more persistent person!

Thank you so much.
We've asked their tutor for reports, will ask our GP and therapist and OT for supporting letters. we are considering asking one school if they will support as their Senco failed both kids spectacularly and the new headmistress is very aware of it.

🤞

There are a few of us on the SN boards whose DC have EOTAS as part of their EHCPs. The important note is that it is different to EHE. By EHE you relieve the LA of their duties.

Like getting EHCPs in the first place, getting EOTAS as part of the EHCP is usually easier when already on a school's roll, crudely because you are someone's 'problem'.

DS1 has an extensive EOTAS package that includes tutoring and therapies/other provision.

If there are no suitable schools within travelling distance (45mins for primary is considered reasonable, but many travel further) it does strengthen your argument for EOTAS.

As a side note you could have made a parental request for an EHCP whilst still on the school's roll. And, if you DC was unable to attend school due to their health, including MH, the LA had a duty to provide education - which could have been home tutoring.

Can I ask roughly where you are based? As I know An excellent SEN advocate who supports parents through the EHCP process and who is herself a parent to a homeschooled child with full EHCP inc tutors. She charges for her advise - but she is excellent.

We are in Gloucestershire.

We were at ehcp stage with one. Our eldest's school wouldn't even put them on the the sen register until yr 3 and after we threatened them, regardless that she was under a paediatric consultant since nursery. They didn't engage with them and wouldn't engage wider services when requested as they sat very quietly in class and was no bother. They had no clue how far behind she was, reports always said 'just below'.

We just had no choice to take them out, our olde

Sorry pressed post accidentally 😆

Our eldest couldn't cope at all and was starting to harm themselves as well as refusing to go in or wear uniform etc. It was only when they started to refuse to go in did school start to engage with us or wider services. At that point it was just to late. When we deregistered we stated that we felt we had no choice.

Wrong end of the country for my lady but would recommend an advocate/advisor if you can possibly afford one. My daughter has a really good EHCP and I'm not convinced I could have managed it on my own.

IPSEA and SOSSEN's websites and advice lines are helpful, as are the SN boards on here. Be careful with advocates, some posters on the SN boards haven't had good experiences. Also, watch SENDIAS, they receive LA funding, so will ultimately toe the party line.

Where are you in the EHCP process? Are the LA sticking to the timescales?

If DD was too unwell for school the LA had a duty to provide education, you didn't have to deregister for that and don't need an EHCP.

Why were you threatening the school? Interesting that both your children have similar issues.

Thanks everyone.

We are at the beginning with both.

Eldest is currently being assessed for autism, she has a diagnosis and receives support for selective mutism, anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorder and sensory processing difficulties. The school refused to help as she was no bother to them until her school refusal started impacting on their figures.

Youngest is currently being assessed for autism, pathological demand avoidant traits, anxiety and severe sensory difficulties. She receives support. She refused to engage with school at all, was on a myplan plus and we were starting the ehcp process in school who then put it on hold saying they already had a number on the go! We said we would start it ourselves and we're promptly told they wouldn't support us!

Blue - Autism is prevalent in both sides of our family, but thanks for your crappy comment never hear that one!

We didn't apply for ehcps for either whilst in school as the school told us we wouldn't receive support and we naively believed them. Also, our eldest was in and out of hospital and even without covid, 2020 was an incredibly difficult year and haven't had the head space to cope with the process

I applied for my childs EHCP myself after months of school refusing,school refusing to apply for one
So I removed dc to home ed ,and applied myself
Was refused first time ,so went to appeal,they then agreed to assess.
Took about a year to complete
Then a 2 year wait for a special school / (with 12 weeks hospital school ,so needed to be on roll at local school but not attend ..utter disaster)
3 years of waiting for special school now ,which we finally got ,
And I’m back to square one with dc school refusing
Only now I have a 1001 people involved,,a dc who’s angry and resentful of what he’s been put through the past 3 years...( long story of LEA /schools getting things wrong)
Just wish I had never applied for the EHCP ,it’s brought nothing but stress to our door

OP apply for EHCPs yourself now.

Pringle have you complained to the LGO? DC was entitled to EOTAS whilst out of school, not just 12 weeks of hospital school. At the time you could have challenged it via Judicial Review, as you could have if the LA didn't stick to the timescales. Did you go to tribunal for a SS place? LAs can only refuse to name your preference in limited circumstances (and being 'full' isn't enough of a reason on its own).