THREE schools rejected 7yo due to SEN! Shall I just give up work?

[Lap871]

I’m so frustrated that the after school club at my sons current school won’t take him due to SEN and then 3 other schools have refused to take him fullstop. He has a EHCP for Autism and soiling 2xweekly (on average). I can’t find any wraparound childcare, so decided to move him schools where wraparound care was more available and 3 schools we’ve applied for have said they can’t support him. I feel like we’re stuck with no options. We don’t have much family support, so rely on childcare for wraparound care on 3 days while I work. I’ve tried to get a nanny, CM and agency to cover childcare with no luck after advertising good rates for 16 months. Now I feel pushed into unemployment and poverty and I’m really upset about it. I’ve spoken to SENDIASS who have said this is a common problem and there’s not much I can do about it. It all feels so unfair…I’ve had enough!! Does anyone have any advice or ideas about what I could do?

I’m confused? As a child with diagnosed SEN you get first choice of where he goes?

He already has a school place. But now wants to move schools.

And new schools saying they cant support him

Ask to see their discrimination policy
I can understand soiling is a hard thing for minimum qualified minimum wages club leaders to deal with can you get more help with ? May be if he wears in continent pants and you change him when you pick him up ?

Sorry OP, might not be much help but didn't want to read and run. Have you tried Childcare.com ? They usually have loads of nannies/childminders. They can help you with arranging tax and national insurance. A nanny is probably the best bet as a childminder will have other children and may not be able to give your child the attention they need. You may want to think about a small statement to accompany any info you give as this may help someone to decide whether they could help you.
ie. My son xxx is seven, he has SEN .
This is what he needs.
This is what I need from a carer who would be looking after him. Give as much detail detail as you can.
I believe there is a board for SEN on here, might find some good advice there.
What area do you live in ?
Good luck 💐

Thank you. Yes, advertised on childcare.co.uk for a while with no luck. I could add further detail though as maybe my description is leaving some nannies/CMs feeling unsure of what to expect. @nitsandwormsdodger I have asked to see the policy for supporting SEN after school, but that hasn’t materialised. Unfortunately, I feel like the relationship with the after school club is not that great because I’ve been repeatedly asking

Don't want hog your thread OP but try contacting your LEA.
My youngest gs goes to a SEN school and they are fantastic. Unfortunately they don't do any after school care but if you like I can ask my daughter for details of areas of support that she has accessed.

I am in the South East. If you want to you can PM me but no worries if not.

@notthemum thanks, we are Gloucestershire area.

@nitsandwormsdodger

I’m confused? As a child with diagnosed SEN you get first choice of where he goes?

That's not true. Diagnosis means nothing in terms of school places. An EHCP should name a school but that school should agree that they can meet the needs of the child. Not every child with SEN has an EHCP.

There is a duty for your child to be given a school space but I dont think there is any such requirement that he be given a place at afterschool club.
If the staff are unable to care for his needs then it just isnt going fine possible.

Try again with looking for a childminder.

What are his needs? Does he have 1:1 at school?

If after school club aren't able to meet his needs then a childminder probably won't be suitable either - they are just one person and might have 5 other younger children to care for.

An after school nanny is probably your best bet but you need to be realistic about how attractive the job is. Would you accept a nanny bringing their own child? Are you offering enough money, probably £12+ an hour?
How about a TA or pre-school staff member looking for a few extra hours after their main job?

He has 1:2 at school. I know the hours are not attractive really. I’ve advertised at £60 a day (1 hour before school and 2 hours after school). I think that’s reasonable and I honestly can’t afford much more.

He does have a EHCP, but it doesn’t really mean you can choose a school. They all just seem to say they can’t meet his needs. I’ve found a couple of after school clubs who have said they can have him, but then the schools linked to those clubs have refused to accept him

@ImUninsultable

There is a duty for your child to be given a school space but I dont think there is any such requirement that he be given a place at afterschool club. If the staff are unable to care for his needs then it just isnt going fine possible.

Try again with looking for a childminder.

This 👆

I'm not sure whether it varies by local authority but in ours if a child gets given a place at a school then it is their job to meet the needs of the child, they aren't allowed to say they can't do that. On the EHCP there used to be a section that allowed the school to say to what extent they could meet the requirements but there isn't any more. I know this from supporting a child in my class who had needs far outside what would normally be provided for in a mainstream classroom but the parents didn't want to take up the place at the special school so we had to make the provisions for him.

I just wanted to offer moral support. Finding a school for a child with SEN is really hard as so many say no. And finding childcare is even harder.
I dont know if social services can help at all in terms of advertising for a personal assistant rather than a nanny. You can ask for an assessment. Or if any charities do SEN childcare in your region. Its normally a bid for it on a half termly basis situation. We dont have a right to work as such but they might support respite and you can go to work for a relax.

£20 an hour is a lot, I'm surprised you can't find a nanny. Are you using a nanny agency or an SEN nanny agency or advertising yourself? Where are you looking?

@EdithGrantham

I'm not sure whether it varies by local authority but in ours if a child gets given a place at a school then it is their job to meet the needs of the child, they aren't allowed to say they can't do that. On the EHCP there used to be a section that allowed the school to say to what extent they could meet the requirements but there isn't any more. I know this from supporting a child in my class who had needs far outside what would normally be provided for in a mainstream classroom but the parents didn't want to take up the place at the special school so we had to make the provisions for him.

But the wraparound care provision linked to a school do not have any requirement to meet a child’s needs....this is OPs issue

@Elephantsparade Exactly that! It’s hard to find a school and even harder to find childcare I’m going to look into if social services or charities might help. @NellieBertram I’ve been advertising on childcare.co.Uk and through a specialist sen nanny agency.

Put it on indeed. Am in Gloucestershire and seen a few similar job adverts. I don't know how many applications they have but they ads disappear so they must be having some luck. Depending on where abouts in Gloucestershire you are and which days I may apply myself.

Would the after school club take him if you paid for an extra staff member. Perhaps the LSA that does 1 to 2 in school hours might appreciate some overtime?

I wouldn’t expect after school clubs to have adequate support available for an autistic child with severe needs. They’re often run by teachers or volunteers, they’re unlikely to have specialist 1:1 support staff available like they do during the school day. Could you privately hire a support worker to accompany him?

I’m a primary teacher working at a small school with a full wraparound service, 7.30-6pm. We have in the past accepted any and all children who attend the school, but may have had to revise this offer if it’s too much for the staff to handle (bearing in mind that wraparound staff are not qualified or, sadly, paid very well). We have had a pair of brothers with ASD and ADHD attend from R to Y6 successfully, but as we are a small school and know all of the children well, if the staff were struggling they would nip up the corridor and grab whichever teachers were still around marking to come and help - usually me!

Could your school agree to give it a go with someone on call if needed? Does he have any medical issues that need specialist support? Each time our tube fed child had to use wraparound we had to pay his 1:1 extra to stay with him, so it ended up costing us a lot of money. We’re lucky that our wraparound service covers its own costs, but this might not be the case for all schools.

As always, its funding and staffing in schools that remains the biggest barrier.

@Choccyp1g

Would the after school club take him if you paid for an extra staff member. Perhaps the LSA that does 1 to 2 in school hours might appreciate some overtime?

This is a really good idea - one of the TAs at school (or dinner ladies) might want the overtime? And if you have a £60 a day budget that will go a long way.

Have you tried the agencies SENNIES and Snap? They specialise in SEN nannies.

Have you paid for a subscription on childcare.co.uk so people can message you?

Are you actively contacting people or waiting to be contacted?

Do you have space for someone to live in?

Do you qualify for any short breaks respite that takes place after school? Ask you LA for an assessment if not. It changes borough to borough, but in my borough the qualification is mid rate DLA. It is harder to get in the borough I work in. They will usually use agency staff, but I was told to ask around school for a TA.