Taf meeting

[Xo94]

Hi everyone. Recently I have asked to meet with my son's (6) teacher and head of SEN, they've told me that someone from TAF will be there, I've looked up TAF and now I am a little bit confused as to what the need for TAF is and what they actually do, is this a good thing and are they able to help get my son the correct support he needs with his difficulties at school? Thanks in advance for any advice.

Well, in theory getting additional support has got to be a good thing.
TAF is literally - Team Around the Family. The idea is they will look at what might be available locally to support you as a whole family, as a child with additional needs can impact a lot on the whole family dynamics, and, sometimes it works the other way in that family life can impact on the child's attention / or sleep / or behaviour / or mutism / etc etc etc

Obviously, I don't know anything about your family situation or about your ds's needs, but, with all public services being so stretched, I'd be delighted I was being offered anything, tbh.

Thanks for your message. His difficult behaviour is mainly school based, angry outbursts ect. I recently expressed my concerns that the school aren't able to fully deal with his behaviour as they are calling me up frequently to pick him up and that's when they offered me the meeting with them and TAF.

When the school are asking you to pick DS up are they formal exclusions? Or illegal informal ones?

It sounds as though you need to apply for an EHCP.

TAFs usually involve more than one agency - school(s), health, children's services, housing etc. Whatever services are involved with your family, or what services you would benefit from being involved.

They aren't officially excluding him. He's on a reduced timetable but they tend to ask me to pick him up before his time at school ends on a number of occasions. So would Taf be quite helpful in getting him seen quicker by the correct people?

Why is he on a reduced timetable? School shouldn't be asking you to pick him up early. This is a cop out because they can't meet his needs and as PP said illegal exclusion. Unfortunately this happens a lot with children with SEN.

You need to apply for an EHC Needs assessment citing the behaviour issues in school, the part time timetable and the frequent unlawful exclusions. Your child is entitled to a full time education just as much as any other child.

Information here:
www.ipsea.org.uk/ehc-needs-assessments

And yes there would be no harm in seeing what TAF have to say and offer. In any case it's always wise to be seen to be co operating with schools and local authorities, even if what they are offering or suggesting seems dubious and doesn't seem to fit what your child needs.

Also information on exclusion:
www.ipsea.org.uk/pages/category/exclusion-from-school

Ellie is right. You can refuse to pick him up unless they formally exclude. Putting everything in writing and following up conversations via email will give you a paper trail should you need it. The illegal exclusions would be the first point I would raise at the TAF meeting, everyone will then be aware what the school are doing and it will be formally documented.

TAFs don't always mean you get seen quicker, though sometimes it will, but it should mean the right people are involved rather than being passed around.

Thank you Ellie, that information is very useful for me. He's on a reduced timetable because of his angry outbursts at school. However, they seem to be much more prevalent in school, he's very manageable at home and does not often have outbursts when in my care. I think that school is a very stressful environment for him, he's always had female teachers until this year. Maybe the change.

School is stressful because they are not meeting his needs. Instead of illegally excluding him, the school should be considering what further support can be put in place and consulting with the LA.

I'd apply for an EHC Needs assessment now. It may be that he needs a different kind of school.

And I wouldn't be accepting the part time timetable or fetching him home from school early without the proper paperwork from the HT. Once they realise you know your rights, you may find they start being a bit more proactive.

That's the thing, they are taking advantage I feel, the amount of times they have called because he is having an outburst and actually asking me to keep my son off school because he wasn't allowed on a trip. The recent one is the cinema next week, he's allowed to go but I have to pick him up from the cinema if he becomes difficult. That doesn't sound right to me.

You haven't said OP, but does your son have any kind of diagnosis?

He has no official diagnosis, we have been waiting to see what the school are doing, so far they've had advice meetings with the occupational therapist and education psychologist but neither of those have seen my son for themselves. It seems like they are avoiding a lot of things and I can't understand why ☹️

So son didn't end up going on the cinema trip because I wasn't available to be on "stand by" in case he runs away from them at the cinema... Decided to scare me into mentioning police and social services if he did run away from them. This doesn't feel right to me ☹️😟

No I don't think it's right either OP. This doesn't sound like the right school for him to honest.

Have you applied for that EHC Needs assesssment yet?

I'm waiting for them to arrange a meeting with the relevent people to discuss that with them, he definitely needs it.

Don't bother waiting for a meeting before submitting an EHCP request. There's no need to wait and it's just delaying getting adequate support for your DS.

Ask, in writing, for a copy of the risk assessment that informed the school's decision to refuse to allow DS on the trip and what reasonable adjustments they considered. Depending on the reply you may be able to go down the disability discrimination route.

He was allowed on the trip but because I was unable to be on standby and collect him if necessary, they said if he attends then him running off and us having to call police is at your risk.

What a load of bollocks.I doubt the police would see it like that.

Why would it be at your risk when he is with school and they are in "loco parentis"?

I think I'd be looking for a more inclusive school.

Exactly, he's in their care and therefore they are responsible for keeping him safe. It's really not difficult to keep him close by if watched correctly. He definitely needs a new school that are able to support him better, but without a diagnosis I'm thinking it's going to be difficult to get him in the correct school?

Unfortunately, without an EHCP you would be subject to the infant class rules (except if you haven't mentioned something like your DS is adopted), so unless the school you want to move to is undersubscribed in your DS' year moving schools will be difficult and you would need an EHCP for special schools.

The school are trying to scare you. The police would ask questions if the school had to call them because your DS absconded and Children's Services would be notified, but neither would blame you. They would want to ask about risk assessments etc.

Hi, did you have any progress?? I'm in exactly same situation with my daughter at the moment and have TAF meeting soon. Have the school put support in place since then? Was he diagnosed with anything? I'm worried shes going to be asked to leave as they cant manage her emotional outbursts and im been asked to pick her up and many exclusions. Hope it's got easier with you now

Eve You are more likely to get advice if you start your own thread. Is this a state school? Does DD have an EHCP? DD cannot be asked to leave without being permanently excluded. When school ask you to pick DD up for they all formal exclusions or are some/all of them illegal, informal exclusions?

Hi thankyou, no she doesnt have anything yet but school urged me to put autism assesment through Dr and they were sorting speech and language but no progress yet with anything yet. Shes in a state school. All exclusions have had a meeting before she returns so assume all illegal ones, given for when she walks out of lessons when told off, then it escalates as she wont engage with them and walks around school and emotional outbursts.

Legal even!

You can apply for an EHCNA yourself, IPSEA have a model letter you can use.

If the exclusions are formal, legal ones you will get paperwork each and every time. Are the school following the correct procedures? More information here. What are the school doing to help? If they try to permanently exclude without putting additional support in place you would have a good case to challenge it.

Yeah they're has been formal paper work each time. School are at a loss and asked me for ideas and pushing for assesments now but they've said basically she make not stay at school until then as they can take a long time. They gave her a time out card to start and communication sessions just been put I twice a week ...but excluded twice since back from xmas. I asked head of yr about their contact with primary (as they put in alot or sensory things and never excluded) and he wasnt sure of outcome or who spoke to them. Lots of mis communication I feel!