EHCP support thread

[Phineyj]

My DD (10) is being assessed for EHCP. The council refused to assess (despite her already being diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, hypermobility and vision problems following eye surgery).

School have been supportive throughout and they are going above and beyond to keep her engaged in education.

She's about to go into year 6 though.

I took the LA to the tribunal and won.

They must produce the plan by 4th August. I think they probably will (they've stuck to deadlines so far...ish...). But I've got all the IPSEA complaint letter templates primed!

The hardest thing about the whole process is that no-one else in my life understands it or what it's like to spend all your free time essentially begging people to document the deficits your child has.

It is also a hard realisation that no-one cares much about your child's education except you.

I am also a teacher so I feel sad on behalf of the SEN DC I teach as I am told little about their needs (I spent a whole day doing DofE with one recently...I don't even know what her EHCP says...)

Join me if you are also grimly trekking through the EHCP jungle!!

I did it! DC has been awarded an EHCP today!

I appealed a decline to issue a plan. The original hearing date was set for September, it was moved back and we had a telephone management hearing, then the final date was set for the last day in November.

I am so happy and I owe a lot to the posters on these boards. I am mostly a lurker but I’ve taken on board lots of different advice from this thread.

To the pp querying incompetence of their local authority, I would say do not underestimate them as stupid. My authority are notorious for behaving badly during SEN appeals. They very much dressed their tactics up as mistakes but it was too dubious to not see it for what it was (dirty playing!).

Does anyone know how long I have to wait now? The documents say five weeks, but I’m almost certain the local authority will set their own timeline. Is it five weeks from the date of tribunal decision or five weeks for them to tell me that they will produce an ehcp?

Well done @GreysToenatomy.

@GreysToenatomy the LA must issue a draft within 5 weeks of the Order and finalise within 11 weeks of the Order. These deadlines aren’t optional.

Well done @GreysToenatomy!
<Sounds thread klaxon>📯

@GreysToenatomy Yay!!!! Great news, well done, and thanks for posting gives us hope, just in time for Christmas, so nice way to end the year 🙂

Congratulations- well done! Bet your soooo happy

Hi all. La agreed to assess 2 weeks ago. Got ep visit to school this week. Hoping to make a good case for special school. Ms school feels its best also and have been brilliant! Any tips to get the best out of my meeting and make good case for special placement would be highly appreciated

@246810k As well as an EP assessment, have you requested SALT and OT (and any other relevant) assessments? If not, you should.

Make some notes beforehand so you don’t forget anything you want to mention/DS’s history (I also find a making a timeline helpful). Think about things like DS’s strengths/difficulties, likes/dislikes, aspirations, what provision is already in place, what has previously been tried, what worked/didn’t work, what you think DS needs.

Hi everyone,
Hope it’s okay to join in.
My son is almost 9 in year 4 and has an autism diagnosis. He just got his EHCP but we are battling for a specialist autistic school. Primary SENCO is supportive. My husband and I both work and the pressure to get this right is huge. Not looking forward to submitting the tribunal paperwork (putting off until after Christmas!).

Still three years ago, he had no diagnosis and no support. So I have to remember how far we have already come!

Welcome @SENparenting.

I've done two tribunals and both times the idea of the paperwork was worse than actually doing it!

@SENparenting Hi, Wishing you all the best, Good luck! and well done coming this far and getting an EHCP its a tough road

I just had an unexpected call from the educational psychologist appointed by the LA. She informed me she assessed my daughter remotely in school on Friday. I had no idea about this and not entirely happy. Surely I should have been informed prior?

@Mummytodo that does seem a bit rubbish and you'd think consent would be required. I had a pre assessment phone call with the EP.

I just weren't expecting and I feel like the school have made it sound daughter chooses not to follow instructions rather then her not understanding them

I’ve always had to give consent, had an opportunity to share my concerns in advance and have also had a meeting with the EP the same day for informal feedback.

@Mummytodo you should have been informed. When you spoke to the EP today were you able to share your thoughts and communicate all your points? If not, request that you be allowed to.

Parental consent is required under professional guidelines for the production of EP advice to support EHCNA, and by BPS and HCPC professional standards. Further, this consent needs to be 'informed'.

It is unethical to assess without this consent being in place; I would make a written complaint.

Out of interest, where roughly in the country are you (had a similar experience - wonder if it is the same LA?)?

@MrsLamb unfortunately, such practices occur countrywide.

@MrsLamb I am in Derbyshire, I knew that they would need to contact an EP and I thought they had to contact me prior does 'informed' mean I should have known?

@ThomasWasTortured yes she spoke to me for just over an hour, I explained daughter's challenges and that I felt current setting isn't correct and why, explained that DD is quite smart but isn't able to learn how ms teach and struggles with sensory and commu challenges. She said I monitored remotely and it seems DD doesn't follow instructions and only does what she wants and that's also what the teacher said. That's when I said no DD can learn, she went to a private tutor 1:1 over the summer for 45 mins sessions and she sat and did the set activities for the whole duration with no problem. It is that the ms teacher is not skilled enough to engage and understand DD, that the ms classes are to big and she said she will email me so I can send her the private tutor report. She seemed taken back.

I would have preferred a proper visit u cannot see DD challenges in 10 min video

I'm bit gutted I will not have private reports back in time so the EP can't take into consideration we are just in assessment stage decision to issue should be 24th Jan

'EPs must consider what constitutes informed consent, ensuring CYP and their parents/carers understand the role of the EP and the nature/purpose of any work done, as well as an appreciation of the possible implications of decisions arising from the EHCNA process. If there is any doubt about consent, then an EP should seek appropriate professional advice before agreeing to any involvement'.

Extract from Guidance for Educational Psychologists providing advice
and information for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments, Joint Professional Liaison Group (JPLG), June 2020.

Proceeding without consent is outwith HCPC proferssional standards. That's a big deal:

Make sure you have consent
1.4 You must make sure that you have consent from service users or other appropriate authority before you provide care, treatment or other services.

@Mummytodo request DD is seen F2F and a comprehensive assessment undertaken.

Sorry that last post was typo-tstic. But the point is the basics of safe professional conduct are being ignored with SEND families. This is not good enough. This should be complained about to the LA on each occasion it arises, and in egregious circumstances, to the HCPC itself.

For some kids, assessment itself can be traumatic and needs to be approached thoughtfully. Assessment can have a range of consequenes. There are multiple reasons why EPs should be talking to parents/carers to secure consent first.

Thank you. I will complain. I would never have consented to a remote session. I was quite shocked when she told me and she only told me cus I asked when she would be seeing daughter. I'm also disappointed in the school for not letting me know

Does anyone know of anyone providing a service to fix EHCP drafts?

We've had input of SOS:SEN on ours and it seems like there's a whole load of work to do. I'm going to be doing my best but I don't feel qualified to compare multiple SALT/OT and EP reports and make sure that the good stuff is all included in the EHCP?

I know this is the LA's responsibility, but I know ours is especially overstretched.

Is this what an advocate does? If so can anyone recommend one?