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!!

@fedupallthisrubbish it's rubbish isn't it.

If your DC is likely to meet the definition in the Equality Act 2010, I think I'd be verytempted to write formally to school requesting a reasonable adjustment of an early exit in the afternoons on the basis this is necessary for DC to remain regulated and able to participate (or whatever...). Onus is them on them to explain why that can't be accomodated. If DC is likely to be covered by the Act, School don't have a lot of wriggle room - if you challenged their refusal, they would need to demonstrate failing to make the adjustment would be a proportionate means of a legitimate aim. As the early exit would chiefly affect DC, they may well find that is a tough bar to meet...

How's it going @Phineyj?

Slow progess @MrsLamb! OT is visiting school tomorrow. She sounded a bit odd on the phone, but will see how it goes. Still not got the Ed Psych report. Need to chase that again. Given up on physio. Private optometrist wrote a helpful page of recommendations for education, free of charge. School breaks up a week tomorrow and I can't see how the council can possibly get a plan written, out to us for comment and issued by 4th August (20 weeks) so girding myself so construct suitable moany letter (have IPSEA template).

It's all sooo tedious although I know it could be much worse. How are you doing?

@fedfedupallthisrubbish my first real inkling of DD's SEN was the absolutely epic battles over homework...she's the opposite though in that she will do it at school (grudgingly!)

Mind you she has consistently preferred her teachers to me. Apparently they are much nicer.

Thank you for your replies. It's an independent mainstream school. the head has the rule and the senco is stating the same things. Everyone has to stay until 5 and no flex on home time.

Good luck with OT - is it a sensory OT?

20 weeks I hope it all falls in to place 🤞

I'm looking forward to term ending and relaxing 🤩 who knows what next year will bring 😬

School has gone to ground (no doubt still trying to figure out what to say about the LA's unimplementable plan). Will be interesting to see if they are prepared to meet in what remains of the term...

@MrsLamb speaking as a teacher, this is a busy time of year with sports days and trips and whatnot, but on the other hand, the formal assessments are pretty much over. Make a polite pest of yourself to get that meeting. Do not leave it till September. You can at least get a heads-up of any staff changes.

@fedupallthisrubbish I'm not sure - sensory is the main issue though. She seemed to expect me to know more about OT than I actually know ("What do you think OT can do for your daughter?" Errr - isn't that their job?!) I know a little about what OTs do with older people but am struggling to relate that to my 10 year old.

We already have a comprehensive private report which I have uploaded to the parents' section of the "portal" so there's that.

Thanks @Phineyj. Yes, without a conversation about what has actually been put in place/got up and running I do not feel confident a single thing has changed for DS. I have a suspicion almost all of the provision is unimplementable as it is does appear to have been written within the parameters of, 'how do we suggest we are meeting this complex child's needs, but in practice only quality first teaching, in a way which can never be effecively called out or enforced'.

I guess what I'd like to do is establish how much School feel they have been able to implement? There have been a string of incidents this term. DS is supposed to have named key worker providing support, but I don't yet even have confirmation a key worker has been identified. It's that sort of basic stuff that is driving me to despair...

I do think you need to go in there. They know they're in the wrong; you know they're in the wrong. Surely it must be possible if you can find someone helpful to find common cause and tackle the LA together (might not be the SENCO - I'd start at the top with the Head or more likely, their PA, personally).

I've just had my daughter's EP report and...drumroll...it's helpful and I can recognise the person they're describing! It quotes rather heavily other reports that have been commissioned (and me) but at least he had the good sense to recognise that we were speaking the truth. It paints a clear picture of a child with challenges who is "faking normal" pretty well with some help. I am relieved as of course if you are great at "faking normal" then people may draw the more obvious conclusion. My mum and sister both think DH and I are making a mountain out of a molehill so to speak.

Something the report confirms (which I suspected but no-one has till now come out and said) is that she is working about 2 years below expected (e.g. at the level of a year 4 child) in core subjects. Which is interesting as every single grade she has had from school has been 2 for the last couple of years (2 is satisfactory, 1 is good, 3 is concern). So clearly they mean "2 for her" and not "2" if you see what I mean. It's a good thing that we figured out for ourselves not to pursue 11+ and other competitive entry tests as no-one came out and said those were unsuitable either!

Gosh a lot of reading between the lines has been expected of us. Good thing I'm a teacher I guess.

Glad you recognise your child in the report @Phineyj - that bodes well for the plan.

I know what you mean about attainment levels (if that's the right way to describe?). I still don't know DC's relative position despite asking many times. Too easy for people to assume they are fine. I'm finding it difficult to have any meaningful discussion about DC's potential and whether or not they are being supported to achieve this? The EP/plan objectives are only interested in attendance and the EP flattended his very spiky cognitive profile despite express advise from the specialist EP who undertook the assessment that the 'average' was not a helpful way to think about DC.

I am frusrated by professionals who think their primary job is to suppress demand for provision rather than meet childrens needs.

What age/year is he, @MrsLamb? It can be hard to get that info in KS3. If he took SATs (year 6) or CATs (year 7) you could post the numbers on the staffroom in here and see if someone experienced can interpret them for you?

Not sure what happended with SATs - height of pandemic. And think EBSA may have meant CATs weren't taken in Y7? But at least I now know what to ask about!

They must have some data on the poor kid! They've got to make up ahem forecast GCSE targets based on something.

😂I don't know, you know. The SENCO was pretty convincing when she said they knew nothing...

Thing is, he does have a wild cogntive profile: top 5% for fluid intelligence but can't follow even basic sequences of information. <Keeps telling self> this is why the agony and expense of the appeal is worthwhile. His needs are so not being addressed, currently.

Perhaps I should ask one further time, then FoI to belt and brace?

The school should at least have data from teacher assessments from the end of KS2. It would be a SAR rather than a FOI. Depending on age/capacity of DS he may need to do the SAR rather than you, or give you permission.

We've got a physio appointment! That's the last thing on the list.

I feel like I'm doing a rather peculiar treasure hunt...

If the last two reports (still waiting on 2nd occ therapy) get written
reasonably soon the council might actually make the 16 week deadline.

Did you go into school @MrsLamb?

@Phineyj following a refusal to assess Tribunal if the LA is going to issue they must finalise within 14 weeks of the Order, not 16 weeks.

That's interesting @ThomasWasTortured! Oh dear oh dear....that means they're out of time in a week. But what evidence can I quote? I did (skim) read the SEN code but I didn't see that?

It is in Reg 44 of the SEN Regs 2014. There is an IPSEA model letter about failure to comply with Tribunal Orders. Orders can be enforced via JR if necessary.

Thanks @thomas!

Booked in for next week - have asked for the right things in advance thanks to you, @Phineyj! (Which isn't to say they'll be available...).

Good luck re@ decision to issue (if I've kept up with the thead). Keep us posted.

Just pondering, is it a treasure hunt? Or is it a mad game of hide and seek? Then again, it definitely has the surreal quality (and skew) of the Red Queen's croquet match...or an utterly rigged game of snakes and ladders?

Alice in Wonderland! Better than Kafka eh?

I just watched the rather wonderful "Dumping Ground" (CBBC) version of Alice with DD yesterday.

Good luck to you @Mrslamb. Hope you get some answers.

No, Kafka works. 😱

Thanks @Phineyj .