Online home schooling/LA SEN Funding

[FO123]

Hi All, my ASD son who is going to be 17 soon has just completed his GSCE’s. He has an EHC plan and funded by LA currently. Since December 2022 he has had enough with bullying at school which caused his mental health to decline and Anxiety levels off the roof. At the moment we are seeing CAMHS and he is put on antidepressants. He managed to persevere and finish off this school year by doing his class work from student services rather than classroom due to high level anxiety caused by bullies. He is very intelligent and straight A student. He was due to move up to 6th form but in May school said it is best he looks for other means of education as they cannot support him if he doesn’t go in to class. I was in tears first but after a while I taught that may be the best, looking for some online schooling. I have found a selective online school that can support him and we have been accepted. We are now waiting the funding to be shifted to this new online school. My sons current secondary school and I been in contact with LA SEN department since May and I have been talking to my Case worker which she said that the funding agreement is in the process to go through the SEN forum on the 14/07 but I had no updates since then. Last week I talked to the case worker and she said she will chase but nothing heard and she is now off on leave until 03/09 so I don’t have a case worker looking after me. The LA SEN department is closed until 02/08, so this doesn’t leave too much time and I am panicking that this won’t get approved on time as the online school won’t be holding his place too much longer if funds are not paid on time before start of school year because there is a waiting list that they can choose from . I am just stuck on what to do and I am stressing. My son is looking forward to start school in September and I don’t want to add more to his anxiety if he doesn’t start school due to the funding issues. 😢 Sorry it is a bit of a long post but any advice is welcome 🙏🏻

The EHCP for post 16 should have been finalised by 31st March. If the preferred plan has changed since then, have you had an early review? If you have had an early review, when did this take place? If you haven’t had one, you need to request one ASAP - IPSEA has a model letter you can use.

In order to secure EOTAS, you will need to show it is inappropriate for the provision to be delivered in a school or post 16 institution.

Thank you for the reply! No the issue was identified and raised by his secondary school in May just after our EHCP annual reviews. I have spoken to my SEN case worker and asked for an early review and was told it was not needed as they will request the funding via the SEN forum with all the evidence I and his secondary school provided and CAMHS should be sufficient, then we would update the EHC plan altogether. As mentioned it is in the process somewhere but I can’t get an update now due to my case worker being on holiday until 3rd Sept. I have sent an email to the SEN department which is closed at the moment until 02/08 and only open between 09:00-12:00 during school holidays :( so hoping someone could give me some update.

You can email the Director of Children’s Services.

You were badly advised. You should formally request an early review. If you go through the review process, the LA must stick to the timescales (although, sadly, the LA does not have to agree to an early review). This way, the LA must send an amendment notice/inform you they will not amend within 4 weeks of the review meeting and finalise within a further 8 weeks. Unfortunately, without a review, there are no timescales until after they have actually issued the draft (as proposed amendments are then treated as amendments made following an AR). As you are finding, this means the LA can take longer.

This is so frustrating, thank you for the advice! I have just emailed the director of children’s services.