EHCP support thread no. 3

[Phineyj]

A new thread for when no. 2 is full up.
Link to thread no. 1: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/4834986-ehcp-support-thread
Link to thread no. 2:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/special_educational_needs/4989146-ehcp-support-thread-no-2

I am the mum of an 11 year old girl with SEN and have spent the last 20 months battling for my local authority to issue an EHCP to support her transition from primary to secondary school. We are currently after draft stage after two tribunals. I've had so much useful advice and moral support from posters on here.

This new thread is here to help everyone, whether you're just starting out or are a battle-hardened veteran of years of this.

There is no such thing as a stupid question and there are many acronyms and technical terms so please ask for an explanation of anything that you don't understand.

SEN: special educational needs (sometimes SEND: special educational needs and disability)
SENCO: teacher at school charged with overall responsibility for students on roll with SEN
ECHNA: education care and health needs assessment - the process of a local authority commissioning reports to find out a child's needs
EHCP: the education care and health plan that details a child's needs and the agreed provision to meet them; a legally binding document
SENDIST: the special educational needs and disability tribunal - an independent appeal panel which considers parental appeals against Education Authority decisions about special educational needs.

@handhandmademitlove I waited from November one year to April the next for refuse to issue on the papers. That was 2022 to 2023. So presumably longer than that.

Draft agreement to issue, panel is next week but 'Senior team recognising how late they are, want us to have a copy now and know the decision'.

Draft is woollier than a mammoth; barely quantifiable, specified or actionable. At least this advance notice gives us extra days to draft our responses.

Is it worth using IPSEA or SOSSEN at this stage or just plough through ourselves?

I'd do it yourselves @Bendattheknees. No-one else will care as much as you.

I am adding woollier than a mammoth to my vocab. That's wonderful!

@Phineyj good news.

@Bendattheknees you can do it yourself. SOSSEN has a draft checking service if you decide that’s what you want to do, but it isn’t essential and if money is limited, you should save it for independent assessments if you have to appeal. An EHCP is only as good as the reports. If the reports are vague and woolly, the content of the EHCP will be too.

@handmademitlove lots have a of 4-5 months.

Thank you, glad to be of service @Phineyj

Thank you all, really invaluable advice here as always.

And I knew really. Just wanted to rest for a while. So hoiking bosum and girding loin.

With a working doc almost 99% agreed the tribunal officer has sent the latest today. Raising 3 quite controversial things (not mentioned during the last 4 months we have been writing it back and forth). We have 3 weeks to go to tribunal what the heck are they playing at now? Thought they'd want to avoid going before a judge. Its questioning 3 bits which are all clearly advice from professionals like EP, OT etc written in b&w in reports.

Any judge is surely just going to direct them to keep this evidence in (has been in plan for 3 or 4 years already).

Crackers.

All part of normal LA game playing @Alltheyearround.

Sigh.

Yes, I should probably not waste my energy trying to work out any logic.

It's pure Kafka @BrumToTheRescue .

Yeah, I vote for Kafka too.

Congrats to @Phineyj and others who have had good news.

Quick Q: an annual review was held and the outcome subsequently notified without any notes of the review meeting ever being circulated. Think those have to be circulated but not sure if it is the school or LA's responsibility.

It's the LA's responsibility. However, did you notice who, if anyone, was taking notes?

I suppose you could send your own notes round and see if anyone questions them?

@Proserphina because DC is on the role of a state school, the school should prepare and circulate the report within 2 weeks of the AR meeting at the request of the LA (Reg 20(7) of the SEN Regs 2014). However, ultimately, the LA is responsible for the AR.

It always makes me laugh (bitterly and without humour) that the LA is meant to be responsible for the Annual Review. I don't know anyone in my area who has ever seen the LA at an annual review.

Thanks Brum; the SENDCO was completing a review form, the LA were not in attendance. The LA have issued the outcome of the review as a decision.

Oh dear, clearly I meant roll rather than role. I really should proofread my posts.

@UnendingSaga it is common for LAs not to attend review meetings, but they still remain ultimately responsible for the AR process.

I know that @BrumToTheRescue, I just think it's ridiculous that they are responsible and yet so uninvested.

Initially schools will be expected to go through two assessment periods before the LA agree to assess.

LAs requiring this are acting unlawfully.

A nice little example of why those advertising SEND advocacy services need to be approached with caution. Think most of the people have a better grip on the SEND CoP than the poster dropping in to promote their service!

That should have read, most of the people on this thread...

Well said @Proserphina.

I'm sure I wasn't the only person who reported!

Earlier this month, I reported a poster on another thread whose name was advertising their therapy and advocacy business. MNHQ left it to stand, which I thought was strange.

We have had an update from the caseworker. Looks like the schools the LA consulted with have both said no. It's going back to panel with those responses and our preferred school still the only one saying they can meet need. We now have to wait and see if the LA give in and name our school or if they try and name one of their schools anyway. I feel like they can't go back out to consultation now, their response to our appeal is due this week and if they don't have a school to put down that surely looks terrible for them?

If I don't laugh I'm going to cry. Deadline for decision (whether to issue) was reached yesterday. No change in the name of who they've contacted for college on the NA (despite being told by various people both ends that they'll get onto it). College will be closing for the summer next week.

Got email regarding EdPsych earlier from a Specialist Advisor (not an EP) who I'll be talking to by phone. Me. Not DD, she isn't factored into the equation (though admittedly without a face to face/assessment of her needs she wouldn't be helpful).

Such fun.