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.

Thank you so much!

The current nursery is a mainstream, standard day nursery (non-maintained?).

The new nursery is a state school nursery in a maintained school.

I just worry the nurseries could say sorry, we are unable to make certain adjustments that are in the EHCP.

Examples of some recommendations in the OT report (not all the exact wording but you get the idea) is a low-arousal learning environment, no bells, no whistles, no megaphones etc. Acoustics to be managed through carpeting/acoustic panels/soft furnishings. Reduced visually alerting information. Soft close doors. Small class sizes in a small educational provision.

I mean there’s no guarantee these recommendations will even be included in the draft. But if they are, I was just thinking maybe the mainstream nurseries will turn around and say we can’t make these accommodations. So you need to look at a specialist setting.

@Ponche the new nursery can be named even if they object.

Have you looked at any specialist nurseries? Is “small” defined?

The LA informed me today that they'll be naming our third choice school for DS because it's the only school that has offered a place and our first choice school is 'out of borough and has not offered a place'. FTR, the offered school is also out of borough. It's also DC1's school, with a great SENCo, so we might stick with it but part of me feels really deflated, like we'll have given up trying to get 'the best' for DS, though I'm not 100% convinced the first choice school would necessarily be 'the best'.

I wrote to the LA a few days ago pressing for our first choice and using the IPSEA template to request that they detail their reasons for not naming our preferred school, but they haven't done that. 'Out of borough' really isn't a valid reason, especially as it's only a little more than one mile away.

I received our mediation certificates today so can start that process while we wait to see the amended finalised EHCPs (which were watered down and not detailed/specified/quantified when issued).

@BrumToTheRescue I’m speaking to the OT next week to discuss the report and will ask if small can be defined.

In our LA, there are no specialist nurseries. So I am looking at special nurseries in neighbouring LAs.

Yikes there's a lot of this thread I've missed!
Well I apologise but I need some advice again.

Story so far: DD is 17 in mainstream college. Hates it, constantly exhausted, can't keep up with workload. I applied for Needs Assessment end of last year. Was refused. Waiting for tribunal LA changed their mind and began needs assessment. Reports were supposed to be in 21st May. I went through a lot of hassle to get the few reports we have as most came back "patient not known to this service".
Still no contact or report from EP, and the LA contacted the wrong person at college so their name still has Pending next to it.
What now? Decision is supposed to be made mid June. Do I really have to wait until then to step things up? So frustrating!

@QuickFetchTheCoffee you can challenge the not known to the service responses now. You can use IPSEA’s model letter. Anyone asked for advice should respond within 6 weeks. If the EP hasn’t responded within that time you should raise that now. If the LA can’t assess in-house within the timescales they should commission independent advice. If the LA doesn’t send a draft by week 14 you can use IPSEA’s model letter.

@QuickFetchTheCoffee what's DD studying and at what level? I don't have any EHCP specific advice for you but I'm a sixth form teacher so maybe I could make a few suggestions around that.

Thanks @BrumToTheRescue
I did the first part of your advice already, using the IPSEA template letter, which got me as far as a proper report encompassing all the health requirements. The person who contacted me regarding this said the LA would continue trying to get the other reports sorted but it's been over a week and no progress. The case worker is almost certainly aware that the EP and college haven't replied but I'll email them again as that's the only contact details I have.

@Phineyj she's doing BTEC Level 2 Computing (the title is longer than that but I can't remember). She didn't want to go to the local Sixth Form as she was worried about the written workload for A- Levels (rightly so I think).

@QuickFetchTheCoffee if DD isn’t coping with level 2 could she drop down to level 1? Maybe from September.

She already dropped down from Level 3 @BrumToTheRescue
She's extremely bright just slow processing and is exhausted being around people (mainly the other students). She has already decided which Level 2 course she's going to try next year but it's the subsequent years we are unsure of. I think she may do better in a supported internship of some kind, but of course she needs an EHCP to access that.

Definitely worth a conversation now with the college about what the options are for September. I teach A-level not BTEC but do you know if she has met this year's requirements in terms of sitting exams, submitting coursework, any work experience that was required?

6th form is funded for 3 years but different schools and colleges have different policies on whether you can repeat year 12, change course at that point etc.

@QuickFetchTheCoffee If DD completes the level 2 this year, without the EHCP being finalised, the college may not allow her to do another level 2. The 16-19 funding regulations say the setting must be able to demonstrate educational progression, and those who don’t should be a small minority and there should be good educational reasons.

Are there other options for smaller &/or quieter settings?

@Phineyj she passed the first exam with highest marks in the class but the second exam was cancelled and we haven't heard when it is rescheduled for. She has definitely not finished the coursework, but so far has handed something in at each stage.

The sixth form college stated she would absolutely have to start with 4 A-Levels and she would be basically doing a 5 day week from 9 til after 5pm. She would have unscheduled time where she should be doing independent work - unfortunately this is not a skill she has yet.

@BrumToTheRescue I don't think there are any options other than in the usual classes. Best try and get the EHCP finalised hadn't I 😩

Ooh, the A-level offer sounds a bit brutal! But sounds like she's well matched to the Computing course if she could get support on the studying independently aspects. It is a big jump from GCSE to sixth form especially with a change of setting and especially with additional needs.

@Phineyj thank you for understanding! Yes she suits the Computing course, once she gets her head around why things work the way they do it seems she has an aptitude for programming (no surprise to anyone who actually meets her!). She's a slow worker though because she needs to really understand how things work and why.

@QuickFetchTheCoffee can DD work independently if someone sets the tasks, checks understanding, checks in every so often and is on hand for questions? Or does she need a 1:1 sat with her? Can she work virtually?

If the first exam went very well and coursework has been more of a challenge would GCSE or iGCSE Computer Science be easier for DD? Then A level Computer Science (with an EHCP she wouldn’t have to do 3 or 4 at once if that wasn’t suitable).

@BrumToTheRescue I think she would be okay with the first version (not 1:1 but with help available). That sounds a lot like how we played lockdown (pre Teams) which she did really well with besides being overwhelmed with the quantity of work (I cut it down to core and fave subjects!).
It's also similar to how we deal with catch up work at the moment.
There is nowhere she can go to do GCSE Computer Science though, it would be home learning which isn't going to help her get any better dealing with people. Unless there's some alternative provision I don't know about?

@QuickFetchTheCoffee Depending on where you are there may be options for GCSE/iGCSE Computer Science that don’t involve home learning. Some via registered institutions. Some would be via EOTAS (which would require the legal threshold for EOTAS to be met - that it is inappropriate for the provision to be made in a school/college).

You could also think about separating out the provision. Tuition (at home or otherwise) or online schooling (with TA in person to support) or via a setting to meet academic needs. Other provision for accessing the community, interaction etc. There are numerous options for the latter from alternative provisions to interest led mentoring and accessing the community to go to e.g. the gym/sports group/club, games cafe, cat cafe, going shopping for cooking ingredients, cookery lessons…(whatever DD’s interests are) with a TA/LSA/mentor…

@BrumToTheRescue that's a lot to think about! I have no idea how to go about any of this and as far as I can tell, none of this has been considered for her. The social care person even said we are "clearly doing well at home" and didn't recommend anything (yes sure, but I'm constantly exhausted and get migraines all the time, and DD still speaks to nobody but me and DH so IS she doing okay? Am I going to be able to keep this up? Forever?). She put in her report that I said DD didn't need any extra help but in reality it's that I don't know what is available to us.
Sorry for rambling on.
Sent email to case worker this morning regarding the outstanding reports so I'm not completely useless. Honest.

She put in her report that I said DD didn't need any extra help but in reality it's that I don't know what is available to us.

@QuickFetchTheCoffee I would challenge this. You already know this, but the social care advice is poor. DD will have social care needs, and the social care report can look at preparation for adulthood provision which would actually fall into F.

For social care assessments, a brief overview is covered by Contact’s booklet here. I will link to Mencap’s booklet for adults here too so you can read that because it may still help you understand the system. For PfA, start by looking at this list, this website and this booklet.

I heard back from the LA, who say the school consultations have been issued (I'll check that's true on Monday) and that they've had my comments on the plan and may make "all, some, or no changes."

I am now wondering about funding! They have not said one word about it. Is there anything I could/should do on that front?

Right now, rather than funding, focus on ensuring F is detailed, specified and quantified then it must be provided and can be enforced.

OK. Well I'll have to see what they do with it then.

Hi, can I join you?

Ds5 is nearly 10 and in year 5. He is very autistic and needs constant supervision at home and school. He is academically very able, especially in maths which he loves, but emotionally and socially he is like a 3 year old according to his thrive scores.

School.applied for an ehcp but the LA wouldn't assess him. We did mediation this week and now I'm waiting impatiently for his case to go back to panel.

I'm worried about secondary school as at the moment he needs constant supervision. I can't think how he will be able to manage at mainstream secondary but I don't know if specialist would be appropriate either. He doesn't really have friends in school, he mainly plays with his brother and his friends. He is really struggling at the moment because the other children in his class are miles ahead of him emotionally and socially.

Welcome @elliejjtiny. There should have been a decision maker at mediation. The LA shouldn’t have sent someone who needs others to approve the decision.