Education Engagement Service - to be feared?

[squeakyclean13]

DS1 is refusing to go to school. He's 7 and certainly autistic, but awaiting diagnosis. School say they are going to refer us to the Education Engagement Service and Family Intervention Service. They have hinted that they see EES as a disciplinary move. SENDIAS suggest they wont fine us, their focus for Emotionally Based School Avoia ce (EBSA) is the school not the family. They advise calling the school’s bluff and referring ourselves.
Has anyone had experience of these two services? What are they like? Our LA is Somerset.

Getting help in school for autistic children often involves jumping through hoops. This may be one of them. The school sounds clueless if they are using any sort of threats in relation to a child with EBSA.

Having either of the services on your side could help, especially if you get a good person assigned to you. If people from these services chat to you and find out that you are very invested in your child’s education and well being, it is yet more evidence that your child’s needs aren’t being met at school rather than just that you can’t be arsed to get your child to school. This may help further down the line. I would be inclined to self refer if it’s going to happen anyway. My only reservation would be that engaging with them will probably take up head space that might better be spent elsewhere.
I would submit an application to the LA for an EHCNA if you have not done this already. You don’t need the diagnosis first. If your LA has an autism team that you can self refer to, I would contact them too. Make as much noise as possible.

If DS cannot go to school you should also contact the GP to get his anxiety recognised medically and you should write to the Director of Children’s Services to request that they provide an alternative education, as he is entitled to one even if he is unable to attend school. Model letters for this are on the IPSEA website.

Thank you, that is so helpful!

You should check what the school is recording the absences as. They should be recording them as authorised absence and coded as I.

If DS is unable to attend school, is alternative provision in place? Has an EHCNA been requested?

Try not to let the school using threats scare you. The Family Intervention Service is about providing support to families that need more support that universal services provide. Definitely worth speaking to them. Education Engagement Service can provide support, including by ensuring alternative provision is provided. Just so you are aware, they are also the team that can look at legal action for those where that is relevant - that shouldn’t be the case for you, DS’s absences should be authorised. Still worth speaking to them before the school refers to take control of the power the school thinks they have by threatening a referral, but it is worth being mindful beforehand so you know where to steer the conversation.

There's nothing currently in place. I think we have to wait 15 days before the LA has a responsibility to provide alternative arrangements? We are currently at day 7.

School seem to have unreasonable expectations. At this stage, I think we should be aiming for an hour in the school grounds, with me alongside, but they want him to come in for a full day as per usual.

Provision should be provided as soon as it becomes clear 15 days (cumulative or consecutive) will be missed (the days don’t need to have already been missed) and by the sixth day at the latest. Use the model letter IPSEA has on their website to request provision.

Great! Thanks you. Where do you get the sixth day figure from? It would be helpful to know the source, so I can quote it.

It is in the “Arranging education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs” government guidance. Along with the model letter, IPSEA also mention it here.

Thank you so much!