Right, I can't stand this, - I'm in tears....

[CrunchyStarlight]

I've never even cried over ds' dx ffs. This is what they do to you......

Really feel for you Star and as Moondog said at least you have started the fight while ds is young. The whole system is crap and why should everything be such a fight? We've all had our battles here but you're having a really tough ride at the moment. Chin up - we're all here for you. It's fantastic what you are doing for ds - just keep on believing that it will all be so worthwhile for him at the end of this. I'm sure less informed parents would have given up the fight by now.

Star

I'm outraged.

These tossers are "aim to give 75% of the decisions within 10 working days" according to their blurb.

Seriously - why don't you make a formal complaint to their Head of Administartion. Parents do. although they don't publicise their own complaints procedure you can see from their Annual Reports that each year parents and LAs lodeg formal administartive complaints about the way SENDIST have handled their cases.

TBH I don't think you've anything to lose. It's not as though they can all get together to reverse whatever decision they were about to communicate to you just because you complained to them.

I would think that a phone call to the Head of administartion just threatening to lodge a formal complaint would be enough to get them to tell you a) the decison or b) a firm date on which you'll receive it.

This is plain barking

This is absolutely barking mad! Unbelievable. I'm so sorry you are being left hanging like this, you must feel desperate for an answer. :(

LOL, Read it all. Conflicting bollox reports are good for the statutory assessment process. The ambiguity means you can conclude anything. Usually the professionals collude to agree to say there isn't really much wrong with the child.

Thanks fighting and Helen

Wet I'm leaving early tomorrow morn to go camping for the BH. I'll reassess on Tues when I get back and perhaps put in a complaint, for the very least to get a date.

I am just a bit worried that they'll rush the judge who I HOPE is taking so long because he is reading my 30 page case statement and 30 page closing submission. I don't want him to think, oh sod it, these pushy parents can have their decision then and it's a no.

Don't you think it's time to threaten to complain Star

Sorry x post Wet.

I see you point.

Enjoy your camping break and try to keep your mind off it (I know - I know, easier said than done)

Don't know what to say except, yes, waiting is like torture...my sympathies.

Well enjoy the camping. Are you going far? Weather is meant to be improving this weekend.

I thought they were legally obliged to give an answer within a certain time frame?

Knob jockeys.

Probably away on their holidays.

Kick them inna sore bits, Star xxx

I don't think there is any need for any of these agencies to pay much attention to the law.

The process of challenging it is too much of a mountain for parents.

What I don't understand, is that a LA can act illegally, with no repercussions. The parents can take them to tribunal, and the tribunal rules, 'yeah, you, stop breaking the law' and then you have an 80% chance that they will stop temporarily.

Why aren't they fined heavily, or put in jail?

No, just down the road to a field with no internet access. Can't do BH traffic, but we all need a run around a field. But it was supposed to be WITH the decision, in order to clear our heads for the next bit.

Agh, - the kids won't go to sleep. DH has told them that when they wake up we'll be going to the tent.......

Thanks everyone. I'm much much better.

You can't eliminate evidence based practice when that is the thrust of every contemporary planning and commisioning document for LEAs and PCTs at the present time!

RCSLT endorses, it, NHS Evidence endorses it, board certified behaviour analysts are qualifying and multiplying like fruit flies, it is out there already with stuff like PECS.

They may be trying to stamp out expensive home based programmes which is fair enough (not a lot of money about) but they can and will recognise peopel who opt for this form of intervention do so beacuse what is offered is generally a dismal mishmash.

As you say yourself, if you can give clear evidence that something works THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS. Even the most stubborn education officer will concede that point.

They weren't stupid enough to say that they had any evidence of their approach working Moondog.

Their argument was all based on the idea that what we were claiming ABA was achieving would have happened without ANY intervention, and that ds didn't need anything.

Their statement we took to tribunal was no 1:1 at all, 10 hours of SLT to include indirect therapy and no OT. They said it was carefully chosen as this is what will meet his needs . They said that ABA was unnecessary expenditure because it wasn't doing anything and what we were recording would have happened anyway without the ABA.

Luckily for us we had a period of their intervention before we started where they had NO outcomes.

But still, it seems common sense to you and I, but the system is warped.

star like I said I had to wait the full 6 weeks like your lea is oing to you too:( it is nothing short of hell:(

It is putting ds and all family future in tribunal hands.

Trouble was lea recieved it 6 days after tribunal and waited the whole 6 weeks what a bunch

Tomorrow is the 6th week and you should recieve it tomorrow (hopefully wishing you do)I had my ds on a Friday...I was so nervous I could not read it, I had to phone the solicitor who recieved copy same day who explained it all! It was like waiting to see if ds had a death sentence or not.

Can you phone tribunal service tomorrow and say it is now six weeks and you still have had no decision? They will surely give the lea a call to sort it out promptly? It does get worse to the end of the six weeks...can you get away for a few days after you recieve the decision as it takes a toll this unbeable stress.

I am watching daily for your news and hope tomorrow is your last day of this evil torture they are allowed to put us through.
Praying for you with good news soon

Your BH break is perfectly timed, it will be hard, but enjoy being with your family and relax. xx

enjoy your holidays starlight. Crossing my finger they get a blardy move on for you.

Loved the idea of a Mumsnet special needs book that you had on the limerick thread - you should suggest it to HQ and asked for a cut of the profits to go to you SOSSEN or IPSEA

Yes Star, I've just looked at my SEND letter and it's 5 weeks to change a statement. We got ours sooner as it's only 2 weeks if there's a change of school (not sure if that applies to you).

WTF....OMG....I thought by law it all had to be done and dusted by 6 weeks (end of 5th week) this is well bad:(

They are putting you through hell becasuse of their own problems of time of year/short staff which is not your problem...does it say somewhere in law that end of 5 weeks is the maximum...

HUGS] hope the 'escape' BH will help you try and forget for a few minutes at a time....the wait is the hardest part it's a long road and your nearly their girl hang on in their:)