If panel agree unit placement is needed but not got any places can I insisit?

[starfish71]

Me again, still faltering through proposed statement and bit reluctant to finalise. We had a meeting at school yesterday with LEA. They have agreed to sending me a letter confirming ds is on waiting list for ASD placement but there are currently no places.

Proposed statement states 15 hours of support and was told this is 'usual for pupils waiting for an ASD unit'. They can't tell me how long the wait will be and in meantime mainstream school has to try and provide support he needs.

It just seems so wrong that panel decide my child needs a unit placement and then say but he can't have one for the foreseeable future so make do where you are.

I am worn down, fed up and tired and once again ask you what would you do? What rights do I have? Am worried my ds is going backwards in terms of his learning and although happy mostly at school know he is not getting the provision which he should have.

Sorry for ramble, needed to put it down

Not sure about their comment about 15 hours being 'usual'. We have just won a sm with 22 hours and ds is going into ms school. I would have thought the more hours the better for a unit.

wot fighting said. DS1 has 25hrs in MS and his school has applied for 3 more hours on a temporary basis.

Think it is more usual for wording of statement to be vaguer on a specialist placement though obviously there is room for argument with that too.

Have you tried speaking to IPSEA or SOS!SEN? I found the latter more helpful and easier to get through to.

Well I can't say if his would work ot not, but my DD has ASD and when the time came to move from her special nursary, there was apparently no places in the ASD unit named on her statement untill at least septemeber (this was happening in January).

The education department wanted us to send her to out local mainstream school, but it is a really crap school for those sort of problems. With the support of her nursary we put our foot down and said no, she will not attend there. We didn't budge and a place suddenly appeared in Febuarty.

May be worth being a bit stubborn.

also look for placements further afield? If they are saying your DC needs a specialist place and you present a more expensive option they may then rejig things...

As baggy said - be stubborn.

Refuse to accept a Statement that doesn't name the ASD Unit. If you don't insist on that you'll find a mainstream school named in Part 4 and the only way of changing that will be an appeal to SENDIST.

(Actually an ASD unit is a mainstream school - not a special school).

What the LA is supposed to do is to find a local ASD unit within their Authority and if there isn't a place they are supposed to ask neighbouring Authorities if they have a place in any of their ASD Units.

If they don't the LA is supposed to consider providing an independant placement.

To keep you hanging on indefinelty waiting for an ASD Unit is not acceptable.

But be careful. If you bang on too hard they could change their minds and just name an ordinary mainstream school in Part 4.

But I'd refuse a Statement that didn't specifically name an ASD Unit.

Thank you all for your replies. Yes it really soesn't seem right that they will name his current mainstream school as it stands at the moment and just put out a letter to me saying when there is a place in one of our units your ds can go there but how long you wait is anyone's guess...

It really shouldn't be this difficult should it?

DS's school seem to be sending him to 'nuture' group alot at the moment - as lovely and cosy as that is (lovely TA does it and nice milkshakes etc ) its not giving him the learning support he needs is it?

I am waiting for the letter which officer from LA is sending out to me which will state that panel all agreed that ds needed an ASD unit placement.

You are right starlight I am going around in circles and not getting anywhere. I am sending that email right now.

I am scared to be honest of the whole process and know I need to toughen up.

ds1 also had all the paperwork stating he needs speech unit. There are 10 places in the speech unit. He is number 11 and started at half term so it can be done even if they have to employ extra staff. As has been said that is there problem not yours.

so, you have agreement your ds needs a specialist placement, but there is no place?

is there a private school placement that would be suitable?

are you near a county border - could your ds go to a unit in the next county?

you could ask for out-of-county funding, or funding for a private SN school.

if it has been agreed your ds needs a specialist placement, then they are obliged ot find thi for him one way or another.

this is partly how we won funding for dd1's placement in a an out-of-county, private SN school (which we really wanted her to go to)

if you are totally set on this one unit, then threatening the above will galvanise the LA to find a place there. if you are not so set on this particular unit, more on the support they provide - have a look around. there may be a private/out of county place that owuld suit as well, and you could fight for that.

Right thank you - have just sent email asking for the letter asap and also asking they look to neighbouring authorities for an unit placement.

Starlight you are right and I will do it and get the best for ds - he has so much potential and that is what I have to rememember when I have my (frequent) wobbles.

Misunderstanding that gives me hope!