is it too much to expect professionals to actually do what they said they were going to do?

[pinkorkid]

Feeling particularly frustrated today as I have found out that ds's statement has been finalised despite neither we nor the LEA's representatives claiming to think it actually meets his needs. We had a meeting 3 weeks ago which was meant to address our concerns with his statement but final version looks no different to earlier one. But hey, they've met the deadline and that looks good on the statistics ...

Clearly we will appeal to sendist but am now kicking myself that didn't do so immediately we got the first crap draft proposed statement as we now face another 4 + months wait if we are dependent on sendist sorting things out.

LEA say they will continue to look for a suitable special school setting for him even though they have named mainstream on his final statement and that we can withdraw our appeal any time between now and the tribunal.

Also peed offfrustrated to learn that his case didn't go forward to the Special Schools Placement Panel last week as promised not because of snow leading to cancellation but because they hadn't received the necessary supporting evidence from CAMHS. We were gullible enough to believe this was CAMHS as in "we are making your son's case highest priority because we know how much this situation is impacting on his mental health CAMHS" except it turns out it's actually CAMHS as in sorry we "Can't Access Many Highlyqualifiedenough Secretaries" to type up our wretched notes even given several weeks notice.

We have an appointment tomorrow and I think I shall plan to demand the right to type them up myself as the only guaranteed way to get the notes off them. Watch out for "Crazy Mother Chains Herself to Doctor's Dictaphone" headlines in tomorrow's papers...

Sorry for long rant.

Hi pink

Keep a diary of who you've spoken to and what and when.

It'll be really useful if it goes to SENDIST and will highlight the broken promises

Other than that - just get the appeal in straight away to show the LEA you mean business.

Best wishes

Thanks SausageMonster,

I think I will be writing up everything from now on.

^^ fwiw, don't beat yourself up about the delay in appealing to SENDIST because my understanding is that you would not be able to appeal until the statement was finalised anyway. Now that it has, get the appeal in asap.
I was stuck in a similar situation a couple of years ago but couldn't appeal as school not named. I threw the guantlet down and told them to name their school as opposed to my choice so that I could go to appeal (and show them up for the useless bunch of feckers they are) and they backed down.
Different scenario, I know, but I don't think you could have appealed any sooner.

Thanks LaydeeC, let's hope they back down before we get to tribunal too as feels like it's already dragged on forever.