Changes to travel arrangements for children with S.E.N. ...

[GossipWitch]

A friend and I went to our local autism drop in centre this week to find that a council official was there and was telling us about the proposed changes for our children and their transport to their special needs schools.

Just so that you understand what I'm writing about there is a link here.

The government are trying to put these measurements in place across the country, you just have to google it and find out for yourself.

I personally feel that this is discrimination against the disabled children and young people of this country and I don't think this is fair to us or our children at all.

This could also have a huge knock on effect to other organisations like the social services etc. Have a read through and tell me if you agree please.

[GossipWitch]

He's already statemented for 10 hours 1-1 per week and needs a teaching assistant with him pretty much constantly as it is, his teacher is bringing her own mother in to help at the moment, I also think it may be something to do with the fact that she was an evacuee, and they are learning about ww2, luckily mother loves ds.

[GossipWitch]

1'5 TA's is that teaching assistants??

[GossipWitch]

my ds is 9 he is educationally able to do mainstream (possible AS) however as his headteacher said he may not make it to ms high school due to his behaviour, I have a ms high school on my doorstep, believe me it would be very convenient to go there, however I also have to weigh up the whole what's best for my son emotionally and tbh I don't think mainstream would be due to workload, changing lessons, and social expectancy, he had a meltdown during homework earlier so it really is a case of seeing how much he can improve in the next 2 years.

[Peachy]

Well, if you refused the Sn placement as you are allowed and demanded a place in MS but with 1.5 TAs allocated to your child- but offered to back down if they sorted transport?

But yes, SF speaks sense. MS places are SO much cheaper after all. Most LEAs would want you to give it a shot.

[silverfrog]

you can use transport as a bargaining chip with the LA (anythign that saves them money!). we did, but the other way around (ie we promised not to put in for transport if they named the placement we wanted. since we were talking about a lengthy out of county placement, transport would have cost a fortune, so it was worthwhile for our LA to listen)

I am confused - is your ds starting school, or transitioning to secondary (sorry, I can't keep up!). If starting school - do you know what the waiting lists are like for the SN school? you might find that the LA are as keen as you are to have him at the MS school (which school woudl you want for him educationally?)

[GossipWitch]

What if you tried to pretend to insist on a place at MS with 1.5 TA - your child and tried for transport as a bargain?

sorry peachy, your going to have to explain this one to me as if I'm 12, I don't understand it. Particularly the MS with 1.5 TA - your child and bit.

[GossipWitch]

there is a meeting on Wednesday night that my friend may be attending who may be able to put this forward, however if that fails and my ds does need to go to the SEN school, then I will be straight on the blower to the LEA, council, etc etc to try and sort this, this is really why we need the whole thing opposing to be fair, life is hard enough for parents of children with SEN and they really are making it harder, and I know for a fact the majority of parents who's children are disabled have it a lot harder than me so this is for them really (still clinging on to hope of mainstream comp).

[Peachy]

Ah we''re all banes of society GW- I deleted the bit I typed about ds3 attending the same comp as ds1 I hope and it being several miles and us taking 1 / 6 places so better if I had been neutered at birth saving state a fortune.

What if you tried to pretend to insist on a place at MS with 1.5 TA - your child and tried for transport as a bargain?

[GossipWitch]

peachy thats where they get me, my house is only 1.7 miles from the SEN school, however ds1 cannot cross a road safely but is able to walk that distance , i also have ds2 who will be starting a mainstream primary school that is only 0.7 miles from my house but is 2.6 miles from SEN school, ds2 will only be 5 and if i did it the other way round (drop ds1 off first) ds2 will be walking a whopping 4.2 miles to school. making it 8 miles a day, I'm also a single mum and you know what the bain of society we are !!!

[Peachy]

Don't apologise GW

But you know 3 miles should be covered within existing rules anyway- it's 2m for primary here. 3 for comp.

[GossipWitch]

IIITTTSSS NNNOOOTTT FFFAAAIIIRRRRRRRRR!!!

sorry

[GossipWitch]

I am seriously hoping ds1 makes it into the mainstream school 100 yards away, a 3 mile walk to school in the morning isn't sounding great right now :(

[Peachy]

Absolutely Justa.

they have been doing it here for as long as we have used Sn transport, so > 3 years? We are in the distance limits anyway but know of a fair few people hit and it's a shock to them, 'yes I know you were happy with your son attending the lcoal school Mrs P but he can't any more and by the way whilst we are at it it's going to cost you £10 pw to get him to the Base now as well. IF we have a space on the bus, otherwise you can find a way to get him there'

[GossipWitch]

that is shocking zebra i didn't think they would be enforcing it so soon, I thought it would be in 2 years at least. you have my sympathies.

wants to yell ITS NOT FAIRRRRRRR !!!!

[zebrafinch]

I posted elsewhere on transport charges.I think you are legally on stronger grounds if your child is compulsory school age i.e. not post 16. I was hit with a £290 charge with very little warning as my son was 16 in August. I think there may be an argument under the Equality Act that the council should not introduce charges without some assessment of ability to pay which has not happened in my case. The attitude in the letter I received was also surprising (and to me it seemed a bit threatening) on the lines of pay up or the transport will be stopped and you can pay by credit card!Yes it may only be a few pounds a week and is not the full cost of the transport but I have not budgetted for it, I domnt want to add it to the credit card and its not just this year its next year too. My son does get highest rate DLA care and we have a mobility car but the money just does not cover all the extra costs associated with his disability. I do think that in this recession easy targets are being picked on and there is little real understanding of how some people are living. We are not all in this together.

[BakeliteBelle]

Hmmm...I really don't want to minimise the dangers of diabetes but HRC? Unless the diabetes is constantly completely unstable, I really think this is a rare example of where the system occasionally gets a bit silly.

HRC should really reflect the need for HRC.

I know parents with very severely disabled children with very challenging needs, who cannot be left alone for a second while they are awake, but happen to sleep ok at night (or at least stay in their rooms at night). Because they sleep, they don't quality for HRC. Someone with diabetes who might need quite a high level of blood sugar (and diet) monitoring including a nightime test, but who can be otherwise independent...? Do they really need HRC for their disability?

Not sure I'm convinced though I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I'm wrong!

[Peachy]

You know justa, if the kid has diabetes at a level where she has to test at midnight I really can't work up teh energy to mind her maybe having some cash stashed for her future. I;ve a friend whose diabetes was pciked up when he was a teen and it apaprenlty massively impacted on his self esteem for years. He also ended up losing his leg becuase he rebelled against the meds.

[cory]

There is certainly a change in the climate. I've seen it all before: when I first emigrated into this country it was gays. Then shortly afterwards it was single mums. Then it became immigrants and now it's moving to the disabled.

But this is not to say that everybody who is in favour of any one particular change is buying into this whole mindset.

Though it does explain the stress experienced by some of families whose lives will be affected. And one thing it does reveal- depressingly- is how many people never really understood in the first place; they just kept their mouth shut because it was politically opportune at that time

Say what you will of Tony Blair- and personally I loathed the man- but the tone, the way people spoke of one another was more pleasant in his day.