Statutory assessment - Ed Psych report/recommendations help please

[beautifulgirls]

Hi - Is there anyone who is in the know about the recommendations part of an Ed Psych report for statutory assessment. DD has just been through SA and has a report, but the recommendations on there are vague and wooly "Will have regard to..." and "will benefit from...." type things. I called IPSEA as we are appealing a NIL and they said I should ask the Ed Psych who carried this out to be more specific regarding who/where/when these things should be carried out. I have been in touch with the EP through the school, but the reply she gave me is that she can not put specifics like that in, that the specifics are down to the county panel to decide. So, who is right here, IPSEA in saying she should be more specific, or the LEA&EP in saying the panel should decide? I don't understand how a panel who has never met my child can make these decisions from these reports if they are not specific so I suspect I may be being fobbed off here. Are they allowed to do this??

Private EP report will be happening in the near future I hope but for now this the best I have to work with.

Thanks.

IPSEA is right.

The EP has been asked, as an 'expert' to give her advice on what your child needs. Provision should be quantified and specified and LAs cannot have 'blanket policies' of refusing to permit their experts to quantify provision.

This is set out very clearly in Chapter 8 of SEN COP which you should have a good read through. The link for it appears to have been changed but if you google you should be able to find a copy on the internet.

Panels are generally used as 'advisory bodies' to the decision-maker under the Education Act who is generally an Education Officer. However, in practice, LAs tend to abdicate responsibility to these bodies and use them as a way of implementing their unlawful blanket policies in a secret, non-accountable way. Everyone says 'it's the panels' fault'.

You could ask your Ed Officer:

(i) Who is the LA's statutory decision maker for SEN matters under the Education Act?

(ii) What is the status of the Panel, i.e. is it advisory or decision-making?

(iii) why their LA EP is refusing to quantify and specify her recommendations in accordance with the SEN COP?

A few of us have been working on getting answers from LAs about SEN Panel decision-making so if you let me know what county you are in, we can always match up their 'official answer' with your experience!

Thank you appropriatelytrained - that is very very useful. Is the education officer the same person as my point of contact during the statutory assessent process, or is this someone else? If so would they know who the appropriate person is I should contact. I have an email from the Ed Psych stating that this is the policy so will ensure I have to hand for any future tribunal!

We are based in Kent (in the north west Kent area if that makes a difference?)

Just for future reference for anyone else reading this, it is section 7.79 of the SEN Code of Practice...I have been reading!

Just to pre-empt the worse case scenario i'm digging out my copy of the SEN code right now to have a read. Good information, thanks appropriatelytrained.

Im awaiting a very long overdue(!) ed psych report and also in kent.