Statement help

[KarenMaclaren]

One of the Points in Part 3 says this: 'Opportunties and support to engage in a range of play activties to develop interactive and imaginative play'
Dd is in reception and does have problems with interactive and imaginative play, is this enough or does it need improving??

Thanks in advance

hi Karen,

It needs to be specified. Opportunities and support to could mean anything from daily to once a term, from one to one support to very occasional small group work. Unless part three says exactly how often and what form the support should take and who should deliver it, the school could offer the very bare minimum and you would have no legal redress to make them do more.

Can you look back through the reports submitted in the appendices, including your own parental report and pick out parts which refer to dd's difficulty with interactive and imaginative play? Do they also make specific suggestions as to how these needs should be met? Any references to training that the person giving the support should have eg input from salt or autism outreach? (Guessing at what your dd's needs are) If the original reports do not seem specific enough in their recommendations, you can (and should) always go back to the author of the report and ask them to clarify.

A good statement will be written so that everyone concerned will have a clear idea of the concrete steps which will help the child on a day to day basis.

That could be covered by locking her in her bedroom dressed in her pjs whilst you and your mates drown in vodka! It's shite. Sorry!

Star

I'm sorry. That wasn't too helpful was it?

Is this 'need' specified in part 2 and does it link to evidence?

If so, part 3 needs to specify the 'prescription' for the need. At the moment it reads as 'take medicine' when it needs to say what drug, what dose and how often iyswim.

Now the setting will already be providing 'opportunities'. What your dd probably needs is time set aside with adult support to be shown how to play age appropriately. To learn about object substitution and shared imagination. This will probably be best 1:1 with an adult and once grasped with a carefully selected peer.

Thanks for the replies. It says in Part 2: X is felt to have difficulties with her imaginative and interactive play skills.
The bit from Part 3 was cut and pasted from Ed Physc report!
Im struggling with how things should be worded!

Xxxxxx to have once/twice weekly/daily sessions of half hour/1 hour with a play leader/TA to develop her imaginative and interactive play in the form of a small group role playing activity with a group of peers.

Part 2 should also be more clerly and ribustly worded.

e.g. 'X has profound / severe / significant difficulties around imaginative and interactive play.'

Just think QUANTIFIED AND SPECIFIED for Part 3.

e.g.

X needs a 1-2-1 amount of hours per week support from a teaching assistant in order to develop her imaginative and interactive play.

X needs weekly (/ monthly / whatever you think) sessions with a Speech and Language Therapist to develop her ability to interact with her peers. In addition, the SALT should provide termly support / training to X's TA and other relevant staff, and attend IEP meetings / Annual Reviews

Think how uch support you want, from who, when/where, and think big. They might refuse, but you can appeal, and once you d have this support named in a Statement it will be difficult for the to wriggle out of it.

Good luck.

clearly and robustly

Thank you again, I spoke to the case worker today on the phone and she said but if its not written in the advice then it cant be included in the statement. The advice reports dont quantify or specify either but whos problem is that? The cop says the statement should be written a certain way so it should be. So tired of this already, haven't really had to fight before now.

Hmm, sounds like avoiding bollocks to me. The point is it has to be specified and quantified...

The case worker is wrong.

I thought it was part 2 that came from the advices, as they specify the needs and it's up to the LA to specify (and quantify) the provision.

The case worker is responsible for ensuring the statement is legal. If her report-writers are shite she should take it up with them/her management, not deny a small child his legal right.

I spoke to the case worker today on the phone and she said but if its not written in the advice then it cant be included in the statement.

Yes, I was told this too. that's why it's important to get all the difficulties stated in the reports (Appendices).

However, it's the Case Officer who determines the amount and type of support required based on the reports. It is not reasonable to expect every report writer to specify in detail the support - there would be duplication etc if they did so.

Of course Case Officers like to try to hide behind 'Panel' but ultimately the Part 3 support is that determined by the Case Officer.

And Case Officers will lie to you - we have overwhelming evidence of this

Thank you everyone, you have confirmed what I thought!

Hi I was told that reports provided by LEA workers do not specify exact provision required - just very general things. The LEA tell them to write like this so they have wriggle room when it comes to statements.