Multi-disciplinary meeting but some provision not being implemented

[appropriatelyemployed]

What are your views on this?

I got multi-disciplinary meetings (3x a year) put into DS's statement last year after a battle.

SENCO emailed me to say she is scheduling one in a month's time.

I am trying not to lose my cool about this but I recently found out:

(i) school had not been doing daily keyboard sessions with DS so I have brough his specialist pc (obtained after significant fighting from the LA) home to use

(ii) TA had not been doing daily OT. I asked her straight at a meeting 3 weeks ago and she said no. Half an hour later at the same meeting, she looks through her notes and says 'oh we have been doing cutting and things'. But no OT programme

(iii) TA had not been doing DS's working memory programme. LA supposed to implement and refused (hadn't a clue what to do). I identified a programme and school paid (£40). DS didn't like it so TA left it. So I've paid for this myself now to do at home after spending 2 weeks chasing the school for the password

(iv) There has been no OT training as required by the statement

(v) There has been no ASD training

So, I had to say, before we all sit in a room with a load of professionals, you might want to sort out the outstanding provision.

S&LT is working with DS in terms of setting up social skill groups. OT has seen him once this year. But EP has never worked with him and has just done an observation.

I am getting really cheesed off with chasing provision again. I don't see there is much point holding a MD meeting unless they really want me to embarrass them over this.

I had such a good relationship with school but I feel so let down. What is the point of fighting and spending thousands pursuing provision, if a TA decides not to do it?

Well. This is possibly a governors issue!?

The LA are responsible of course but it's a bit complicated by being out of county.

I think the HT needs to be more uncomfortable NOT sorting things than sorting them and this will mean answering to governors perhaps?

I'll probably piss you off by saying this as it simply isn't reasonable or good enough but what you have written is fairly 'normal.

It's probably the normality of it that means it continues. The school probably aten't even shite comparatively, but it exists in a cultural context.

Here's my thoughts for approaching the meeting.

Goal 1 - sort out OT
Invite the OT yourself to review progress on her prescribed programme to date. You aim here is to crack heads together - the class teacher & the OT so that things improve going forward. Asking the OT for a set of targets set & met prior to the meeting is giving fair warning

Goal 2 - sort out daily scheduled activities
A TA ony implements what the teachers tell her to. It is the class teachers responsibility to ensure that these activities are included in the daily routine & the Senco's to monitor & support. You wanna walk away with a promise that your kid will do these activities while his classmates are in assembly or summat - eg that time has been clearly allocated.

Goal 3
That leaves you with staff training as the final item on the agenda.

I honestly think you'd be better spending 30 mins a day working at home yourself on the key board and working memory skills - that way you KNOW it's happening iyswim. I know that's prob NOT what you want to hear but you are better prioritising the issues and focusing on those that are totally under school's control.

So do not under any circumstances have the TA present in the room at the meeting or she'll be used as a lightening rod to divert attention from those who have failed in their responsibility to your son - in this instance it's the official teaching staff. TA's have NO power under decent management, they are employed to follow instructions, not to lead (summat this school team may need a subtle reminder of given her history as a teacher).

This is why we had to pull out of school to Home Ed - as said before by Starlight - it's not right - but its the norm for SEN!
We are now on a fight for an independant SS which will be perfect - but are having to 'prove' why the treatment at mainstream was so wrong - crazy.

Its amazing what you can find online to support your case, look at IPSEA previous LEA disputes can be used to back up your argument. Information is power. It takes time, but means you feel in a far better position.

There are some fantastic people on here who know miles more about this than I do - Starlight being one, this previous experience is invaluable.

Thanks.

As you guys know, with the experience I have had, I know well enough how 'normal' this is.

I just expected better with this school.

Bochead, that is another problem. The TA is now supposed to be coming to this meeting.

It is supposed to be a MD meeting to review DS's IEP.

As far as I know:

(i) no IEP targets have been set for OT
(ii) SLT have separate targets
(iii) no EP targets have been set

Bochead - you have probably seen me post that the TA is a teacher herself with a NQ teacher in the class. The TA is also feeling very defensive about what has happened so far as she has simply sat on problems.

With different services inputting, would you expect to see a separate IEP or would you have one IEP with the targets from other services on it?

He has had one IEP so far and the targets on this were not discussed with me.

I think it is usual (no idea why but try to suggest anything else and you'll get a look) to have just one encompassing IEP.

I have some issues with this myself but never figured out how to address them. The COP suggests 3-4 targets reviewed as a minimum each term. Given a term is a LONG time, it can be difficult to get the detail in for enough development and movement in a document that is expected to be so short.

One of the ways round it is to have an overarching target but with a number of sequential measurables (so in reality there are 12 or so targets iyswim).

Thanks. As this is effectively an IEP review, I see no point in having the LA there do you?

School have said they are asking the Ed Officer as if it were an AR.

You can ask them why. Perhaps the LA in their monitoring role is insisting, or perhaps the school want an outside person there given the recent frustrations!?

Bochead - I know what you mean about doing the things out of school and taking control. It is hard though. I work in London 2 days a week and one day at home.

DS also has half an hour of physio to do daily so it means piling his schedule up.

I think Star that the SENCO has just invited the people from the AR. There's no more to it than that. But I wouldn't see her as having any input in setting targets.

Just to add as well that the keyboard is supposed to be used in class as well as with daily training so it is difficult to just use this at home.

What do you think I should do about the TA being there? They are going to say, because she is a teacher it is ok. I don't want to look petty..

Hmm, can you request an out of hours meeting/after school?

She is NOT a teacher. She is a TA. Assistant TO the teacher.

You can suggest that in order to keep the meeting short and outcome focused that personel are kept to absolute minimum if key people. So no LA and no TA.

If I is questioned you coukd suggest (less bluntly than this) that the TA is not a decision-maker or empowered outside of the CT instruction and that you have every confidence information, strategies and targets will be relayed!?

Par for the course.
No system in place to monitor/take data ( a simple checklist would do)
No system in place to ensure TA does these things and has a designated protected time and place to do them ('' '')
No real vested interest in committing to regular input.
Put some guff down in paper, get the parent(s) out of there as fast as possible and business as usual (probably something like 'Victorian architecture or 'exploring texture')

This happens in hundreds, nay thousands of schools every day up and down the country.
As Boc says, conserve your energy and do it yourself at the same time as working out how you are going to get the school to

a.) do what has been promised and b.) keep data on both work completed and progress made.

It's not hard or complicated.
If I set out a programme to be done, I make damned sure the TA or teacher can do the above so that when I next see them, in a matter of minutes, we can whip out the data and I can ensure that

a.) the LEA staff have done what I asked them to do and b.) the child's progress on the task(s) has and is being monitored.

Your OT,s/lts and so on should ensure such a systems exists.

I'd be honest and say you don't want the TA to feel put on the defensive by factors out of her control, as frankly it's not fair. That's not rude, it's actually supportive of the TA. You can then grin & say "too many cooks spoil the broth" & that you want the meeting to stay on point & not over run. Your comments at the meeting re the class teacher holding genuine responsibility & accountability will make it clear why you took this stance prior iykwim.

I agree with telling them you trust them to pass on relevant info to her.

I've just had to do summat very similar with this whole Guys thing about my TA as he talks a really good talk but frankly doesn't have CLUE of half the issues that concern me & I don't want him time wasting on trivialities. If he's been able to write up a single usuable star or abc observation in the time I've known him, then I'd have him there like a shot, but he hasn't. I want to stick to facts not his opinions.

I put a lot of effort into meeting attendees being right, as I've found if you get that sorted half the battle is won. I'm wondering if the LA person should be there for the staff training section as I'm the sort of cheeky mare that would ask her point blank when/where/how the school staff could access anything supplied by block contract to the LA.

Thanks.

Moondog - the SLT is the one person who has been coming into school and trying to set clear targets.

I have been down this road before of trying to side with and support school to encourage 'experts' to take responsibility but last time they all ended up just siding together against me - easier that way!

I think you are right. The way to approach this is to have a very focused meeting with these people who are supposed to be supporting DS being very clear about what is needed in his targets - very hard of course when you've never actually met him like the EP.

So if I frame it with school that: the point of getting this MD meeting into the statement was to ensure that these external agencies don't just dump school in it. It is very hard for them to set SMART targets if they have not been working with DS so they will need to address this so that they can assist school.

Exactly! TA= earthing rod to divert attention so those who have the authority to improve things can utilise their teflon shoulders yet a bloody gain. This meeting isn't about the blame game it's about superb outcomes moving forward.

I hate that 'They're not doing what I recommended, so what can I do?' attitude endemic in so many people who visit schools from outside.
It is part of the bloody job! If they aren't doing it, you're not presenting it in a way that makes sense to them.
If you're not part of the solution you really are part of the problem.

Also focus and responsibility must like on the teacher to get these things done.