Statement funding question?

[Mumtoprem]

Our daughter's proposed statement issued last week and we had a meeting with Parent Partnership today. However, I am still unclear on the difference between having a statement with no funding and her being on Early Years Action Plus as she is now. I am told her school will need to provide the support but with no additional funding as her statement is at Band A which is the equivalent of 7 hours per week. I was told prior to her getting a statement that she can have up to 7 hours of extra help without having a statement. So it doesn't look like having a statement will make much difference apart from it being legally enforceable.

Can anyone help?

Funding is NEVER the parents problem so forget about it. The office politics of those services supposed to be supporting is SO not your problem it's untrue, never get remotely embroiled. Your job is to focus on outcomes & let the bean counters do theirs , well away from you & your child.

A statement makes the support legally enforcable, which in the current political climate is fast becoming essential so focus your attention on that. Any support given minus a statement could whipped away at a moments notice & you'd be left with no redress.

The 'funding' thing is a red herring, as is banding.

The process is simple. Your child has needs identified. If those needs are beyond the resources that a school is usually required to provide then this is usually laid out in a statement which offers legal protection over that provision.

The LA has a statutory responsibility to provide what is outlined in the statement, not the school. They can have an agreement with the school about how this is actually logistically organised and paid for but it has nothing to do with you or your child, and you don't need to know about it. In fact it is better if you don't as it is none of your business and wastes your time and resources talking/reading about it.

Band A - means nothing. You are not interested in 'bands' unless they are live and you're in the VIP mosh pit!

There are lots of 'red herrings' like this intended to make you seem unreasonable or even ignorant of the process and patronise your understanding of how things work.

But how things work is simple. Your child has needs identified. Provision is recommended and put into the statement. Your child receives this provision.

Who funds it and how, and whether it is funded at all or delivered by an army of voluteers who pay for the prevelige is nothing to do with you.

Anything in a statement has to happen including SALT, outreach etc - the LA has to make sure everything takes place or you can go to Ombudsman / judicial review. There is an annual review process to assess progress and ensure the provision is meeting need.
Without a statement the school have to use their 'best endeavours' to meet need. Thats it. If they don't do it there is basically no-one you can complain to.

Are you in Lancashire? As they blatently do this re the banding. As others have said the LA has a duty to provide the provision in the statement for all your child's needs, whatever the school and the LA have agreed between them.

Is what's in there enough? Specified, quantified yadda yadda?
If yes, finalise. If no, fight. Simples.

Thanks for the replies. I am in London. We are not in agreement with the statement as it is not quantified and is vague and would like more OT provision.

Having discussed with Parent Partnership and looked at the ACE guide we have written 6 pages of comments which we will be sending off by the end of this week to meet 15 day time limit.

Michelle