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Funding for res school?

5 replies

Pumpster · 24/08/2012 21:14

Dd is 15, has aspergers, some psychiatric issues, a statement written for ebd and is currently on a section 2 in a psychiatric unit.
She has 2 social workers. I want her to go from hospital to a residential school-we cannot have her home due to her extreme behaviours and risk to herself and our other children. Ss tried foster care-she ran away and phoned the police, hence readmission to hospital.
Ss are trying to get health to say she needs it, so they will pay I suspect. Education are still pondering other entirely unsuitable day schools. I think I have ss on side finally but how the hell does it work, everyone seems to be trying to get someone else to fund ??
I have been pushing for answers but whenever I mention funding everyone goes quiet on me!
Does anyone have experience of tripartite or joint funding and how it works?
I have a couple of places in mind for dd.

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davidsotherhalf · 24/08/2012 22:06

think your going to need 3 way funding, social services/health/education...not sure if it's same for res school and res college but we had to get report done by everyone involved with my dd send them to colleges (tried 8) only 1 would assess her, then we had to try and get funding sorted, it didn't happen overnight, tbh it took us 10 months, not saying it will be that long for you, hth

WetAugust · 25/08/2012 11:54

Move quickly. At 16 your daughter will be at the end of her statutory education and many LAs (including mine) will state that they have no responsibility to fund post-16 education.

I was in a very similar situation to you with LA and SS both refusing to acknowledge that DS needed residential placement to enable him to leave Psychiatric unit and attempting to force him into unsuitable mainstream secondary. NHS will be reluctant to get involved because they would be asked to chip into the tripartite funding.

To get a residential educational placement you have to prove that she will need 24 hour care for social as well as educational reasons. So, for Aspergers, you could state that she needs to be proactively taught indepence skills in a safe 24 hour specialist setting.

Report collecting is the key. I asked psych unit for a report stating all DS's difficulties, how tghey affcet him and what he needs to overcome them. PU would not state explicitly he needed 24 hour residential (as they would be asked to contribute) but framed the report in such a way that it was an obviosu need. I also obtained a private educational psychologist report that did explicitly state need for 24 hour assessment.

You'll need to do most of the legwork here in finding a suitable indpendent residential school, asking the LA for that to be named on the Statement and providing the proof that such provision is required - as the LA will obviously try to downplay her difficulties to save money (as they already seem to be doing).

If the LA / SS / NHS drag this out too long you'll need to think about an early appeal to SENDIST so the hearing is held prior to her 16th birthday if possible.

So, collect reports, find a school, ask for Statement to be amended - appeal if necessary.

Pumpster · 25/08/2012 12:50

Thank you, very helpful. I will arrange for a private report and speak to the dr at the pu too.

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mariammariam · 25/08/2012 13:36

Health and social services just have to 'try' to meet needs. LEA are obliged to actually meet the educational needs. Which include self care skills, anxiety management, behaviour etc up to age 19. And, providing they're relevant to learning and development. But if the schools not in place by 16'th b'day it's no longer their problem.

Whether the LEA succeeds in getting SS and NHS to chip in is their problem, not yours. so get on the phone to IPSEA about tribunal.

Pumpster · 18/09/2012 19:19

We went to dd's CPA meeting at the hospital today, the dr, education and ss were all there!
They have agreed residential special school!! Grin
Dd will remain in hospital until its sorted which hopefully will mean they don't drag their feet too long (we will see). Review in 4 weeks.
No tribunal yay!

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