Meeting with LEA about proposed statement - help me grow a pair before the day!

[Catsdontcare]

She just phoned, we're meeting Thursday to discuss the crapness that is DS's proposed statement she already has a written copy of all the things i am unhappy with and changes that I want, I'm quite assertive on paper but need tips on how to hold strong in the meeting.

In short not one single thing in ds's statement is specified or quantified.

Sorry to hijack but we are due to receive proposed sm soon. If EP, behaviour support etc do not specify or quantify any specific support e.g anger management, social skills etc can I challenge this and say that I want it put in? Don't you need a professional report recommending this?

No. It really depends. If they don't and you can afford an independent who does, then you're at an advantage come tribunal.

i guessing I should let them say if they are going to make changes or not and if not tell them to finalise and will take it to tribunal rather than get into a negotiating process?

YYY! Do not negotiate at all. Leaving aside the obvious illegality of the PS being unquantified and unspecified (livid on your behalf btw at that comment from parent partnership, fuckers), presumably you have evidence of how the PS doesn't meet his needs from the professionals' reports? And it sounds like you've already put in writing your requested changes. In which case you can just stick with "you have all our evidence for amendments", "we require the statement to be specified and quantified in accordance with the law" type stuff.

Your position is clear, and the meeting is not about negotiating or watering down the support he needs, but about whether they are going to specify and quantify the support that has been recommended by the professionals. (Obviously if it comes to tribunal you'll probably want to get your own reports done too as the LEA ones will be biased.)

Have in front of you a clear bullet point list of the amendments you want with reference to the expert reports, and let them see that you have this in front of you. (Paperwork on the desk always shows you mean business ime

Also, though this might not be relevant to you right now, one really useful piece of advice I got when I was at this stage was to never get embroiled in a debate about the validity of the professional experts recommendations. The LEA are not experts in what your child needs, they are simply the facilitators of providing the support that the experts say the child needs. Don't let them (or PP or SENCO come to that) argue with you about what the experts recommend.

The professionals wouldn't necessarily have to detail the exact quantities of support, but if they said somethign like eg "x would benefit from regular, frequent SALT provided on a one-to-one basis" and there was no reference to SALT provision you can challenge that. Could also argue that it is up to the statment writers to put a quantity on provision if the professional hasn't, if it is clear that the professional is recommending something.

It's not always clear cut. Like schobe we were asking for ABA, after having done it for a year with proven results. The LA professionals never referred to it by name but said things like "x has benefitted from the intervention provided so far" - we argued that this clearly meant it would be counter-productive and a retrograde step to remove it.

This is an issue with the professional advice it recommends some 1 to 1 and some small grouP work in various areas but isn't specific about hOw much.

There's always a danger that you help them by pointing out where their statement is unlawful, eg no quantification at all.

Then they shove some in but much less than you wanted. But they make themselves look much better at tribunal.

You've already told them what you want haven't you?

In your position I would be fairly tight-lipped at the meeting. If it seems as though she is willing to go through and make your changes at a reasonable level of negotiation then fine.

But if she starts trying to argue against each point, I would close the discussion down and say that they know what you want and you see no need to go through it point by point (particularly since there are no experts there besides yourselves as parents - assuming that's the case).

If they want to go away and ask the ed psych, S&LT etc what they think of your suggestions then fine. If they want to just finalise the statement as it stands, then that's fine too. But obviously you will be forced to appeal it. I would also drop hints about private ed psych and S&LT reports that you're commissioning (even if not true).

Thanks, we already have an independant salt report so hopefully that will show that we are willing to obtain other independant reports too.

I have deliberately asked for more than I feel is needed in terms of time and one to one in the hope that if he is offered less than that it will be around what he actually needs.

There are some key areas that I am totally non negotiable on so I will find it easy to say "You've seen what I expect in this area" and won't enter into discussion about it. There are some parts of the statement that are wishy washy but I'm not too concerned about as the school he is at are very good in those areas anyway so I feel I can look reaonable by not hammering over every point in order to get what is important

When I met with the LA I was mostly begging them to take stuff out.

His statement was full of 'to help develop his fine motor skills, ds must have access to pencils, crayons and paints', 'to help develop his literacy skills, ds must have access to books', 'to help develop his maths, ds must have access to the numeracy hour'.

ffs

Good grief starlight! i wonder if these people have ever met a child with sn or been in a school? The mind boggles it really does!

And the classic from parent partnership when we told them we were going to appeal:

'I wouldn't appeal, as you are lucky you got a statement at all, since all of the provision written in it could be met without one!'

Er - exactly!!!!!

Ha ha! If it wasn't so depressing it would be hilarious. I gave up on pp after my first phone call. The over riding theory being lets not address his needs specifically cause the might change over time . Oh and there is no need for any support regarding literacy as that's what the literacy hour is for.

Lol at access to pencils!

Our parent partnership woman was poor as well. She came to the meeting I'm talking about. She was SO pally pally with the LA woman - they were whispering together in the lobby as we arrived.

She said after the meeting - I'll give you the weekend to think it all through, then give you a call. That was in July. Never heard from her again.

I wonder if you're in our county...

I'm wondering about the county thing NOT because this is rare unfortunately! Just recognise some of the phrases they're coming out with to you. Actually this is probably common too - maybe they're issued with a script in training.

As so many others have said, listen to what they are saying.
If they do not agree with your wording you could try saying that you don't agree with their wording either suggest you need to find a form of wording that you are both happy with and ask what they would be happy to agree to. then you can note this down and ask to think about it.
We took the PP person to take minutes. she didn't say a word in our meeting - and I never received the minutes - it was purely moral support as we were faced by LEA people plus several sencos.

One other thing to note- You can put anything you like in parental views. They cannot dispute what you think. that way you may be able to get things in that they are trying to water down.