School not following statement - help!

[Pennina]

Hi,

I'm new - looking forward to getting to know you all. I've 2 children, DD is 8 and has HF autism (but not Aspergers!) and has a SEN. Both children are at the same mainstream school. (my son is 7 and doesn't have any SN issues). We got a good statement for DD in Reception. She's now in Year 4. All was fine but in Year 3 things started to slide with the school. They are not always providing support for DD despite the statement providing for full time support. Because of DD's condition this is not good for her - she needs continuity in order to thrive. She does manage very well but that's not really good enough, the statement is there to help her do more than "just manage". The school were also required to set up a social skills group and because some School Action Plus kids needed some social skills support too, a group was set up. However, in the last term of year 3 the teacher left and now here we are a 1/2 term later and the teacher hasn't been replaced and they've got no one on the staff suitable to run this group so she is not getting the Social Skills support that she should have. DD's very good support has left on maternity leave and now DD is just getting random support from whoever is available. The school had ample notice of this maternity leave and still I'm being told that it's all very difficult and that they're doing their best to sort something out. Sorry this is so long. Can anyone advise on the best and most effective course of action if a school doesn't comply with the statement requirements?

Thanks,
Pennina

Bump

Have you spoken to the head and asked them what they are doing to follow the statement\action plus plan. Schools are stretched and can be slow to act. But they get funding for SEN children and should keep promises. Keep at them it's the only way.

Our DS was ment to get 18 hours TA support, at his last school they had 4 different people covering the week. The home\school diary was a joke. I was asking questions and getting no answers (not my job).

Pen, post this on the children SN board as it will get tonnes more traffic!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/special_needs

Another route to go down is ringing someone at the borough learning difficulties and disabilities team (LDD) I would only advise doing this after speaking to the school a couple of time though. I would also record anything between you and the school. When you ring , when they ring you back etc and what they say to you.
Instead of talking to the head (who will be blinded by finance) you also have the option of talking to your schools Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator , all schools have to have one by law ... unfortunately sometimes this is the head.

If you are getting nowhere with the school, and the LEA will expect you to have tried with the school, A statement is a legal document and it is the LEA's legal duty to arrange all the care in the statement. SO if your statement is fairly specific you can write to the LEA and tell them that they are failing in their legal duty to provide what is in the statement an that you want them to do so before you take further action. It often acts as a spur to get things done - the LEA don't want you to take action against them. There is a good template letter on the IPSEA website for this.
I am in the throes of trying to get the school to provide the help at the moment and have complained to the LEA.

Good luck