Looking at schools prior to statement being issued?

[claw2]

I need to start looking at schools, prior to ds's recieving a statement.

What info do i need to supply to these schools?

'Star refusing to accept the idea that ds might not get a statement is impossible because of how i have been painted.'

Well, obviously I'm not there but I should think that this is true only if you accept that the way you feel you have been painted is an acceptable perception to have.

You cannot look like you agree that there could be any case at all for not getting a statement.

claw, the meetings are probably being recorded as 'intervention'.

refuse to go to any more and state lack of outcomes as being the reason.

Or write to each person and ask them to respond to the question:

what outcome has their been for my ds as a result of your involvement in his case or his family?

Then watch them all run. They'll never answer it btw, but you can include the unanswered letters in your tribunal bundle.

Star, the home tutor attended the meeting and she was brilliant to be honest. The only one who was.

But the whole meeting was a shamble. Home tutor was asking whether ds's sensory needs had been assessed and saying she thought it a good idea if they were. CAMHS said they felt ds had, had enough assessments and what was needed was a 'whole picture and joined up approach'. Then SW who didnt know what her involvement was, who had never met me or ds before and sat there saying she couldnt see why SS were involved, then lead the meeting about returning ds to school.

What social worker was saying is that a statement isnt needed to return ds to school for a very short period of time each day. Regardless of the outcome of a statement, we should start now with a return, as the longer its left the harder it will be.

'Star, the home tutor attended the meeting and she was brilliant to be honest. The only one who was.'

Oh Thank God you have someone to regulate your sanity against.

'whole picture and joined up approach'

wtf does that EVEN mean? What would it look like?

I think i do need to set out a plan, maybe i need to take the lead, so we are all on the same page.

Maybe i need to follow this up in writing. Setting out what my plan is and what i thought was the responsibility of others.

'What social worker was saying is that a statement isnt needed to return ds to school for a very short period of time each day.'

Ask for the evidence for this.

' Regardless of the outcome of a statement, we should start now with a return, as the longer its left the harder it will be.'

Ask for the evidence for this too. IMO the easiest way for ds to return to school is when he is returning to adequate provision, and absolutely nothing to do with the amount of time he has HT.

Well it does help to be clear what you want and about what you expect.

Star that is exactly how i left meeting WTF did any of it mean.

CAMHS speak without actually saying anything.

"maybe in future social services and CAMHS could join resources and pull together to help and blah, blah, blah for about 5 minutes"

I asked "what kind of resources" the reply "oh i dont know what kind of resources exactly, im just thinking out loud"

So the meeting was left that i would look at schools, i would think of a plan a) return to school and b) a plan for what i will do if he doesnt get a statement.

It has become clear that CAMHS plan is to get away with doing as little as possible ie sit in on a meeting where a plan is made to return ds to school and agree to it and that is literally it.

'b) a plan for what i will do if he doesnt get a statement.'

So you already have this plan right? What is THEIR plan if he doesn't have a statement more like?

THEIR plan is easy Star as they have said along he doesnt need a statement, they will give him a 1-10 anxiety scale, a social story and a social skill group

I will sit here and go through all the recommendations made as part of the SA and spell it out for everyone exactly what the plan is.

It is normal or expected that the parent should have to do this?

I suppose i shouldnt be shocked or surprise that no one is capable of reading a report to know what is expected of them.

Even CAMHS seems unaware of the written plan they have already provided.

The criteria for a SA is that he 'probably' needs a statement.

Though if they've been forced to assess they may well insist he doesn't.

Can't you move claw? This is going to eat you:

Follow Star's advice.

Write a list of actions from this last meeting along these lines and send it out.

1. LA Officer - to complete proposed statement so that all agencies involved can have a clear idea of what resources will be provided to enable DS to be able to access the NC & full time education. This should be done as a matter of urgency, as a prolonged period out of school is not what you as DS's parents feel is in his best interests and all other actions are dependent upon the timely issueance of an appropriate statement that describes how DS is to access an adequate full time education and the NC.

1. SW - To list how she is going to support the LA officer and Cahms in providing the necessary support for DS to access the NC and full time education. To detail how she is going to support the parent in accessing appropriate educational and health care services for DS.

1. Cahms - To let all attendees know by X date the details of their intended programme of intervention to facillitate the return of DS to full time education. This should include a risk assessment of the support contained within the statement and an emergency support plan as a contingency.

1. School - to update the parents on how they intend to support the other agencies and counter DS's negative perceptions of the school environment such that he is able to access the NC in the school environment without any negative impact upon his mental health.

1. Home tutor - to continue to encourage DS's learning and in conjunction with his parents help to foster a positive viewpoint for DS of the school environment.

1. Parent - to continue to mentor and support DS's mental health and learning and to maintain the existing cooperative relationships between school and all the other agencies involved.

If there are any additional actions that you may have missed or any corrections to these notes that anyone feels need to be made please could they do so within 7 days. You look forward to recieving the statement that will make DS's return to school possible.

Notice I've repeated over and over the terms access to the NC and full time education and assumed that of course he will get a statement for any future Tribunal eagle eyes. You cannot risk being put in a he said/she said situation here which is what will happen. They are all bullying you in order to play a game of Teflon shoulders. Every single person sitting round that table bar the poor tutor is getting £50k+ per year to treat you like this. It's OK to ask them to do their jobs politely but firmly as even if they "correct" you it'll be in writing that they fooked up by delaying things.

Before any future meetings jot in an email the following to EVERY attendee:-

What is the purpose of the meeting
What is the expected outcome of the meeting.

You cannot look like you even suspect a wonderful statement will not be issued. These people are like vultures and will swoop on the slightest chink in your expectations as they percieve them.

Star ive moved boroughs already. The problem isnt the borough as such, its ds. If i move im back to square one, just another borough or school who cannot understand ds and more evidence that its mum that is the problem. 3 boroughs and 3 schools, instead of 2.

I will have exactly the same problem in another borough. Ds isnt a problem to anyone but himself. EP sums him up well "outwardly he can present as an able child who is functioning within the expected range. This is very deceptive"

Thanks Boc, very helpful, i def need to do something along those lines. The whole meeting was extremely vague, with no one explaining their role or what they were doing, with the buck being passed to me at every opportunity. I def need to hit ball back into their court.

1. is the only problem ds doesnt have a school. He was left on roll at this school in order to access home tuition. He will not be returning to this school.

I thought you had found a school with psych on site etc and needed a statement to get in. So thats what you say I have found School X, it is the only school that can meet DS needs, it has psych to help with careful transition, manage anxiety, OT for sensory etc etc They have a place and can start transitioning DS as soon as funding agreed. School with will work with me to come up with a plan.

Then its for LA / CAMHS to say no, he can manage somewhere else that does not require a statement. Then you say where's your evidence for that? And then ask where is this careful transition - I've been waiting for months and you have talked about it but not done it, so clearly CAMHS etc do not have resources to support DS transition back to school or you would have come up with a plan yourselves by now. So LA need to fund this school which has it all on site...

I have Agnes and SENCO announced 'its a private school' and 'you need to be looking at state' and 'be realistic'

I need to set out in writing. As i said was sprung on me today, wasnt prepared. I let a lot of things go today.

Sorry my OT was misleading, i need to look at 'other' schools to be seen to be looking at other school. So i can say only school that can meet his needs.

Claw. Boch's suggested letter is good. It's a plan. If people don't like it they'll have to come up with an alternative 'action' or refuse with no reason which will also help you.

It makes you look unwaveringly committed to your Ds, certain of his needs, determined to have them met and a good parent.

Hi claw, now I am the other side so to speak I can see things much more clearly. Whilst I was going through tribunal I was just like you and trusted no one and questioned every detail - it eats you up as you become so involved as his mum. The key word to this all is evidence. When I went through the tribunalninwrote similar letters as above and not a single one was every responded to. All went into th tribunal bundle and I believe the complete lack of any response by them helped me win. So it is important to put things in writing.mthe advice to engage with them less is good advice and aske beforenanynmeeting what the purpose is. My LA wanted mediation some wrote and asked them what would they like to talk about ,mthey just ignored me and sent a letter to the tribunal slagging me off for not engaging but of course the tribunal saw all of the previous letters where I was saying I was happy to meet but wanted to know why.mit didn't go against me at all.

You have the right to name any school you like so ignore the senco. The issue will be if the LA find another school they thing is suitable and is cheaper , then it will be an argument about use of resources but I won that argument and got a school 50k a year more expensive