Call for Evidence re: misleading info re: Statementing - Hertfordshire

[kafkesque]

Dear All some of you will have been in Herts but moved and some still in Herts,

Have your say:

Carers in Herts are currently taking up the issue of the parents being given a misleading info regarding Statement of SEN in Herts.

This is going to be a topic for discussion with Head of Education. They are currently looking for actual evidence of what parents are being told/ mislead by.
This info is needed by June 25th- so if you please get in touch with Kay Lowney from Carers in Herts on [email protected]
I believe confidentiality is guaranteed.

Several parents over an extended period of time (through their networks) have stated that they are aware of many situations in which confusing/misleading information about Statementing is being communicated to parents by front-line workers. We need evidence whether these are isolated incidents (in which case X has helpfully offered to take names and details and deal with this directly) or a wider systemic issue.

We need to collect evidence of any misleading messages being communicated to parents. in which a parent has been given factually incorrect information such as:

? "Only children in Special Schools get Statements"
? "We won't assess your child because they won't get a Statement, Hertfordshire is not doing Statements any more"
? "There's no point in asking for a Statement because even if you get it, our school does not have any extra money to put support in place for your child"
? "Your child's needs are not "bad enough" to get a Statement, so don't bother".

We need:

? Name of the professional (we will not disclose this unless we have the parents' permission to do so)
? Role of the professional
? Short description of what was said or quote
? Date this happened (or rough date)

Not an essay please! Just a few bullet points.

However, if a parent is wary of challenging their school for example, because they want to maintain a good relationship with school staff and do not want to give names and details, then role/quote/date will still be useful to us.

Personally I will be quoting from my CAF reports.
kafkesque

Good for you. I suspect this happens in all counties.

Can I put something on my blog about it?

Why not spread the word.

Great. Glad something is being done about this, though it is prevalent in many authorities, but just the very teeny tip of the kafkesque iceberg in herts.

I can give you loads of names.

It's the pre rehersed dialogue telling you that they have been brainwashed into these mantras I object to.

The most common one:

'Your ds doesn't need a statement because he is getting everything already.'

and my favourite from Parent Partnership:

'You shouldn't appeal the contents because you are lucky to have a statement at all, as everything in it could be delivered without having a statement'

SOS SEN have a handy crib sheet with the standard lies lines to help you recognise them. Don't think it's on the website though. Maybe the LA's would use it as the learning objectives for a one-day SEN training course

How about the Head of Autism Advisory service saying in a multi-professional meeting to us after we had lost our tribunal:

'Well if you didn't like what was in the statement, why didn't you say so?'

My favourite line (not Hertfordshire, though):

"I can't understand why you're getting a speech and language report, after all, there's no speech therapy in his statement."

LOL

What about "your son won't get a statement because he is of above average intelligence"

Im in herts i was told last bullet point by both pead at initial consultation and by sch senco. Also told herts notoriously hard to get statement by senco.
Wont stop me trying though.
Ds is ASD hfa

Same hear mrslaughan, (not in Herts) EP after giving my Ds variuos assessments said " I have provided the school with strategies to help weecrazee if these fail the next step will be a statement....which will be highly unlikely due to his test scores"

Just to add! I have recently posted off the request for SA letter.

DS is in a private school in herts - so can't get a statement, but school is not a long term solution (I don't think), but moving into state system.......well it is not a happy thought, but finding a private school that provides what he needs, is near impossible......edgerton rothesay, may be an answer to his academic needs, but not to his social and sporting needs.......

rock and hard place springs to mind.....

I really liked the look of Egerton Rothesay

Well done Kafka, I'm sure this misinformation is being given nationwide and parents need to be aware. I do know that a great deal of misinformation was given under the old regime, as quite a few front-line practitioners had little understanding of it (to our detriment I believed they did know, all they knew was how to use that system to protect their own interests irrespective of the children it was intended to help). Probably lesser now, myself now included in an overall lack of understanding and I would be floundering (again!) if I was having to negotiate my way through this new system.

I have just sent my quotes the email should be:

[email protected]

Come everybody HARC are on board too spreading the message. Get your evidence in.

several parents over an extended period of time (through their networks) have stated that they are aware of many situations in which confusing/misleading information about Statementing is being communicated to parents by front-line workers.

Please respond by Tuesday 25th June

I have also recently been fed misinformation about statements but I am not in Herts. I hope you get all the info you need.