Taking part in a LA study about statements

[claw2]

Received a letter this morning from the LA asking me to take part in a study about the support and services provided for children and young people with a statement of SEN's.

The survey forms part of the Evaluation of SEN and disability pathfinder programme, which has been funded by the Dfe and it will help the Government decide how families like ours should best be supported.

Anyone else been asked to take part in this?

Good grief Claw. Who on earth nominated you?

Not that you shouldn't have been, but I'm not expecting any request like that any time soon....

Letter says "Your family has been deemed eligible by the LA as your details form part of the SEN register"

Got to pop out for a bit, would really appreciate any info anyone might have on this. Im not too sure what the study is about exactly and how helpful it will be etc.

I will have a read and research it later, but as always MN is very knowledgeable.

I've just joined two parent consultation groups here. The woman recruiting assured me that the point of my attendance was for the LA to be able to demonstrate that they consulted with parents, not that they would be listening to anything they had to say.

Which is what I would expect.

Relief to have some honesty tbh.

Thanks ive done a bit of reading about it too. I will 'opt out'

I would too if I were you Claw, at the stage you are currently at.

You need a rest and a breather and to concentrate all your emotional energy of getting next year to work and dealing with the inevitable panic when things go wrong temporarily, - not get sidetracked.

True Star, will do.

What is entailed in the study? Most Pathfinder areas are just asking people to complete questionnaires.

Ours isn't a pathfinder, but they have planning groups for various aspects of the changes and recruit around 4 parents per group.

Having not yet been screwed over by this LA I am going to go with an open mind. It will also give me a chance to see the LA at work as I haven't seen this one, and get to know some of the key people. I hope it will be positive for everyone. May as well at least give it a try.

I have an annual review coming up. It isn't a key transition period so hoping the LA will forget about coming, though am worried that they might try and push for the EHCP.

An advantage of this is that the annual reviews will remain in the autumn term which is helpful for us at transition to Juniors.

The letter said it initially involved a 30 minute telephone interview and then the people conducting the study would then be in touch.

I googled my borough etc and to find some info on it. Apparently my borough are in 'phase 2' and 'The 12 budgets which have been running for a year now are being evaluated and a new set of 10 families and their budgets are being prepared'

I am not being asked to be take part in the trials directly. Just my opinion to 'understand my views and experiences'

However even if they do listen to my views and experience, ds doesn't yet have a 'working' statement, as he hasn't attended school yet since having a statement. So I don't think I have anything helpful to say.

They're selecting 10 families who will provide them with the evidence they need for whatever their agenda is. The interview is a vetting process.

What would you say anyway Claw? Your story sounds like that of a madwoman. It won't do you any good to have more people tilting their head at you.

Exactly Star! I would be thinking more future, rather than past and although ds now has a statement, his present needs have still not yet been fully established due to lack of up to date assessments, so its all a bit pointless.

I understand exactly what you mean Star.

I also think there is such an understandable reaction to try and move on and put traumatic experiences behind us for our own sanity. But I also suspect this is partly why LAs prosper and are able to manage their public images so well. The disgruntled voices are not so much drowned out as stamped out through exhaustion and stress.

I also imagine this stuff is far too raw to deal with for you Claw at the moment.

With any study/questionnaire regarding statements is that for many like my DS2 his statement is not that important he is at a SLD school where I have never heard of tribunals/appeals/ hours all that matters is he is engaged and well looked after. Whereas DS1 statement was the difference in him being able to take GCSE and maybe A levels and university so his statement was the most important part of his schooling. So who takes part in these studies could result in positive outcomes for LA's with a minority who the LA will declare as never being able to please but those minorities being the most affected by statements and ehcp.

Help the LA! That's the funniest thing I've heard for a long time.

Strange to see the words 'help and 'LA' in the same sentence.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

They will burn in the hot fires of hell and even then I wouldn't piss on them to put the flames out.

.... so I'd say No.

I think I might have been asked this, in the dim and distant past...

Started with a questionnaire to fill in with terribly presumptuous (and nosy) multiple choice questions. I couldn't actually answer them honestly without an essay. So they lost me at the first hurdle. I think it went on to suggest you might win some kind of draw and be allowed to attend a quango's meetings on the topic. Needless to say it got shredded! I love my shredder!