Quick question about statement application

[ToffeeWhirl]

Sorry if this is a daft question, but am I meant to submit supporting evidence with my application, or do I just send the application letter? (Am hoping to get a supporting letter from the school, so I know I can send that at the same time).

I'm confused because some people seem to have done this, but IPSEA don't mention it.

Oh god, sorry, I can answer my own question . Found the answer on SOS-SEN's website. Apparently, we should submit 'copies of individual education plans, any advice received from health and social services, evidence of the involvement and views of professionals outside the school who have been involved, and evidence of any progress made.'

OK, now I have different questions. Does this mean I need to ask the school to let me have any education plans for DS1? And do I need new letters from professionals, or can I simply send things like my son's diagnosis letter from a couple of years back and letters about his OCD and anxiety? I have stacks of letters - just don't know how much to send at this initial stage.

just send what to you have now - this is a long process over 6 months so you can get more letters etc and send them in later if needs be

Thanks for replying, bjkmummy. So they won't reject my initial application if I don't send lots of letters to back up our claims? That's what I'm worried about.

You need to send the strongest evidence you have that an assessment may be required - so everything taht bjK mentioned above.

The LA will contact your child's school to discuss your application with school but if school will send a supporting letter (which quite frankly would amaze me if they did) I'd enclose it.

OK, so it's important right from the start that I get this right? 'What I have now' is a stack of letters from way back when DS1 was six (he's now 14). Should I just pick the most up-to-date ones or send them a selection of the most pertinent over the whole span of time?

Why would it amaze you if the school sent a supporting letter, wetaugust? Does the funding for the statemented child come from their funds? I have already been fobbed off by someone else involved in DS1's teaching (said statements are being phased out in the next couple of months so there's no use applying, but I know it's not till the end of this year), but I think she's probably ill informed.

Send them everything you think supports your case that an assessment is required. Don't send them anything that does not support your case or could be contentious.

School are not your friend in this. If school truly felt that a Statemnet was required then school has a legal duty to apply for one for your child. It hasn't. So if it's failed to make that application but is happy to write a letter supporting your application it has let you down.

Also, LAs don't like schools to apply for Statements because it costs the LA money to provide the support that must be legally delivered by a Statement - so I'm surprised that school will go out on a limb and support your application (when they've failed to recognise their own legal duty to apply themselves and they know your application will annoy the LA).

Schools don't like Statements because the LA will ask them to fund part of the support that must be legally delivered via the Statement.

So you can see that - because of those things - parents get regularly fobbed off by school and / or LA and are told their child doesn't need a Statemnet, won't qualify for one, there is no funding for Statemnets, Statemnets are being phased out ... blah...blah.blah

All lies but they do successfully put off the more accepting par from applying.ent

with my middle son I had a lot of paperwork - I sent the most recent stuff I think over the last couple of years. you will once you've sent it get a letter from the LA giving you 29 days to send in further information so you do have time after you send the initial request in to send further things in and that could be the letter from the school if they will do it. the LA will write to the school anyway and ask them their views. I sent in a report that I had wrote detailing the history/concerns/why I felt he needed assessment etc.

the LA once you submit the initial application have 6 weeks to decide to assess or not. if they refuse you appeal - if they say yes then you will have more time to send more info in so theres lots of stage to send further information in.

if you have IEP send them in, anything that shows hes not making adequate progress but what I would say is get it in as soon as you can as if you applied now you are probably not looking at the help being in place until sept as it takes 26 weeks from start to finish. I had this same dilemma a few weeks ago! now im into it im kind of resigned to our fate and what will be will be

funding has changed and schools have to pay the first 6k from their budget so that can lead to some schools discouraging you.

yes statements will be no more in sept 14 when they become education and health care plans - theres no reason not to apply for a statement now. statements after sept will slowly be transferred over to EHCP which will stay with them until 25. they expect it to take 3 years to transfer them all over. theres lots of people giving lots of ill informed advice at the moment so just apply for the statement and take it from there but you need to get on and do it

I started mine off with a single page letter (sent registered post) last week, there was exactly 6 months till the end of our summer term at that point, once I realised that I decided to get it in and sort out the evidence afterwards. I received an acknowledgement today but have not had a request for evidence yet.

I am now photocopying and scanning all my evidence and compiling everything that I want to send so that I can do that in the next couple of weeks. I put the SENCO on the spot by nabbing her one morning earlier in the week and telling her I was about to submit it. She agreed to support it, but what that will amount to once she's had time to think about it and consult with the HT I don't know.

wetaugust - thank you, that explains it very clearly. I'm saddened to think that the professionals that appear to be supporting us with DS1 know full well that more could be done for him with a statement, but won't apply because of funding issues.

bjk - thanks for all that information. Did the LA ask you to write your own report as well or did you do this on your own initiative? Good luck with your application.

WhoKnows - I suppose it was inevitable we'd end up chatting on this board at some point . I'm interested that you decided to prioritise getting the application in and worry about the compilation of evidence afterwards. I didn't realise we were so short of time if we want support in place by next September. I hope the SENCO supports your application. Let me know how you get on.

I've had a package of info back today inviting me to submit my evidence by the 15th Feb. I made a proper start on it this morning. Going to be a busy few weeks.

Ah, that's interesting, WhoKnows. So that means it's fine to send in the application without supporting evidence, I presume. I have so many letters that it won't be difficult for me to send in a couple with the application anyway.

Does anyone know if a letter from a former TA of DS1 at primary school would be relevant or useful as evidence? I was thinking that she could provide evidence that he flourishes when he has good, one-to-one support.

WhoKnows - best of luck with compiling all the evidence. I'd be interested to know what you're submitting, if you feel like sharing.

PS: WhoKnows - PM me if you'd rather.

Toffee

You need to made your request with as much supporting evidence as you have available.

Don't know what weight a TA's letter would have with the LA - not a lot I suspect. Also, you are prejudging the assessment if you've already decided as a result of the TA's letter that he needs good one-to-one support. The whole idea of assessment is that all the difficulties are identified and then the correct support (og which one-to-one may be one strategy) is identfied.

This whole process is actually 2 stage.

You make the request for an assessment that may lead to a Statement.

The LA then

1. decides whether there is enough evidence that a full assessment should go ahead.

2. if sufficient evidence is foun at 1) above, then the LA undertakes a full statutory assessment that may lead to a Statement being issued.

In your letter requesting the assessment, state that the difficulties are long-term, complex and that the full extent of his ongoing difficulties nes to be identifed and assessed.

You should also state what 'outside' support he has had/is having e.g. PAed, CAMHS and that the LA should contact these people/agencies for further information. BUT.. also include with your application any letters, reports etc that assist your case.

But you need to get cracking.

wetaugust - thank you so much. I thought the LA expected us to have an idea of what support DS1 needs and what help we require for him. I've got that wrong, then? We are expected to identify his needs and provide evidence for them, but the LA identify the difficulties and the correct support, is that correct? Do they choose who will make that assessment?

I have a weekend free. I can see what I'll be doing...

I thought the LA expected us to have an idea of what support DS1 needs and what help we require for him.

No, that would be prejudging the outcome of the assessment...

however...

If the LA do decide to undertake a full statutory assessment they will ask you to provide Parental Advice. In that you can state whatever you think would assist him. The LA are supposed to consider your views as parents.
The Parental Advice then becomes one of the Appendices to the actual Statement.

We are expected to identify his needs and provide evidence for them, but the LA identify the difficulties and the correct support, is that correct?

Partially. What you are saying to the LA when requesting an assessment is that 'my child has learning diffuculties' and some evidence to support that. The extent of those learning difficulties are only revealed during the statutory assessment process. Once these difficulties are identified and their impact assessed they are described in Part 2 of the Statement. Then, for every difficulty described in Part 2, the LA will detail what support is required to overcome that difficulty and list all the support in Part 3.

Do they choose who will make that assessment?

In the statutory assessment the LA contacts everyone who is in contact with the child and asks them to provide their opinion in a written report. This will be school, you as parents (Parental Advice), the Educational Psychologist, the Community Paed, any other Paeds or HCPs he is seeing, Social Services (don't let that worry as they are only asked if they are currently in contact with your family) and anyone else at all that you tell the LA you want them to contact for advice. You can also provide private Ed Pysch reports etc but this is definitely not needed for a statutory assessment.

Yes deffo get cracking - I had my refusual to assess today so now have the hurdle and delay of tribunal to get through.

So sorry to hear that, bjkmummy .

wetaugust - thank you, that makes it much clearer.

Go to bed !!

I can't - I'm addicted to MN!