More SA advice please.

[xenzani]

After sending the letter a week ago to ask for a SA for dd2, I have received a letter saying they are seeking information from her school and a range of other professionals to help decide whether they will procede with an assessment. I have a form to complete with my views and a form for her to complete with her views, which will be interesting.

I am a little confused as it seems they are doing step one and some of step two from their guide they sent me while saying on the letter that it is to help them decide whether to go ahead with an assessment.

It is essex county council if that helps anyone and I am doing this because she is at risk of permanent exclusion
now due to her behaviour. This is a particularly bad week for her as her sister is on her school residential. Have no diagnosis yet but have a feeling ODD will eventually be one.

This is all new territory for me

Essex

I would start preparing my appeal for refusal to assess (IPSEA has a pack).

One of their staff explained the process of applying for SA and said '... and then we REFUSE, er, I mean decide whether to assess'.

Parental and pupil views are officially sought for SA and form an appendix to the statement.

There seems to be a move to carry out assessment, including sending in EP, in order to prove there is no need to carry out assessment. BFrom their pov parents only request SA to get EP, SALT or OT involvement and to be heard so give them access to these things to non-statutory pupils without the need to assess/statement.

Send in as much evidence as you can now. We used exclusion letters, school behaviour record, home-school behaviour book, IEPs. Basically we requested a copy of the school record and included everything relevant from that. Also use the form as a base but don't be constrained by the space it allocates. My parent blurb ran onto 10 pages I think - I did use sub-headings so they could easily skip bits if they felt were irrelevant.

Thank you to the both of you.

I fully expect a fight with them.

Will be asking for a copy of her records from the school, hopefully that will help, although not sure if the school will be too? The only things I have are some of the exclusion letters (not had all and need to chase those up) and her consistent management plan.

Hoping the school give enough evidence that they have done what they can, and I assume behaviour support will be contacted too as they have been involved although they seem uncontactable by the school right now.

I have until 21st July to send the info to them and then should hear by the 1st of august.

As it's Essex, be prepared for the mother of all fights with them. Even without me knowing anything about your DD2, I can guarantee that they will turn you down. You will have to fight them tooth and nail to get anywhere, and if you want anything from them, you will probably have to go to Tribunal. I took them to Tribunal twice (and won both times) and my DS who, according to them was a "resounding NO" and "nowhere near Statutory Assessment" (their words, not mine) is now at a specialist indie school - in accordance with a Tribunal Judge's orders.

Sorry, my post sounds very negative. But it's reality with this particular LA.

How old is she? Do you know what she needs in terms of provision?

Firstly accept my condolences for fighting Essex LA - imagine the worst and it will be worse...

I wouldn't bother much now actually, you will be refused anyway, so preserve your energy.

Don't despair and don't give up. Keep posting. We all fought the LA - and the LA didn't win

Just need to know your enemy.

Sorry I seem to be speaking in song lyrics - the clash and greenday are now in my head.

Believe me, I won't give up on this. She needs to be assessed and hopefully get a statement, although that's just part of the fight. The other being a diagnosis for her.

Summer, she has not long turned eight and as for provisions, a one to one so that she has someone to keep her focused, help defuse any situations that might arise, explaining what she needs to do with her work when saying she can't do it, things that will keep her in school and not being excluded because there is no one to pick up on her triggers or signs before it is too late to get her back.

Asked the deputy head about a copy of her file to send with the forms, her reply was that the school normally do it and that they wouldn't read it anyway. I told her I wanted it anyway and to send what I thought appropriate. Also asked for copies of all her exclusion letters as missing some and for the days she was sent home after afternoon registration as they all add up too.

thanks again for the help, I really appreciate it all