Statement wording can someone please check this, help needed urgently!!

[Ineedmorepatience]

Therefore,most of xxxxx needs can be met from the schools own resources and arrangements as detailed in the local offer. In addition, yyyyyyy children's services will provide funding based on band 5, the equivalent of 15 hours teaching assistant support per week, pro rata for the balance of the financial year.

Sorry should have said, what does this actually mean and is it quantified enough. The child is in a split placement. 7.5 hrs in school nursery and 7.5 in playgroup.

Do you mean re 1:1 TA support?

Then I wouldn't accept it. I would want the 1:1support hours to be spelled out.

Makes no bloody sense at all.

It is supposed to be about TA support yes choc!!

This is draft number 3 and this has appeared on number 1 and this one.

There was absolutely no TA support specified on draft number 2

Makes no sense to us either star this has appeared on several statements I have seen issued by this LA!!

Nothing is specified and quantified here at all. They are simply giving money to the school for a TA for the rest of the year until March 2015. It does not mean that the child will get any support whatsoever. The head could use the money for a new carpet for her office.

The local offer is irrelevant too.

It doesn't state what the TA will be used for. It needs to say what DC will be doing in those 15 supported hours, e.g 1.5 hour per week to be supported in a small group to develop social skills...etc etc

There is lots of provision in part 3, lots of quantified SALT and OT and toileting and I think social skills.

If the school need more money to provide what is on the statement is it up to them to chase it?

'Most of needs can be met from school's own resources.' - Okay, so what specifically are those needs, and what specific resources from the school are going to be received?

I seriously doubt the local offer is 'detailed' by any stretch of the imagination and in any case, which section are they referring to, and what exactly from the local offer, that is 'detailed' will the child get?

'Funding to be provided based on band d' means nothing. The child does not need funding, but provision to meet outcomes.

'The equivalent of 15 hours TA support' is not the same thing as 15 hours of TA support, and even if the school agreed to it, the chances of the child getting it exclusively are minimal. Incidentally, many classes get 15 hours of TA support anyway, so this is unlikely to be nothing extra in terms of provision. It is more likely a bit of money to shut the school up.

'per week, pro rata, for the balance of financial year', Is this unspecified provision so fantastic that the child be cured in April? Wow!!!

Basically it is code for 'we'll give you a bit of money if you go away now, and you can spend it how you like - how about a new glossy brochure?'

The school should not ask for money.

The school should ask for the specific TA provision that the child needs to be written in the statement.

So '15 hours of x level TA, exclusively for this child, trained in y, with 2 years experience in this SEN, to take small group Social skills sessions as detailed above, and replicate SALT and OT recommendations and therapy as detailed above' If 15 hours is enough.

There should be no deadline on this, as it will be reviewed at the annual review in 6 months anyway.

Nothing about funding should be written in the statement. School should ask for the above wording, but unfortunately it will be up to the parents to appeal as school's cannot. The school can, however, give their recommendations for wording to the parents if they choose to.

I know star it is awful isnt it

This little one is 3 has a severe phonological language disorder, Asd and Spd! Unfortunately the LA concerned are corrupt and SEN is in dire straights.

They are also utterly convinced that inclusion works by shoving children with SN's through the doors of MS schools and shutting the door quick so you dont have to see what is going on

The trouble is with appealing is that in the meantime nothing is being worked on! We are at the end of week 2 here and nothing has been worked on yet!

She has come home both wet and soiled so far and no SALT has been done

her parents are very worried that if they appeal and the tribunal isnt until February that her nursery year will be over and nothing will have been done

Truely awful situation!!

I know. I've been there. 6 months in a 3yr old's life is a significant percentage of their life.

But that is what the system requires, and no-one has challenged it in the reforms.

you can only appeal once the statement is finalised. once the LA finalise the statement they have a legal duty to provide the provision it contains. so if the statement contains salt and ot this must be delivered, even if the parents are appealing.

sounds horrendous ineed
I agree completely about the LA's idea of inclusion being to shove the child into ms and pretend everything is ok. in the meantime the child falls apart. bloody disgraceful.

Oh right billie yes I hadnt thought of that.

I really think that this family feel they have no choice but to accept and least bad draft, which this one does seem to be.

There is never anything done in the LA until children fall apart, there is never any provision put into place without a fight.

The school this LO is going to is the best of a bad bunch in an LA that has consistently failed children with SN's for yrs and yrs!!

How we wish we could all move!!

would the last person to leave W.....l please turn off the lights!!!

Advise the parents to request the statement is finalised as it is, and to say that they are requesting this in order to appeal asap in order to reduce the time the child has to wait for adequate provision.

Keep meticulous records of the child's failure and tell the parents that the file is not available to them unless they do a subject data request details of which they can find in x place. This covers your arse but ensures they get this information that will support their appeal.

Or if not failure, then the sheer amount of support the child requires in order to progress.

Thanks star and billie and everyone else who has helped

I will do that star I also think that is the right thing to do!

This LO needs at least some provision now, thanks again

Statement provision defined by reference to bands is illegal - they could change the amount of funding attributable to that band at any time.

If the statement does at least specify SALT and they fail to provide it once it's finalised, the parents should threaten judicial review.