SIPS system ...... is this for real??????

[Flocci]

According to our portage home worker, when dd turns 3 we will be entitled to a SIPS worker for 5 hours a week so she can go to a mainstream pre-school, and that's it.

Is that right?

Seems like bullshit to me given that the government are giving funding for all kids aged 3 to go to pre-school for 5 sessions a week, but then if this is true, any SN kids are excluded because there isn't the SIPS support for them to take up the government funding.

And what kind of preparation is that for school? She will go from five hopurs a week, to 5 days a week at school, because we won't be able to gradually increase her time at pre-school as she approaches school age.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Is is another case of tough luck unless you can afford to sort it out privately ( which we can't).

I am so bloody frustrated. Dd has cp which affects her legs. No other issues, so a SN pre-school is totally inappropriate. She will be absolutely fine in mainstream, but she just needs help getting about from one place to nother, although she can crawl so she does have some mobility. But the preschools won't take her without a SIPS so we are stuck.

no experience ....but wanted to bump this up 4 u!

What is a SIPS? Is that like an LSA?

Ds2 is 3yrs old and autistic. As well as the usual pre-school funding that all 3yr-olds get, his pre-school also gets a set amount to provide extra support. I don't know the exact amount but it's something like £50(ish?) a week. It's not enough for a full-time 1:1 helper but it's enough to help pay towards the wages of an extra member of staff so that ds2 can get help if/when he needs it without affecting the staff:children ratio too much.

If the pre-school can't provide your dd with the help she needs could you apply for a statement to get the financial help.

Thanks for that coppertop - part of our problem is that we don't know who to ask and what questions to ask. all we have at the moment is our portage home worker who is totally *!$%ing useless. We have a meeting next week with all the healthcare professionals involved in dd's care to discuss where we are going with her care at the moment, and for us this is one of the key things to be sorted out. So i will mention whether she should be statemented now if that would help. makes me so cross that i need other Mners and mums to help and come up with ideas when the people paid to help her are just not co-operative at all.

Flocci

Cannot unfortunately help with the question re SIPS (have not come across them before).

I would say that your DD needs a statement set up for her asap. These things though can take six months to be issued.

Parents can write to the LEA themselves asking for their child to be assessed with a view to getting a statement of special needs. I would just tell these people that you are applying to the LEA for a statement. IPSEA are very good in this regard and have model letters you can use.

A atatement is (very briefly) a legally binding document outlining the child's difficulties and how child will be supported. Normally a set number of hours per week support is provided.

IPSEA's web address is www.ipsea.org.uk. Do look at it and make contact with them; they are very good.

I don't know what a SIPS worker is but our county's additional funding for Pre-school children with additional needs is discretionary and pretty much non existent unless the child has a statement, and you'd be doing well to get extra help for the equivalent of 2 sessions (5 hours). Staff have to provide evidence of how a child needs help that is 'Additional to and different from' that needed by other children (that should be clear in your case where you are looking at mobility and accessing activities), Although the government provide fundiing, pre-school education isn't compulsary so I don't think they are under obligation to automatically provide extra funding, pre-schools pretty much seem to bear the brunt of this and from what I've experience try to be inclusive. I was told that it was up to the pre-school to sort out staffing and that standard government nursery vouchers should be sufficient for most. So we couldn't get any extra funding at the time, however my ds now has a statement and is at special school. Statementing for us was straightforward as we luckily had a great portage worker but it was time consuming.

Have you looked at Pre-schools in your area and worked out where you would like Dd to go? Might be worth getting them involved and working towards sorting out what funding and equipment they think they need to provide for your Dd. The pre-school will have a designated SEN member of staff and the county will have a lilnk SENCO who will provide support- will probably know your portage worker
Think I'd talk to the portage worker about a statement as I got the impression requests for statementing perhaps carry more clout when health/educationa professionals.

also try contacting surestart in your area to see if they have (or know of)any ways of securing the extra funding for your child to have a support worker.
also try your local parent partnership (again for the above reasons)

Remember- your child has the same right as every other child to have their full allowance of government funded nursery so please do not be fobbed off by anyone and please do start demanding things happen now as (it has already been said)it can take a while to actually get everything sorted

My dd has cerebral palsy diplegia and was not walking when she started pre-school, she did have a k walker(rollator/walker frame) and she also had a Statement of Special Educational Needs which provided the funding for her support worker....

Good luck, we are always here should you need help!!!!!!

I would consider advising these people next week that you intend to apply for the Statement of Special Needs yourself. They may try and tell you, "oh we'll do it at some stage" but stand firm and don't stand for inaction on their part. If you yourself apply for it at least you know its been done then.

Sorry to read that your portage worker is next to useless.

Would certainly second the suggestion to contact Parent Partnership - they have a degree of clout in such matters.