EHCP angst, advice, support, tips, get it off your chest.

[enterthedragon]

As the title suggests, if you need help or advice or just want to let off steam about the EHCP process feel free to get your thoughts down on here.

As usual we will all support each other and give whatever advice we can, and if we don't know the answers we'll try and find out for you or point you in the right direction.

Thanks for advice re touch typing.

This is the narrative at end of refusal letter!

What a patronising piece of twaddle, and the fact that they haven't bothered to update their standard letter in the last two years speaks volumes for their efficiency.

There is no relevance in the fact that less than 3% of children have statements or EHCPs; the issue is whether children with your child's range of difficulties have them. I'd be tempted to write back and say "You may be interested to know that nationally over 80% of parents who appeal against the refusal of assessment succeed".

also 3% nationally is only quoted to look low.

Taking out no of children in specialist place,ends with EHCP that probably leaves 2% of MS population. That's not that low that it indicates he likely doesn't need one. In most schools that's 2/3 pupils per year group.

Youare, I'm really sorry to hear they have said they don't assess. After all the work you put into it. I too thought SA and SA+ was not used any more! Hope you get some good advice on appealing, sorry I can't help.

Having been told by ds's senco they'd be applying for an EHCP once he was diagnosed, they have now told me, they might not! Due to being told by ASC support service that it's getting harder to get one! They've said he probably wouldn't get one because he's 'making progress' - that's true, because he's got a 1:1 full time who's lovely, who he loves and who gets him! Take that away, which to be fair, they could do at any point with no EHCP, and he'd likely fall apart again!

It really is one battle after another isn't it?

There's a section (9.14 I think) that states an EHCP may be written where a student won't get the same level of support in another setting as currently getting without one.

So if he's due to transfer to juniors soon it is worth starting the process soon.

Moonandstars, I hope you're going to carry on and make your own application for an EHC assessment? If your son has a full time 1-1, that's definitely provision not available within normal mainstream resources and I would have thought proves your case.

Youare, that's interesting to know. I'll need to check that out. I really don't understand much about it at the moment at all. He's just moving from year 1 to year 2 now and have a feeling they might try and take 1:1 away during this year or at the end of this year.... I don't trust them!

Judy, I've already voiced my concerns! And think they will apply if we push them to, but they've said not until October time, when he's transition to new year is over! But they seemed to be saying it was unlikely he'd get one now as he's 'making progress'. I'm going to get some advice from my local independent support service too I think.

The question isn't is he making progress but rather can he make progress without 1:1? Because ft 1:1 is not usually available within resources at MS and so an EHCP may be needed to secure that.

All section 36 of C and F act 2014 says is they need to have or may have Sen and may need an EHCP for them to carry out an assessment.

Moonandstars, you don't need to push the school to make the request, you can do it yourself.

Youare, that's exactly what I think! But they seem to be saying if he's making progress with support then he doesn't need it. I'm not so sure the senco actually thinks like this, I think she's been advised recently that EHCPs are even harder to get and thinks they don't give him one. However, I would like to try!!!

Judy, if I have to apply myself, I will do, yes. But i'd much rather school and I work together on this as I'm sure that will add a bit more weight...who knows though! It just feels like s bloody battle, but I guess from listening to others on here, I knew it would be!

Thanks both for your support.

I'm so bloody angry, not only have the LA not stuck to government timelines wrt EHCP transfer but they have delayed the decision not to amend DS' statement for the whole academic year, I'm furious we have been unable to get any more support in place through any route. DS is being disadvantaged by these unnecessary delays and the LA's refusal to complete the transition according to the law. All we can do is complain in accordance with the law and in the meantime ds is falling further behind and his hopes and aspirations are being toyed with by the very people who are supposed to be acting in his best interests.

The law means nothing to them.

Is it worth doing a complaint to the Department of Education?

OK DH has rung up and sounded officious and got some answers out of the LEA.

We were supposed to get some profile thing to fill in but they never sent it to us. So they are emailing that.

And they WILL be sending an EP to observe DS at school. But that's in September.

I get that they need to have an EP see him where his potential support might be

(I do have some experience of EPs from work related things, a bit tangential but I will put on my most patronising hat when talking to them... cough...)

Oops pressed post too soon. That should say I get that they need to have an EP see him where his potential support might be but it is ages away and just drags things out even more.

Just heard from the Council today that they have determined my son does not need to be assessed for an ECHP at this stage - it was my son's EP who requested the assessment. My son has just turned 3 and has Global Developmental Delay. He is just about to go into pre-school and in their decision letter they have said that he will get three sessions a week with outreach worker (so they are not disputing he has SEN). and that he should be regularly reviewed.

I am not planning for my son to start school until September 2018 at compulsory school age (he has a June birthday). I feel that in pre-school approx 9 hours/week support should be enough but unless things change dramatically I think he will need more support than that at school to fully engage with the school curriculum.

So my plan was not to appeal at this stage but apply again/ask EP to apply again next Summer/Autumn i.e. a year before he starts school. Do you think that is a sensible strategy or should I be appealing.

Enter, if they're not meeting time limits you're not restricted just to complaining, you can threaten judicial review to force them to meet them.

Hi there - we too were turned down for an assessment on the basis that my son was making progress - good progress even! However, we argued that this was only because he was getting a huge level of support at nursery (at my cost! - private nursery). All professionals (EP, SLT) agreed that an EHCP was appropriate. The LA told us to wait until he was in his new setting (reception, mainstream primary) and then apply if he still needed one. So, we asked the LA for their own dispute resolution process and a meeting was set up. In the meantime, we obtained mediation certificate and filed tribunal papers. IPSEA do a BRILLIANT pack telling you how to appeal and ideas for arguments. Ours was that our son was only making progress due to extremely high levels of support. Before dispute resolution meeting, LA read tribunal papers and agreed to assess. We now have a draft plan stipulating full time 1:1, fingers crossed that follows through.

Received final EHCP, some previously agreed changes to the draft plan have not been changed other information from DS' statement has been cut and pasted added and other stuff has been totally left out.

Other stuff is conspiring against us at the moment.

I can't contact anyone who has been involved so far, everyone seems to have gone AWOL and are not answering the phone or responding to emails.

EP cancelled and ds who was stressed out about it and hasn't been sleeping for a few days is now annoyed.

Now I have no idea what to do next.

Glad you finally have EHCP enter. I know it's crap but I think now it's here you can appeal it?

youare, your right, I can now appeal but I need advice on whether it would be of any benefit now, we will be having a yr11 AR soon after the September restart, I really need to be concentrating on post 16 education.

News that I recently received will limit DS' options as he will not meet the requirements for the course that he wishes to do, the alternative courses do not match what he wishes to do and I don't think that he will cope with them anyway.

I have asked MNHQ if they can move this thread to SN Children because it is due to disappear soon.

Hi OP

Thanks very much for flagging, we're going to move the thread over shortly

Thank you Amy.

Enter, have you phoned IPSEA or SOS SEN to talk through the appeal question?

Judy I can't get through to them, sos sen emergency helpline number is always engaged and I can't spend all my time redialing as I'm at work 5days a week and not in a position to use the phone. Ipsea are closed until today anyway.