Help please - EHCP assessment start delayed

[mochalight]

Hi all, can I have some advice from you please as I'm really desperate now?

LA has agreed to assess DD for EHCP and now we are in week 9 and they still haven't issued the letter to us and the professionals to start the assessment process. I called last week and they said the letter was to be issued last week. Nothing came so I called today again and they said the person working on my case is off sick and no one else can issue the letter. I asked what's to happen if she's off for a while and that person said by end of month someone will help with the work. I found this totally outrageous and I don't have time to wait forever as I want to be able to come to the stage to name school before the primary school place allocation in April.

So my questions are:

1. What should I do now? Should I send an email to them threatening them it is legally required that assessment process should have begun by now? Would being this aggressive ruin my dd's chances of getting a plan? I haven't emailed them at all but just phoned them.

1. If we can't get to the stage to name our school before April can our preferred school say they don't have space and reject to be named on the plan? The chance of dd getting a place at our preferred school is slim via the normal process.

Thanks!

Similar to your situation, verbally agreed, then changed their mind, then agreed and gave different start date and so on and on!

Getting solicitor involved with pre action JR certainly, certainly put a rocket under them!

Good luck

Thank you user that's useful information. I can see that it's reasonable to request for assessments from OT but the OTs in my area don't do sensory assessments and it looks like arguing for a private assessment can be difficult. I probably will still request and see how they say.

Sounds like it's really helpful to have a solicitor involved as you managed to get it done in 10 weeks with her help, which is great! Will seriously consider it, thanks.

Don't wait to be asked about professionals you want consulted, write to them now with details. It will do no harm to ask for assessment from a sensory qualified OT - just don't be optimistic that they will comply. Set out in your request the evidence of sensory problems, and refer them to their duty under regulation 6 of the SEND regulations 2014 to get appropriate advice.

mocha looks like we are on a similar path at the moment. Our Agree to Assess letter just arrive F too [waves] Want to compare notes?

Mega thanks - I will write to them as I know if I don't they are not going to contact me really have to keep pushing

tartan yeah did the letter come in on time or like me you chased for it and threatened them I really feel like it's just the start of a long journey.

I'm still reeling - it came on time. I nudged a couple of times in week 5 and gave them the report page numbers and letter references indicating delays/professional support for assessment. I don't know whether it was making it easy or because of a looming Ofsted inspection!! I don't care either way - we are over the first hurdle!