Nightmare ehcp draft

[Teddy2541]

I'm hoping someone can help me. It would be a massive long story if I tried to explaine what my sons needs are as they are very complex but i am in process of ehcp that mainstream senco helped me start unfortunately the senco has just left and at the worst possible point ever. We where all for geting my son into a mental health / behaviour school. Because we have already done mainstream they did amazing work and gave him so much with no funding but he just can't cope with the size of classes with how many people are there and things was just geting worse. I had to remove him and put him in home educationjust under a year go or he would have been expelled from the school. My question is my draft has arrived and the casework has put in that he would go to mainstream school. I do not agree with this at all I called him to talk to explaine that how can they say mainstream school when we have already tried and failed. He kept saying yes but with ehcp he would get the help he needs. Firstly this school provided him with what he needed without an ehcp it failed because it did not work and they could not physically cater any more. Not that they could not do it without financial help. How can i convince them that he needs a specialist school. He says we can put my son back into a mainstream and see how he does and if it does not work we can get a meeting and have more evidence that he needs a specialist school but my son can not cope with change like that he can not be put in a school to fail and then be moved again. I don't know how or what to get to send with my school suggestion that mainstream does not and will not work evan with ehcp (baring in mind they are only offering 17.5 hours a week support) please can anyone help just some suggestions might help thanks very much

Do you have reports from professionals (EP OT etc) that specifically state he needs a specialist setting?

It does not say exactly he needs a specialist setting. It says he needs lower number classes, 1:1 no curriculum taught at all. Maybe that's where it has gone wrong all that's in there hints at special school but it does not litraly say he needs to be in a specialist setting. Maybe I need to ask for it to be updated. I didn't think I would need that in as all they have requested a mainstream school can not ever cater for evan with funding

Do you think if I phoned the educational phycologist and the occupational theropist if they would add it in after they have sent it. As it realy does not look like he will get it without it been actually written in there.

My son's reports didn't specifically say a specialist setting but the recommendations of calm quiet atmosphere, small teaching groups (no more than 9) 1:1 , teaching broken down into small steps and visual supports clearly indicated a specialist setting.

"Lower number classes" (any indication of class size?) and 1:1 could indicate a specialist setting in your son's case. To my mind that certainly doesn't mean a typical mainstream class that are 30+ students.

And no curriculum taught at all? That's not a mainstream school. What are they saying he needs in place of curriculum subjects?

Yes exacly my point he has all things like visual aids and lots of things in the report. The no curriculum is a bit complicated but if I can put it short they can learn with him in a fun and physical way as he lerns best this way but only with things that he knows and is confident in like he is good at maths. But other things like reading and writing he can not be taught anything new or to further his ability with them untill a trusting bond and friendship basicly is built with one to one and teacher as he has a very complex miss trust of people adults and children and a specialy teachers because of all past experiences and that will not take a couple of weeks that would take months. The caseworker said to me he is not been put forward for specialist school because none of the paperwork specifically says this. Evan tho i told him a mainstream school can not give him what he needs as we did not need the funding at his last school it was because they physically could not cater to his needs. But he was having none of it I have read through all the paperwork and it does mention specialist school twice in the parents views in the educational phycologist if she did not think it was right she would not have put it in there

His words was u can put him in mainstream again and see how it goes and if it does not work we can call a meeting and try then for a specialist school i am not willing to put him throught another year of hell been constantly taking in and out of school and isolated because they can not cope and he can not cope. Sorry sort of ranting aswell lol just so stressful. The idiot didn't evan call me by my actual name aswell at the end of the phone call to wich I replied that is not my name shows how much you know. Lol

The fact that it's took from June till now to actually speak to him on the phone is ridiculous

I think you need evidence that the school has done most things suggested and it doesnt work. So do you have a SEND support arrangements document from the original school showing all the adaptions and things they tried that didnt work?

Then you need to highlight all the things in all the reports that can only be delivered in the special school. It just means methodically going through each report and highlighting the things that point to specialist provision. I
It is definitely worth rining all the professionals and asking if they can be more specific in their recomnendations on what 'small' etc means.

Also note that a completely idividualised curriculum leaves him without a peer group at all in a mainstream school.

Finally, just to say, my LA said mainstream. Sent the paperwork to 12 mainstreams and they all sent a letter back saying 'cant meet need' when they saw what was being propsed.

Yes I've sent an email today to senco (she is New and old senco who was amazing who proberly would have done this straight away has left) asking if she could get a letter written from the headteacher detailing what they supported him with and a bit about his issues causing behaviour outbursts that do i danger others. As not sure new senco could write this up not knowing him.thanks very much the the suggestion of highlighting all the stuff that suggests special setting aswell. See I can do that and hope they all say no but my son has had these issues since basicly one years old and old school said they could do it and I don't want one of them saying they could try as it would be more wasted time. Tha ks very much it was very helpful advice

And yes that's what happend at old school he ended up in a little building built in the school on his own without any friends or pupils to interact with he was isolated alot towards then end.

Poor boy. Yes too much of a risk to his mental health. Best of luck

It is way to much. The casworker has no clue I don't think he's evan looked at it properly as he didn't evan call me by my actual name. Wich I did snap his head off for

From what you say no mainstream school is going to be able to provide all that your son needs.

What you need to do is go and look at some special schools and when you find one that is suitable ask for that one to be named in the EHCP.

I've already done that it's the ehcp caseworker that is saying no to special school so evan if I request that school he said it won't be accepted. But thanks I'm thinking if I get new paperwork from all people to back me up with special school and then send that along with my special school request if that makes sense. To basicly point out just because it does not say this specific sentanced does not mean he does not need it

I take it this is the draft ehcp and this is yourc15 days to respind?
Have you seen the ipsea model letter? Model letter 3 might be useful for you.

Yes this is draft and yes 15 days to respond erm not sure but I'll have a look

Does anyone know if the 15 days includes weekends or not

I've read model letter 3 thanks very much for that I have also read that it says the draft should not name or suggest any school setting type. Mine actually does hence why I'm at this predicament. How would I go about complaining about this.

We asked for a meeting and were lucky to get one where we went through all the documents with the caseworker highlighting why their suggestion was daft. But we also wanted to tidy up the draft a lot as it was nonsense. So every section had changes to be made. Its really important to get the needs section right as everything flows from that.

But we also made sure we had sent model letter 3 saying our preferred school and listed all the reasons (with evidence) as to why mainstream would not give our child an adequete education as the reason for our preference. And we listed the letter all the things wrong with the draft. They still consulted mainstream schools (who all said no) but they also had to consult our preferred school who said yes.

But im really not an expert, i would get sossen or ipsea to help.

The LA should not be naming a school in the draft EHCP. It is laid down very clearly in the Children & Families Act 2014 what the process is. They have to consult with your chosen school and there are only certain reasons for refusing to name it.

www.ipsea.org.uk/complaining-when-the-la-will-not-consult-with-the-school-or-college-you-request

Yes I recently found this out.about they should not be naming or suggesting any school in the draft. I've contacted my sons last school and they are putting eveidence together that I need. And awaiting from cahms and Ed phycologist and then think a meeting with the school head teacher senco and caseworker might be the way forward. To get this sorted tha ks all for you helpfully information. I appreciate all of it. Still a long fight for me

Good luck Teddy.

What we did was approach mainstream schools and tell them in graphic detail of the problems. Strangely enough the mainstream schools then said they could not meet needs. At this point we could go back to the local authority and got the specialist school we wanted.