I’m in a right mess here. Need to call caseworker back and have no idea what to say.
Briefly, twins (age 3) final EHCPs issued in December.
Plans have very detailed section B, useless section F
LA agreed to specialist placements to be decided at a panel in January - our first choice was an ASD specific school
I had spoken to IPSEA and decided to get them in to a specialist placement and then sort out of the provisions at a six month review
The LA had refused to get OT assessments done but I managed to get a referral for one of the twins. She went into nursery and was concerned that they really don’t know how to work with / support him - they’ve been there a year and have had visits from portage, SALT, area SENCO and now OT.
I realised this was because the provisions are so poor. So I decided to arrange mediation to sound the LA out on getting further advice. I did ask them this previously on multiple occasions and was ignored.
They both need further advice from Ed Psychs on specific and quantified provisions (we have none from them, only some from SALT so far) and DT1 needs and OT assessment. DT2 needs recommendations from the OT to be added to the report.
Was just investigating private assessments when I got a call from the caseworker. The twins have been offered a place at our third choice school, both not until September (the LA have no obligation to find a place sooner because as the plans stand the nursery can meet the provisions easily, because some of the needs have no provisions and the rest of the provisions are vague).
Our first two choices were a maintained ASD-specific school, and a non-maintained ASD-specific school (wasn’t hopeful about that one but still). The school who’ve offered them places do have students with ASD but most have profound / physical disabilities and I’m just not sure it’s the right place for them. They do seem like a great school with great facilities, I just don’t know if it’s the right place. To be honest I have no way to know if the other places would be better, but it seems crazy to me to take up spaces at a school set up for children with profound disabilities when they could go to an ASD school where those other children can’t go.
The caseworker was off last week and she called me at 9:01 - I don’t think she’s seen the trail of emails about the mediation etc yet which caught me off guard. Said I needed to talk to DH and would call her back.
I literally don’t know where to start now. I’m worried about the boys staying at nursery until September if they’re not meeting their needs. Nursery say they are meeting their needs. I want to ask more about why that specific school has been chosen. The caseworker has this way of talking to me as if everything is a done deal, obviously I’m going to agree - even when I try to prepare myself for it mentally it still catches me out and I struggle to respond.
Should I call her back or email? Better in writing I suppose but I want to explain about OT and nursery and I don’t want to write in an email that their nursery are failing to meet their needs and have that get back to them (which it likely will through the tribunal process if I use this email as evidence).
I’m a mess. If anyone can help me find a way forward I would really appreciate it!