EHCNA in process, school holding meeting without me

[QuirkyCat212]

Hi
The EP from the LA has completed her assessment on my child and put forward recommendations to the school.
School have informed me today that a meeting will take place tomorrow with professionals to go over those recommendations and then they will meet with me early next week to discuss next steps.
I’m conscious as I’m aware I have a right to be involved in each step of this process and long story short have been fobbed off by the school a lot already.
Should I be at the meeting tomorrow or is it right I need to wait until next week? We had a family support worker last year (if it wasn’t for her meetings probably wouldn’t have taken place at all) however I was never kept in the dark. Just feel like it’s another opportunity for them to draw their own conclusions and outcome based on what the EP has said as she recommends basically all day 1:1 support, which they have told me for a long time they are unable to accommodate

The EP doesn’t put forward recommendations to the school. The LA is the one who decides whether to issue an EHCP and, if they issue, what to include - they sometimes hold meetings between the professionals without parents.

Aside from the meeting, are you sure the LA’s EP report is detailed, specified and quantified? They are often vague and woolly and rarely actually include enforceable full time 1:1. For example, they often include phrases such as ‘access to’, ‘would benefit from’, ‘will require’, ‘or equivalent’…

Hi
I have been sent a copy of the EP report which has also been sent to school and the LA, we are at the stage where we are awaiting a panel to make the decision
It is very detailed and specific
I was purely interested in whether or not I should be at every meeting, including tomorrows or if it’s commonplace for them to hold meetings without inviting the parents along

Yes, a meeting can be held without you.

You should relook at the EP report. It is extremely rare for LA EP reports to be completely detailed, specified and quantified.

Are you saying it’s unusual or not common for the school to hold a meeting to discuss the recommendations whilst they await the LAs decision? as that’s exactly what they have said the meeting is about ….

I am saying professionals sometimes hold meetings between the professionals without parents. No, it doesn’t always happen. Equally, it isn’t rare.

Each section has my child’s name and then says “will” , followed by a description of the support need identified, followed by a section which states how much, how often and the ratio which is also completed in detail

As I said, if I were you, I would be relooking at the wording of the report. It is rare for LA reports to be detailed, specified and quantified. And it is common for parents not to realise this until the subsequent EHCP needs to be enforced and they learn that isn’t possible.

I’m not here to be dictated to about what I should and shouldn’t do with the report, my question (as I said) was solely concerning the meetings.
I appreciate you may have your own experience where an EP report is concerned, but just because of that and what you deem as “unlikely”, doesn’t mean I’m interpreting information about my personal circumstances as incorrect.
I have a set of eyes, glasses and also keep in regular contact with IASS. The only reason I reached out on here today, was because I have been unable to reach the employee I would normally speak to and the information concerning the meeting has been sprung on me at short notice.
I am more than aware of how the uphill battle will continue even if my child does secure an EHCP. I have spent over 2.5 years already dealing with my childs needs being overlooked, hence why we are where we are.
There is no need to speak down to people and assume they are incapable of interpreting and deciphering information just because your experiences differ. Thanks for answering the question re the meetings.

I wasn’t ’speaking down’ to you or assuming you are ‘incapable’. I was making a suggestion based on years and years of experience supporting thousands of parents across the country.

Sadly, just because parents ‘have a set of eyes, glasses and also keep in regular contact with IASS.” Doesn’t mean they are aware of the legalities around the wording of EHCP (and of course reports because provision is based on the evidence). Even if they have read the reports many parents do not realise they are woolly and vague with weasel words. And whilst in some areas SENDIASS is good, in many areas they are not and repeat the LA’s unlawful policies and practices.

I think the point you keep missing is what my OP stated.

I wasn’t questioning anything surrounding the wording in the report, or the EHCP itself.

You took it upon yourself to navigate the conversation away from my original question and very clearly made an assumption I’ve interpreted the report incorrectly.
You’ve even done it again there, by stating that many parents don’t realise the legalities around wording. Maybe so, but what do you know about the research I have done surrounding this already and other SEN related issues? You don’t.
Again, this is not what my OP was about.

You picked on the fact I’d written the “EP has put forward the recommendations to school” - it was quite obvious that I meant put forward a copy of the recommendations.

Evidence - bucketfuls, but again, all irrelevant to this post.
All I asked was about meetings!

I commend your years & years of supporting parents and families.
I wish my family had been as lucky to have known someone so knowledgable when they experienced this with an older relative, who is sadly no longer with us.

We all have personal experiences, doesn’t minimise anyone else’s. In future, I would stick to answering the question posted. Have a nice afternoon.

In future, I would stick to answering the question posted.

Good for you. Thankfully, you aren’t the thread police and you don’t get to dictate what I post, and I did answer your question.

I haven’t missed any points and I didn’t ’minimise’ your ‘personal experiences’. I answered your OP and added an aside based on a 99.9% accurate statement about the quality of LA reports. It wasn’t a statement about your ability specifically. It is a fact many parents don’t realise the reports/evidence is woolly, and subsequently their DC’s EHCPs are woolly. Again, it wasn’t a statement about your ability specifically. Nowhere did I say you specifically didn’t understand the law.

it was quite obvious that I meant put forward a copy of the recommendations.

Actually, it wasn’t. Some parents incorrectly believe the school rather than the LA decide the content of the EHCP.