I've (being Moondog) come to the conclusion that the best thing you can do for your children with SN is to involve as few people as possible...

[moondog]

because honestly, the communication problems lie with service providers, not the kids. Peopel are useless at sharing info. properly and come to the table with so many conflicting opinions and ideas that it is dreadful for the parents.

I've got one child with about 16 people involved.

Get rid of most of them and stick with the people you trust.

probably right there moondog. At dd's last statement review there were 16 'experts', none of whom communicated properly with each other or did joined up care. Then add 5 different paediatricians (all specialised)
Its doing my head in. None listen, they treat me like an idiot, treat dd like a number and all would be out of work if it wasn't for dd and children like her.
We need a keyworker.
I've reached the stage where I cant cope anymore and feel like removing dd from school and telling them all to fuck off. The stress and pressure of these poeple, poor services and lack of communication is doing my head in

why don't all areas have keyworkers. I've been crying with stress over this lately.

Oh NMC. I am so sorry.
Have you raised this with SNAP?
Also Children's Commission and Community Health Council are options (althoguh i realsie it often entails involving even more people.)
If you feel these people are doing no good, you can ask that they not be involved.
It's absolutely dreadful, I agree.
I have colleagues who come into the office weeping (literally) after coming out of yet another pointless meeting, all the time aware of the fact that these endless meetings and reports eat into precious face to face contact time.

whats SNAP?
Mind you, whats the point/ Nothing ever changes.
Ifg I was rich I wouldn't have to deal with any of this. I'd hire what I needed and be in control.

Special Needs Advisory Project (or Parent Partnership) There is one attached to every Education Authority.They can be very helpful, writing letters for you,coming to meetings with you and generally sharing some of the load.

oh, the PP officer here is the SEN lady. She wears two hats. Guess whose side she is on....
I was very excited when I saw we had one, rang her up and though, hang ona mo, I recognise that name...
And no, she doesnt act as a co-ordinator for anything.

Eh?
There should be other staff though.

Are you poor enough to qualify for legal aid?
Getting a solcitor involved can work wonders.

In meantime, you need to think very carefully about what your grievances are, list then and then go to Comm. Health Council and ask them to help.

They are fab (I speak from bitter experience having been through a year of complete and utter hell fighting for my own dd)

Hi needmorecoffee

Sounds like a case of too many experts and nothing being done as a result. Certainly no-one readily shares information. If this is actually representative on a wider level of what public sector service is like, then there are fundamental problems. It needs root and branch reform.

This is SNAP - its short for Special Needs and parents. The one local to me is very good.

www.snapcharity.org/fundraising.php?gid=26

The SNAP i'm thinking of is a charity dedicated to special needs and parents of those children who have special needs.

Some PP's are certainly better than others. Would certainly not use PP in my area of Essex; that lot work out of the same building as the LEA so how can they proclaim to be independent?.

Ideally, there would be one database that everyone involved could access which would include all developmets on Health and Education work.

I have raised this in my own work (SALT) many times but told there are confidentiality issues.

Dunno why this is the case, as we already use a database with which theoretically i could acess the medical files of anyone I know at the click of a button.

Not that i do, I hasten to add.

Attila, it's true that not completely impartial as yes, funded by Education authority, but some are good.

It's the same with statemnts.The people who decide whether you need one are the same people who then have to fund it. How mad is that?