Bloody LEA are so incompetent. What should I do?

[Nat1H]

My son moved schools at the beginning of this term. He has CP and is not toilet trained and the new school currently has no changing facilities, so I am going in to change him. I know I shouldn't be, but it was the only way to get him into the school, and I was desperate to get him out of the other one.

I was told by the LEA that a changing bed had been ordered before Christmas and it had an 8 week delivery. I am expecting it any time,and then I can get my life back!!

BUT, today the Head teacher spoke to me and told me that he had rung the company last week, and the bed hadn't even been ordered. He has been on to the LEA and the order form has been sat on a desk somewhere while the SEN dept and the buildings dept argue over who is going to pay for the bed!!

I am fuming - I have had to put my life on hold for the past 8 weeks, and I am getting rather sick of being called up to school 2 or 3 times a day.

There is a changing bed at the old school which could easily be moved in the meantime, but the Headteacher of that school is being awkward and saying we can't have it. The LEA is letting her get away with it! I really feel like going to the national press, but was wondering what you lot thought about that.

SEN kids being 'low priority' is certainly a hot topic at the moment so it would certainly fit the current media highlights. I have had enough of our LEA - every single thing we need for our son is met with a huge battle, and I've had enough.

Please give me your advice and opinions.
Thanks

I don't know what you should do but I do know that you shouldn't be surprised.

If you have the strength for a fight then fight them. Incompetent fuckwits.

I'm not surprised - just fuming that it's happened again.

Hi,
sorry you have had a hard time with the LEA, but please don't take it out on the old school. I know your child did'nt have a good experience there, but as you know my own child is still using the changing bed facility and this is written in her statement.Hope it gets sorted soon.
H.

I can well imagine how furious you must be feeling.....but, I would focus your energies on getting that bed ordered. Call a meeting ASAP with the LEA/other relevant parties and make the aims of the meeting to: 1) agree who will fund the provision of the bed and 2) the date when the order will be raised. I would also have the owning party agree to send you a copy of the order once it has been raised.

Good luck.

If you are still having problems with this you could try complaining to the department of children, schools and families. There is an email link on the website for reporting problems with LEAs.

Try the charity IPSEA (easily googlable)

I expect they have just the right advice for reminding an LEA that it's illegal to discriminate against a child with a disability, and clearly this is indeed discriminating against them.

Hi H. Don't really know what you mean by 'don't take it out on the old school'. I haven't mentioned the school at all - it's the LEA that I was annoyed with!

Hi N,
So the paragragh
"There is a changing bed at the old school which could easily be moved in the meantime, but the Headteacher of that school is being awkward and saying we can't have it. The LEA is letting her get away with it! I really feel like going to the national press, but was wondering what you lot thought about that."
has no relation to you being pi**ed at the old school?
Thats fair enough if i have missed read it. Hope it has been sorted for you.
H

You could complain to your Local Councillor - that usually speeds things up a lot.

Obviously I didn't phrase it properly enough.
I was going to go to the press re. the LEA - not the old school.
You are as paranoid as the old school FFS!

WetAugust - I have complained to the local councillor and she has done the job. Although the answer from the LEA is not satisfactory, so I will be writing back! It really bugs me when children with complex disabilities get f*d off all the time - it's like they (and their parents) are 2nd class citizens.

Glad your councillor got things moving.

I used to complain to my MP but he said that education is a 'local issue' as it's managed by the Council so I would be better off complaining to my Local Councillor.

That's what I always do now - and as you've found, it does produce results. (He even pops in for a cup of coffee now when he's in our area canvassing at election time LOL)

Yes, think I may be getting to that stage with ours as well! She has helped me out on a number of occasions - at least there is someone around who can use their brain!