Proposesed Statement received and it is so bad that I could weep!

[Militanttendancy]

Proposed Statement received and it is total,unmitigated crap!

After weeks and weeks of appointments and assessments, this is the best that they can do?

It does not reflect DD's needs at all, makes NO mention of 1:1 support, which the school stated in their advice that she needed, and in some places is just plain wrong.

Words from the professional advice submitted are quoted out of context (twisted and distorted to suit themselves)and the relevant parts totally ignored.

It is full of those well known "weasel words" opportunities for, access to....

Nothing specified, apart from 6 sessions of SALT per year, but that is vague in content.

OT is in PART 6, as non-educational, as is ASD diagnosis and dyspraxia!

It is so far away from being of any use at all, I could just sit down and weep ....

The amount of work that I will need to do to get the provision that the school AGREE DD needs!

Just so angry and sad, but just what I expected from my particular LEA! It has a very bad reputation for SEN provision and I can see why.

Please tell me where to start pulling this thing to pieces and re-writing it for them!

Think I need a stiff drink to start with!

How awful for you. I think you really need advice from IPSEA, SOS:SEN or one of the legal firms. If you disagree with the quantity of SALT provision, for example, one way to get it increased is to have an independent SALT report and have this written in. We did this.

We did many rewrites of my daughter's statement and there were so many drafts flying about it became very confusing! Our LEA is a special combination of very stupid and sneaky so it was never clear why so many mistakes were in.

Good luck you will get there!

Thanks Starlight (can I call you Starlight?)

Guess I need to be more philosophical about it all, but the whole system stinks! Having a child with special needs should mean that the system is there to help you, not hinder!

Maybe the final Lamb report will change things.

It also makes me angry that some people probable do accept such useless Statements. Just seems a complete waste of everyone's time and resources to get all this professional advice and then ignore it!

I can see that I will just have to live up to my nickname and be MORE militant.

We had this. Proposed Statement offered way way less than everyone had recommended and lots of weasly 'would benefit from' ' access to' etc. Also a caveat of 1:1 TA hours until the end of the first term and then reducing by half .

I was having none of it and they wouldn't budge. Filled in Tribunal application (2nd in 6 months, as had had to already fill in one to get statutory assessment in the first place ) and suddenly it improved. Still crap amount of hours (just over 50%) but time was running out as he was about to start school and the school wouldn't (and couldn't, to be fair) take him without the hours in place so I agreed to have it finalised.

What pissed me off, like you, was the total refusal to listen to any of the advice they'd received. All advice stressed the risk to everyone's health and safety if he wasn't supported 1:1 100% of the time and they just ignored it totally.

Luckily, the school funded the other block of time so he had full-time, but when it was time to plan the transition to juniors, I knew they wouldn't do the same, so asked that they re-assessed how many hours he got. They said no, despite, SS and OT and EP and school all confirming the need . So I filled out the Tribunal application form again and wrote to my MP, evidencing my claim with the number of 'incidents' that happened even with full-time support. MP was great and wrote very stroppy letter .

Lo and behold, full time hours 'and now will you withdraw your Tribunal application please?' "of course, when I have the finalised Statement with the agreed amendments"

It is so soul-destroying and I really feel for you but they don't like angry MPs and they don't like to lose at Tribunal. I have filled in 3 forms but never once got anywhere near an actual Tribunal.

Go for the drink, take a few days' breathing space and then go for their collective jugular. Just back everything up with written quotations from the reports that recommended the right amount/ type of help and, eventually, you will get there. J's Statement is now close to perfect, imo, but it did take 4 years of revisions. You will wear the buggers down in the end!

Militant

Is there any mention of SALT in Part 2?. If not this is yet another reason to return the document back to the LEA in question for it to be rewritten.

Would also be seeking advice from SOS;SEN, IPSEA etc. They will tell you what Parts 2 and 3 should state.

Also get your MP involved, write to him/her and or attend one of their surgeries asap. They don't like angry MPs or SENDIST tribunals.

givememoresleep, I am going to sit down and consider my tactics, thought that getting hold of the local councillors and those that sit on the Education committee would be a good start.

I don't think that most of the Councillors have a clue what goes on! Whole SEN systems is just so unaccountable, but we vote for the councillors to represent us.

Then MP is next on my list.

To be/appear reasonable, I am going to give the LEA ONE chance to incorporate all the professional advice in to a proper Statement ( I figure that it will look better for me if we have to go to Tribunal, to show that I gave them a chance)

Attila - SALT is in Part 2, all 6 session per year!

Starlight - I do indeed live in a "leafy" shire....

vjg12 - so far, my LEA seem to be just downright incompetent!

givememoresleep that is truly impressive. and "Go for the drink, take a few days' breathing space and then go for their collective jugular." is the most succint advice for dealing with services ive ever encountered and should possibly be the motto of the SN board

Hi Militant,

The LA will try it on - that's how they save their budget.

First thing is to notify them in writng within 15 days that you disagree with the proposed statement and wish to meet them.

Then it's a mater of you submitting your amendments to the LA - probably a total re-write.

The LA will only include 'facts' i.e. whatever you want in has to be stated by the professionals in one of the Appendices.

Concentrate on Part 2 - the description of the difficulties and ensure the dx is included in this part.

Then write your own Part 3 stating what he will need to overcome the difficulties in part 2. Be specific and quantify the support you require. No harm in starting optimistically as they will be bound to try to knock that back.

Than tell them what you want to see as his named school in part 4.

You can go on indefinitely geting the LA to re-write the proposed Statement until either you or the LA calls it a day and then your only recourse is SENDIST.

Your local coucillor will be unlikely to help as you are now engaged in a legally biding process - and the LA know this.

Your MP will be no use whatsoever as education is a matter that central Govt has devolved to local Govt.

However, should the LA start dragging their heels and not meeting timescales for issuing further proposed Statements or holding meetings with you then that is maladministration and something that your local councillor should be infomed of - it's just that the local councillor cannot influence the eductaion-specif aspects of the Statement, only ensure the process itself is adhered to.

Best wishes

We were in the same situation 2 years ago. The proposed statement offered no more than our child was already receiving in school. The statement did not adequately reflect his needs or the provision that he required. We pretty much went down the line Wet August suggests, we also were in contact with IPSEA and instructed a solicitor that specialises in educational law. It took a year from start to finish. Our child now has an appropriate statement which reflects his needs - it is very important to get it right. He now attends a specialist school which is supportive to his specific learning difficulties and which he loves. It is very difficult, be brave, keep focused, you can make a difference! Good luck!

If the LEA start messing you around with the legal side of things mentioned, like timescales etc it is always worth complaining to this lot we did this with our LEA when they missed the deadline for the final statement and it was like lighting a rocket!

claudialyman we could get T-shirts...

OOh i want one!

Have taken advice, and what a surprise, Statement isn't even legal as it does not specify or quantify the provision to be made!

Right, that's it, off for the jugular! Wish me luck!

Definitely challenge it - they should know by know that the part 3 support must be specific.

But the good thing is that you know that - unfortunately a lot of parents don't - and that's how they get anway with it.

Best wishes