Anyone about that can help with letter requesting stautory assessment?

[MrsMattie]

I've got the sample letter from IPSEA. I just don't know where to start!

The school SENCo says we need to give enough detail to build up a picture of our son's problems that shows they are longstanding and complex. he also says we need to be clear about the help that is already in place at school, and how it has helped but isn't helping enough, iyswim. he reckons our LEA are notoriously hard-faced with all of this and will be wanting something detailed but 'to the point'. urmmmm...ok?!

I have no clue where to start. I just end up going into a long waffle that makes me sound like a mad woman.

We have chosen to make the initial request ourselves . School are supportive.

Anyone got any advice? or be willing to share a version of their (successful) request?

many thanks

excuse appalling lack of grammar!

Hi Mrs Mattie,

I used IPSEA's sample letter when making the initial request for statutory assessment and jus ttweaked it slightly, this initial letter does not have to be very detailed. Also my LEA has the attention span of a gnat and will thus not properly read or even understand any long winded letter!!.

You will need to write to the Chief Education Officer at your LEA and give this bod six weeks to reply (mark that date on your calendar).

The LEA will ask for reports from the various bods who have seen your son to date if they agree to assess. The trick now is to get them to agree to assess.

Do not forget you indeed have the right to appeal if the LEA say no. You MUST appeal their crass decision if the LEA say no.

Sounds like he is trying to make it sound more of a mountain than it is. Trying to put you off?

CAT me and I'll send you mine. I know you want to get things right but this won't be your last chance to make representations.

and don't buy the 'how it is helping, but not enough'. He's covering his arse. Slate the school. Say you don't question their attitude or conduct (if you don't) but the provision is inappropriate and inadequate and your ds is being failed.

Tis Starlight here by the way.

we did a very short initial letter based on IPSEA then when the LEA reply you are given a date by which to submit further evidence and we then submitted our detailed letter then, just tell your story usually they send back some suggested headings eg tell us about when he was a baby, when did you first have concerns etc and then we went through each area eg language, play, social skills, sleep, lack of awareness danger etc and said what the problems were. We then talked about what we had done already and why this was not enough and then finally what else we felt was needed / why we wanted statutory assessment. If you have not got one do get a copy of the Code of Practice - you can download it but do order a hard copy as well. You need to find the relevant sections eg in your case it will be about why you don't feel your son has made adequate progress. They will write to the school and ask for their evidence of what they have done and whether they feel this is sufficient etc so if you disagree with the school over anything you will probably want to address this. You won't necessarily see what the school say unless they choose to share this with you. Also write everything with a view it might be read by a tribunal. So don't go into the ins and out of any arguments with the LEA etc just stick to the facts of what your child's difficulties are and how these can be met. You are only entitled to an appropriate education not to the best option, so you need to show why what you are getting is not appropriate / adequate, its not enough to say x would be better than y, you have to say why y is not suitable and x is necessary. So be wary of using terms like best outcome or maximise potential and instead use words such as (in)appropriate and (in)adequate ie you are asking for the basic acceptable model not the rolls royce (and are only being offered the rusty old wreck)

I really disagree about slating the school in your letter. starlight the point at school age is that a Statement is only appropriate if the school can't meet child's needs from their own resources. However, councils do give anywhere between a bit and a lot of money to schools for SEN provision and so if you just say 'they're crap', the council will turn you down for assessment on the basis that the school should try doing stuff first.

So I agree with the SENCO that you must must must put down all the stuff that the school has tried but explain why all of that has not helped. You don't want the LA fobbing you off and saying the school should try doing more first.

I went through each of J's needs and said what help would be needed, why, and what would happen without that help.

Good luck

Ah giveme. You're absolutely right. I suppose I meant that you have to slate the provision that is there, not because the school isn't trying (i.e. conduct/attitide are great and all that) but because they just haven't got the resources or training etc. and so your child is being failed.

I didn't put it well did I? That's what comes of making a scene at the GP's!

Agree with Grumpy too. You can't say that he isn't reaching his potential. Best to imply that he is falling further and further behind his peers which will mean expensive provision later if it is not addressed (not that they care about anything more than this budgetary year, but it puts you in a good light for future battles or even a tribunal. i.e. your reasonable request saves public money in the long run)

try and find out from the school how much they are expected to put in from their own budget - around here its about 20 hours a week and then say why thats not enough - the school and you may agree in which case try and both say the same - but if there are issues at the school, which might not be their fault, you should raise them eg we said our son's nursery staff were very well meaning but did not have the necessary level of experience or training to teach our son in that he needed a very different curriculum etc and would need more 1:1 hours than they could reasonably provide from their budget etc there were also safety aspects. At school age you might be saying needs fulltime 1:1 / 1:1 at breaks etc anything that would put you over the 20 hours - if the school can also be persuaded to say the needs exceed what they are expected to do so much the better. There might also be specific things eg speech therapy which is supposed to be provided via school but which is not (again its not the schools fault if they aren't getting sufficient professional input from other services). But in our case the nursery weren't going to run themselves down, they spent a long time saying what a great job they were doing before the penny dropped and they realised they were going to be left without extra money; they didn't play the game tactically and ultimately it is a game of tactics as to who can wrestle the money out of the LEA. A local teacher we know said they had seen children with really acute needs turned down for statements and other children with quite minor needs get one - there is no consistency on the basis of need, its all about how effective the parents are at putting their case. My son has a really good case for a statement and the Ed Psych we finally saw agrees but up until then every single person connected with the LEA told us we were being completely unreasonable and lied to us, bullied us and slated us for daring to ask for one. We still wait for their final decision, even with a fab Ed Psych report its not in the bag. If your school is supportive it might be worthwhile asking them if they will write something in support ie write it as if they were applying and submit that with your request. Hit them with a double whammy.