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Statement update and dirty tricks

5 replies

grumpyoldeeyore · 12/02/2010 11:40

DS3 statement arrived. Last week the LA threw us a curve ball that they were looking at nurseries in mainstream schools (not indicate why - DS in a private nursery but one which takes free funded kids so mainstream in effect). Statement arrives - as expected - offers 12.5 LSA hours. No ABA. No Specialist teaching. BUT says can't keep DS at current nursery because they cannot meet need as they have refused to move a handle on a door higher up (they say they can't because its a fire exit). Nursery raised this on a risk assessment ages ago - ie DS could in theory open fire door and get onto fire escape but they felt they could manage this risk if he got 1:1. He got the 1:1 but LA decided it is unsafe premises! But not for the children who don't get 1:1. total bulls**t argument we are now used to. Nothing to do with fact our nursery work with ABA, support progress made with ABA and have criticised low support from LA professionals.

So we battle on. Roll on tribunal. I assume the tribunal will recognise an ambush when they see one.

We're now being forced to look round every LA authority school nursery in area and will have to say they are all unsuitable (which they are - too big, noisy, unsafe etc) but still we could do without the hassle.

Oh and they will give us time to look around - DS can stay in "unsafe" nursery until tribunal but they will withhold his statement until then so he won't get 1:1 for one morning a week (I know I know - we're on it already).

What planet do these people look on. They have obviously sat around and tried to come up with any reason to get DS out of a nursery where they adore him and work well with us and totally disrupt his education / distress him so they can get him into one where they can control the school.

OP posts:
Jaxx · 12/02/2010 13:44

We are at a similar stage to yourselves.

Got draft statement this week. 25 hours LSA, monthly input from either a SALT or specialist teacher (don't say how much time though), but no mention of ABA.

Biggest surprise for me is the School Report. Accoding to them my son (just 4) is within the 40-60 month profile for most things including making relationships, time and exploring &investigating, clearly demonstrating that my son's LSA doesn't get him at all.

They are apparently open to negogiations, but we will see and I guess I'm lucky that they aren't as evil and some.

What happens in the interim period before tribunal? The proposed statment isn't workable with our programme (we reduced Max's hours at pre-school to 12.5) and it was agree at the TAC that SALT will now only observe (not that they have ever really done anything else).

FlyingDuchess · 12/02/2010 16:41

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Phoenix4725 · 12/02/2010 18:54

just be aware that monthly salt/specialist teacer does not mean that they will actually see your child

grumpyoldeeyore · 12/02/2010 19:23

grrrr. I know a tribunal will see right through this. Its just the hassle of it all. worried the nursery will bail on us - already have half the staff taking reams of paperwork home for the weekend and they only get paid a pittance.

Jaxx they are supposed to implement the statement from the day its issued but in our case obviously we don't want to implement part of it (the change of nursery) so have to leave it ie leave DS without 25 % support hours until tribunal. the nursery do their best if they can free someone up they do.

We started this process in June and they have only now said they are unhappy with DS nursery. Its registered by LA for govt funding / fire risks etc - but puts nursery in difficult position - if they say its unsafe (it isn't at all) then potentially they would lose their livelihood. So we are lucky they are sticking by us but they are disheartened as say if they are putting in all this work (and its hours of paperwork and meetings at moment which they get no funding for) and he ends up leaving anyway...

Felt really down about it today - struggling to think of a single professional who has made our life better and not worse. And as we move towards tribunal for ABA its becoming open hostility to us and to the nursery, not just LA but autism teacher / SALT etc they have all been told to toe the line or else be dragged before tribunal. Its just so shocking the power they have to get away with this stuff. I know we can make complaints etc but we are reaching the point where it sounds so far fetched no-one would believe us. However opened a bottle of wine and starting to feel better .

OP posts:
Phoenix4725 · 14/02/2010 09:36

yep the Nhs salt wa snot allowed to say ds needs speech unit as they are not allowed to interfear in Education matters.

Though she said to me of the record verbally sadly not paper that ds needs a unit

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