Compensation cost fears as ombudsman boosts parents’ power to complain about provision

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Did you know about this....see below from TES:

"Schools could be left out of pocket with no means of appeal after new powers were given to parents to complain about SEN education, experts have warned.

The office of the local government ombudsman is now able to investigate schools that ?act unreasonably? and fail to offer the right support to SEN pupils.

It can demand more resources for children regardless of whether extra funds are made available by local authorities. It is also able to order that compensation be paid.

Ombudsmen already investigate SEN maladministration, and tribunals will continue to decide whether children should get statements.

But denial of a right of appeal to schools will leave local authorities and schools paying for the new powers ?literally and figuratively?, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

?This will affect budgets and have a knock-on effect on all resources,? said Daniel Mason, policy officer at the LGA.

?It could lead to ?buck-passing?, where the problem gets passed between schools and local authorities if neither has the money.?

Concerns have also been raised that ?pushy? parents could use their new rights inappropriately.

The changes have been made following Special Educational Needs Consortium chair Brian Lamb?s inquiry into SEN provision last year, which said radical changes are needed to the way schools and local authorities deal with parents of children with SEN.

?I hope giving parents a proper voice will lead to a situation where schools are more ruthlessly focused on outcomes for SEN pupils,? he told The TES.

Richard Rose, director of the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research at Northampton University, predicts that some parents will view the new powers as a ?blunt instrument? to use against teachers in an ?unsuitable way?.

?It?s important sufficient power is still given to the professional powers of teachers and there is still room for dialogue with them,? he said.

Lorraine Petersen, chief executive of the National Association for Special Educational Needs, said the changes could help teachers because it will make local authorities act more effectively.

?Schools do their best, but often all the paperwork and changes they recommend don?t get further than local authorities, which leaves teachers despondent,? she said.

But John Bangs, NUT head of education, criticised the decision not to allow schools right of appeal.

?There are cases where teachers think provision is inadequate and want it improved but can?t act, and some parents won?t appeal themselves,? he said.

?The Government has never faced up to the reality of educating children with SEN, and the actual cost of giving individual support while they are in mainstream education.?

But the new rules, which came into effect this month, could reduce the red tape burden on schools. Mr Lamb recommends that they should have to submit less data on SEN pupils to the Government as a ?trade off?."

www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6034431

I am a bit at the view the LEA's seem to hold of 'pushy' parents. They seem frighteningly out of touch with the reality if trying to secure decent SN provision. Not good that parents are clearly viewed as the enemy.

Mmmm, pushy parents = informed parents who don't let you get away with taking the p*.

If it wasn't for parents and kids, the lives of teachers and LEAs would be relatively pleasant.....

The school my daughter was at just let her rot at home for 12 months without offerring her or her parents any support. They should have arranged a meeting with the medical people to find out what could be done to encourage her back to school. As soon as the deputy direct of education became involved he put her on the fast track to getting a statement.

The form tutor never even referred my daughter to the SENCO.

About time too......I've never come across a school so far who showered too much help on special needs kids (although please cheer me up and let me know if you have a good experience!!!).......most parents have to fight tooth and nail for every meagre bit of support for their SN kids.....

....and don't get me started on 'pushy parents'.....grrrr!!

This is good. About time that schools were held accountable for the disgraceful way that they have been treating children with Special Educational Needs. Even when the Parents make a complaint under the present system, the child and the Parents are lied to and reprisals and false counter claims are made against the child or parents.

Great news. The LGo has always been able to investigate cases of maladministration but has always refused to take on a case that had an alternative avenue of appeal i.e. via SENDIST.

The LGO compensation though is hardly life-changing. I got £200 for the farce our LA subjected us to.

But I'm a firm believer in suing them into submission .

Any parents of SEN children who have needed to make a complaint against a school invariably feel agrieved that the complaint was handled badly.

For schools to moan and winge about the Compensation culture makes me so angry.

'Richard Rose, director of the Centre for Special Needs Education and Research at Northampton University, predicts that some parents will view the new powers as a ?blunt instrument? to use against teachers in an ?unsuitable way?.'

Fuck off!

Crazy Professor. What a dimwit. so is it all right for teachers to ignore and bully children with SEN and to bully and be rude to the parents?

The new govt have put the blockers on this. It is effective in some pilot areas but not certain will be rolled out nationally and given academies are outside LGO remit and more schools will be academies (where no parents have any rights of appeal incidentally to the LA) you can see where this is heading. This govt is all about getting rid of the type of scrutiny Lamb thought might be useful so unless you are in a pilot area don't get your hopes up. LGO can still look at LAs though. The right of appeal to SENDIST restriction is still in place.