Unfairness and inequality (sorry, long)

[niminypiminy]

I'm just writing to air a question that increasingly troubles me about the way the SN/education system works.

We are some way through the statementing process (returned proposed statement with our comments waiting for LEA response). DS1's school have always been hugely supportive of DS1 and us and have backed our quest for a statement all the way.

So far so good. But this is a school facing huge challenges, one of which is that nearly half of all the children on roll are on the SEN register. That's an enormous amount -- far, far more than the national average. Some of those children, perhaps most, will have speech and language problems and some of those will be to do with their home environment. All will have needs over and above 'normal' kids. Some however will have more complex and severe needs and some of these won't get the provision they need because their parents aren't able to push for it.

So this is my worry. We are highly educated, articulate, confident middle class parents, able to understand the system. We had a good experience of education ourselves and don't have any fear of teachers and officials. We're good at reading and writing and can talk in officialese. We can use all these benefits (cultural capital I suppose) to fight to get DS1's needs met, and I hope we will.

But what about the children who don't have parents in that position? I don't think by any means that all the children on the SEN register need a statement -- but some will. Fantastic as the school is there isn't time in the day or money enough to provide all the kids who might need it with the level of attention that DS1 will (hopefully) get with his statement. We agreed with school that we would apply for SA because there are so many other parents who need more support from the school in the process than us.

Is this just another case of the articulate middle classes hoovering up all the provision they can and leaving less for those less able to ask for it (and quite often, not knowing they could ask or not thinking they deserve it)?

I'm not sure if there's any good answer to this. I'm not saying that DS1 doesn't need, or shouldn't get support. More about the unfairness of the system that gives the lion's share of the provision of those able to fight for it, and the way that reinforces inequality.

Well, in that situation, the school should be applying for SA. Parents shouldn't have to apply, although it is their right to.

I don't think this is to do with class but more to do with who shouts loudest. If you are on the phone and won't be fobbed off and keep making a pest of yourself then you get things done. I just accept this is the way it is now and block out the whole week when there is a problem knowing I'm going to be on the phone.
I've actually found our LEA to be quite reasonable. But don't get me started on social services. There it is impossible to get ahold of anyone who can take responsibility for things

I think the school is applying for SA for some children, but we all know, I think, how much better a deal you get out of the process if the parents can take on the system too. And it's not just about shouting loudly, is it? It's about shouting loudly and articulately, being able to quote chapter and verse, know what's what and know who to talk to -- and be able to talk to them in a way that will get the best results. I'm not saying only middle class people can do this, but these are skills that come with education, and by and large people who are middle class have usually had better experiences of and outcomes from the education system.

I to have moments of guilt but then look at ds and think he is mine and don't care what others think I will grab all I can for him.I'm not middle class standard education so guess if had to do it would say working class but I have edcuated myself with help from mumsnet in how to fight for ds

But then to soothe my guilt j got involved with local mencap where ds goes to nursey so feel putting something back

Yep wondered the same when i was fighting for DD1s stuff (not statment). Im quite happy to challenge decisions im not happy with, challenge waiting times for appointments and shoot off letters if needed but do wonder how many children from parents who arent so proactive because of trusting proffessionals, are slipping though or getting help too late?? I work with parents and will happily tell them to call, write ect but it is something we have discussed many times at work and home

No. I believe that the articulate middle classes are the only chance we have of a system overhaul. What would be achieved by letting down our children to 'leave services' for those less well off? All that would happen with no-one shouting would be further cuts.

Lead by example. Fight for your child and when you meet other parents who don't know how, show them what you can.

Guess all I can do is to try and give as much as I can. I'm a parent governor and am pushing to start up a support group for SN parents that the school will host and see that as a way of helping parents to help each other.

both me and SGK are part of 2 different support groups in our area if we can help at all

It is definitely a case of who shouts loudest and most able to articulate needs that gets the provision.
Ds has an excellent autism specific placement because he needs it but he is not the child who was pencilled in to receive it.
He got it because I knew what he needed and was prepared to go to tribunal to get it.
I suspect the child who was pencilled in ended up in the local mainstream, excluded and out of school for two years.
That child's needs were equal if not greater because he doesn't have the support at home like ds but that child's mother is unable to take on the system either because of lack of knowledge or resources.
Dd has a statement giving 20 hours of support by an ASD trained LSA despite her being academically able, no behaviour or attention difficulties. Many in her class have more significant difficulties and are placed on school action or school action plus with no hopes of getting the provision they actually need because our LEA demands that the child fails at school action plus before issuing meagre statements.
Again dd has a statement because I wouldn't "wait and see" how she got on I ensured the provision was in place before she started.

I was speaking to an OT recently about this. I do tend to avoid confrontation and I'm often self-conscious about making demands for DS. She pointed out that the whole system tends to improve as a whole as a result of more demanding parents and the lasting changes improve things for everyone eventually.

For example, in our borough there will be a new HFA secondary unit opening next year. I'm sure that's because the LA have worked out that it makes more financial sense to open a local unit than to send pupils out to independent schools. If there hadn't been 'pushy' parents insisting on suitable provision, the LA would probably have been happy to keep pushing HFA pupils into the giant secondary mainstreams here.

The Lamb report certainly would have looked different if there hadn't been parents who had pushed against the existing system and shared their experiences. That report is going to have some consequences for everyone, not just the few.

All of the case law behind tribunals and High Court rulings means that it's easier for everyone to insist on certain provisions. None of that would be available if some parents weren't prepared to fight all the way to the top.

We're also lucky to have a easonable LEA though again SSD waste of spece (looking into sw training for myself when dh garduates though, we'll change that )

The system I don't think just lets poorer kids down- mey experience is that when we were iun a poorer school the school knew far more about the system than the MC Church one we have now (we moved). What scares me is that many, many SN's have a genetic factor and those kids with SN are more likely to have aprents who clinically cannot shout as loud.

I shout by email for example, cant pick up a phone (phobia) so oif anything comes down to that (and it has in the past)...... no chance

But my kids care catered for as they ahev me and DH, many do not

One would hope that in the case of the school with 50% special needs that the person jumping up and down and demanding the best for the children would be the SENCo.
Despite the views of many of the people who post on here there are SENCos who genuinely care about their pupils and will fight their corner.

Ima I have spoken to one such SENCO so I know they exist. She was working in a school across the county and had some experience of something I was suggesting for ds' school. She offered me her phone number to give to the HT of ds' school to explain and give her confidence about the approach.

You see, - ds didn't even GO to her school and yet she cared enough to give up some of her time for him.

Did my ds' HT ever contact her? No

There are indeed ima- we have one now, the last one was beyond awful though, I know a few other decent ones at Uni.

Sadly teh one we have atm has a Head barricading the way but she is doing her level best

Old lurker name changed

They could solve this to an extent by giving children legal aid in their own name (like they would get for anything else) rather than basing legal aid on parents income for education stuff - and by extending legal aid to cover tribunals. Once the LA knew lawyers would handle the case right to the bitter end there would be fewer tactics of dragging things out to see if the parents get exhausted and give up.

We're trying for ABA funding and even as someone who is legally trained I could not do it without help as its such a niche area. Of course to get ABA you have to first prove it works so have to be able to pay out for several months to start with.

Its very common for children with SEN to have parents with SN so they should definitely have an independent advocate in my view.

Oh but they won't do that ag!

Just think of all teh extra aprents would be able to afford to chase NHS trusts / LEA's etc

noooo

In fact I am sure I recall soemthing about that from the past but as it related to a psoter on here will shut gob