statementing gurus help please - for s&l unit

[sodit]

ds1 3.8 is due to start reception in jan we are going through the statementing process to get him into a s&l unit. I have been looking through the COP and need help clarifying a few things - please help.

1. he either gets a proposed statement or a note in lieu - if he gets the note he will be on SA+ ?
2. when we get the proposed statement part 4 will not mention any specialist provision, i.e. it will not say he needs a s&l unit.
3. i presume it goes to a pnael to decide he needs a unit and then another panel to decide which one.
4. if they decide he needs a unit what if there is no spaces at the one i want him to got to?

i will be contacting our case officier to ask these questions but wondered if anyone had experience of this. we are in herts by the way.

Hi sodit,

1. The authority may decide that your child does not need a statement, because their needs can be met from within the school?s own resources and budget. If this happens, the authority may issue a ?note in lieu of a statement? (in place of a statement). This carries no weight in law. It may suggest strategies or plans that the school can put in place to meet your child?s educational needs. Sometimes, a note in lieu will be set out very much like a statement.

The authority may decide not to issue a note in lieu, but it should still explain the reasons for its decision not to issue a statement. As parents, you have a right to ask for a copy of any advice the authority used to make its decision, and the authority must provide this. You can appeal against the decision not to issue a statement.

As you can see its exactly not the same as School Action plus but a Note in lieu is still not worth the paper its written on as it is NOT legally binding unlike a Statement. Reject any Note in Lieu offer made therefore out of hand.

1. Part 4 names the school - this is left blank. What you need to make sure is 100% accurate are parts 2 and 3; they are the most important parts of the whole document.

Provision should be both specified and quantified, not woolly!!. If neither specified nor quantified reject it. Speak to IPSEA and or SOS;SEN abouts Parts 2 and 3; do seek independent advice anyway (NOT Parent partnership) before agreeing to any wording on a Statement doc.

1. His case for Statutory Assessment goes to a Panel before the LEA agree or otherwise to assess. If he case is refused appeal.

1. Herts as a county are pretty much tight fisted and utter shite when it comes to SEN matters. Would take independent advice in any event from organisations like IPSEA, ACE and SOS;SEN (to name but three). Get anything from the LEA in writing, make notes of what was said during all phone conversations and do not take anything they say at face value!!.

Good luck,

thanks for that.
They have agreed to assess and all reports anre in which point towards an language unit.
In the proposed statement they can not state ds1 needs a language unit is this correct?.
my concern is they say yes language unit and then oh there are only spaces in this one not the one you want. or yes language unit but no spaces so you can go on waiting list.
i suppose the big question is if the final statement says language unit and there are no places do they then have to provide the equivalent help until a place is available.

Part 3 should have some sort of statement which gives you a clue as to the provision. So, ours said

"This educational provision will be enabled and supported by the following:

Pre-school placement to July 2010

From September 2010

An educational setting with an enhanced staff pupil ratio where staff are skilled and experienced in teaching children with complex learning difficulties."

That gave us the clue that part 4 was intended to be a Special school.

aahh got it now. so then we say which unit we would like hime to attend and this gets named in final statement. righty ho.
now my only worry is what if there are no spaces at the one we want him to go to.

Hi sodit

they look panel first to decide what ds needs then goes back to panel for where

they don't name the unit to the final statement is sent

don't be suprised if they say start September or they look at places in units for year 1

from what I gather the fact we had a choice was unsural for Herts and even more so the one. They had mentioned as what they felt might be more suitable was the best

Have you had any luck with seeing the units

we have seen the local one the one you saw, ds1 loved the reception class but it was the child led learning time .no one has mentioned what they think is best.
the unit did say they go into classes when they think the child can cope. ds1 has no problem with big classes so basically what i am hoping for is he spends alot of time in ms with daily s&l work.
did think it wasnt very inspiring though but ds1 isnt one to sit around and get bored. i know one of his friends is going there though and is very similar to him so who knows. am just waiting to get this blooming proposed statement though.

yeah mind they might then say ms and just regular access to S&L depends on how much work they think he needs.
Know at one of the units they had couple of dc who just came in for 30 mins daily therapy and ms the rest

Ds is very social but was finding that as the other children could not understand him he was left out add in pd so was not caperable of running round ball games etc im kinda glad he be in small class

Did you get chance to ask about the signing ?and try phoning up the Giles school and go see it as another option though know good bit further away

with the signing said it was used but not all the time more alongside trying to talk and when teaching new concepts. which is what ds1 is doing he uses little makaton at home as i know what he is saying.
as we walked home he stopped said mummy home ds1 school and stomped off back towards the school. i was very proud of him and laughing far too much.
am waiting for ed pysch and caseworker to call me back to see if it is likely we will get a unit depending on what they say we will go and look. dont want to get my hopes up and then they say no as he is going to that school anyway felt more comfortable looking round - i am a bit strange like that.

Ah see I canunderstad ds 50% but the rest is gobblygook especially if more than one sentence for anyone else they struggle after more than one word

Am. Betting they will say wait for provisonal to come out they did same to me even though was widly accepted that ds needs unit still had wait for panel even though she already discussed with me what units there was

ds case worker offically is one whose on sickbleave but one dealt with has intials K..H

has salt wrote report yet might be worth askng her

most of his is gobblygook to bu it seems to be getting clearer or i am getting better at understanding it. all those i have spoken to thik unit.
the casework is around nor kh though but she is not very forecoming with info.
salt does think unit as well.
i bet what they put in statement will depend on if are places in units though if no places probably say into ms and while we appeal it will take to the beginning of year 1 for him so more places may be available or it may not be the best for him then as he would of been in ms with loads of other kids.
just wish they would hurry up instead of holding everything to the deadlines.

Yeah same here think it's a lea thing had to wait to the day for ds mind I'm waiting on final .herts might been good about the salt stuff and the PD but think going have bit of fight to get Ot in his statement