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[ExistingonCoffee]

A thread for all who have DC with SN. The thread is deleted and 90 days and doesn’t show in active. The fire is on and the bar is well stocked.

Thank you for the birthday wishes. It was the most marvellous and wonderful day. I was thinking of DF and what he last saw of DD the change is so so big. I wished for this day and here it is, DD being downstairs because she wants to.

I love your news @HedgehogsAgree I’m in a total mire and keep not getting to YAY for the little hedgehog. What a magical time. Well done all of you.

College called just as we were leaving yesterday to say ds couldn’t come in unless he wanted to do an hour in the afternoon. There was no way he would have coped with the on and off of that so we agreed they’d call or mail with a plan going forward. Perhaps 1:1 (maths and English) in the mornings joining the class for afternoons, but they would need to advertise for the role. I thought actually brilliant though obviously yesterday wasn’t great. Then email arrived after school saying he can come in for an hour and a half on Monday late morning. Basically as far as I can guess is he doesn’t have 1:1 support anymore, but why on earth not???? All fairly unimportant because he is not looking well at all. So upset all the time.

And just to entertain you all. His DT was in a RTA two weeks ago and has fairly ghastly bruising from the seat belt and in a spooky twin way ds is clutching his chest every time I break in the car even slightly and saying it hurts…..no way he could know so that’s just incomprehensible and baffling.

Life is too much, I am considering becoming utterly irresponsible and just gardening in a straw hat like Wheeza in Steel Magnolias.

I'm honking madly from the sidelines. It is all too much.

The no 1:1 support is explaining a lot, isn't it? How have they not communicated with you? I know I always bang on at you when we meet, but they really are rubbish @ZairWazAnOldLady . They are failing him. Don't be fooled into thinking that you shouldn't be angry, or you should be grateful that they're having him breathe their air. He deserves more.

It's amazing that he's got that connection with his DT. How is he doing?

Today I have the psychologist for DD1, ADHD assessment for DD2, and lots of paperwork to do. So I've assessed carefully and think that my priority is my jigsaw puzzle 🤣

Today I have the psychologist for DD1, ADHD assessment for DD2, and lots of paperwork to do. So I've assessed carefully and think that my priority is my jigsaw puzzle🤣

Yes I’ve done a lot of that sort of very important craft/diy/chart drawing. I’ve come to the conclusion that I have an in built “mindfulness” safety valve in the form of complete prevarication and occasional duvet hibernation. Still upright and providing emotional support and chauffeur services 24/7/365 so can’t be too bad.

Ds is happy again after a rather dodgey start to the day. Isn’t it really just as simple as. If the ones you love are happy you can be happy, anything else is miserable?

I don’t think college are rubbish, but I think they are very difficult. I have (a lot) of experience with a variety of different settings, so I’m well aware of the differences in experience. I can’t help them because they are not open at all. It’s frankly bizarre rather than anything else. The lack of communication and direction is particularly difficult.

Our problems are not really big compared to so many on this board and I will find a way for him. I just wish it could be a little easier.

@ZairWazAnOldLady i was entertained by the twin magic 😮

My rose bushes are budding but it’s still so cold and windy out, which is good as our walking season is extended the longer it remains under 18 degrees, but also bad as I am ready for a hit of sunshine.

@HedgehogsAgree Happy Birthday to DD.

@Squirrelsandhedgehogs I hope you start to improve soon.

@ZairWazAnOldLady I hope DT is OK. Have you looked at the college’s behaviour and suspension policy? The government’s suspension and permanent exclusion guidance doesn’t apply to FE colleges, but the college must have a policy, they must follow it, the policy must comply with the Equality Act and they must make reasonable adjustments. I suspect they haven’t been following their policy &/or their policy does not comply with the Equality Act. This would be in addition to working to improve the EHCP because it isn’t dependent on the EHCP.

To be honest I don’t even know if he’s been suspended? They said they will possibly need to recruit another member of staff, so it’s more staffing issue???? I’m slightly gobsmacked he hasn’t had 1:1 all this time anyway. Tutor is always teaching so talking/emailing on the wing. It’s all very muddled and I’m tired because there’s little sleep with all the chop and change.

Enjoy your jigsaw @Lougle.

Thanks @ExistingonCoffee

Both DH and I are slowly improving but both very weak at the moment. DS seems to have taken this as an opportunity to become a hyperactive mole tunnelling and appearing all over the place downstairs all the rooms, garden, garden shed doing various activities and no sign he's ill. The cat is very sympathetic to me, snuggling and putting one big fluffy paw on me but cross with DH and then complaining to me about DH.

Not really well enough to achieve anything today. Tried calling about flight refunds but cut myself off. Charger has stopped working. But new holiday did manage to do something and it offered me to change to half board from b&b for minus £10 per day. So took them up on that. It was actually plus £10 per day but still very good. DD is back Saturday but only for weekend but hoping we are a bit better and DH will be ok to do journey. He's sleeping a lot today.

@ZairWazAnOldLady if DS hasn’t been formally suspended, he is being unlawfully, informally excluded, so reading their policy, and challenging it if necessary, will still help you.

It doesn’t sound like 1:1 is detailed, specified and quantified in F, and if it isn’t, full time 1:1 was always unlikely to be provided.

Final EHCP is ready but LEA hasn't sent it to us. Why would we want to see it? We're only his parents.

They are consulting 4 of the schools we suggested, one further would be residential but we aren't as interested in that now because DS has much more of a social life outside school. They didn't consult that one because the LEA couldn't work out why we were consulting a school 2 hours away. We will get them to consult anyway because if they say yes and the rest say no (unlikely) we would choose them, though it's unlikely LEA would want that for now because it's more expensive. However, we could appeal for Y12.
They've also consulted with two further schools, one of which we've visited several times, one I think told us they can't meet needs but with a very out of date EHCP.
The "provision that isn't in provision" apparently was that we put in (which is in his current EHCP) was school doing a communication diary, but what wasn't in the EHCP was "and answering our messages."

The ehcp has one section that says “This is Sections B, E and F of the EHC Plan.” That’s split up into different subsection and in those the provision is either “1:1 moving towards small group” or “1:1” depending on which bit it is. I will see if I can find their policy.

@ZairWazAnOldLady “1:1 moving towards small group” is far too vague and woolly. What does ‘moving towards’ mean? What is a ‘small group’?

Even the ‘1:1’ needs more. How long will the 1:1 be far? How frequently will it be provided? Who (job title and training/qualifications/experience) will provide it? Where will they provide it? What will they do?

I agree @ExistingonCoffee but I don’t write the thing I don’t even sign off on it. The reality is NOTHING like what is described here. I’m so wary of messing up what we DO have.

If you appeal, the current EHCP remains in force during the process. So you have nothing really to lose.

@ZairWazAnOldLady it doesn’t matter that parents don’t write EHCPs or that LAs don’t need parental or YP agreement before finalising. Many have to appeal to get a watertight EHCP.

The EHCP in force during an appeal might not be the current version of the EHCP. In order to appeal, Z would need the right of appeal. Getting the right of appeal, e.g. via an early review or waiting for the AR, may result in the EHCP being amended. Then that amended EHCP would be the one in force during the appeal process until another version is finalised. Still worth appealing, though.

Sorry, a belated happy birthday for yesterday!

So I ask for an early review, based on the fact he’s not in college for large chunks of time because they don’t have 1:1 support. We rewrite the ehcp then it goes to “panel” for them to agree to the changes. If they agree how long before college have to implement? And what happens next year?

I don't think everywhere has panels. We asked for the EHCP to be amended not left the same (so, the equivalent of early review). Then we sent in all our reports (we'd already commissioned them) and at the same time went to mediation and they agreed to amend.
Then we commented on draft (aka I entirely rewrote it based on all reports and actual needs).
Then LEA wrote final version and they are currently sending it for consultation.
If (when) it's not sufficient we will go to mediation (recently the LEA have been conceding at mediation quite often) and then appeal. If they agree to name a school we want we may still need to appeal F (and probably B).
If they name a non preferred school (e.g. the other SEMH school they are consulting) we will appeal that.

I'm not sure of the position if the LEA name an independent we don't like and the mainstream RP says they can't meet need because all of the others are wholly independent. As LEA is currently paying for independent it wouldn't be cost (except for transport as the current school is v close, and includes taxis in their fees anyway). But I'm assuming if two independents say they can meet need and the LEA chooses the cheaper one, we can appeal for the more expensive.

@ZairWazAnOldLady if you request an early review and the LA agrees to hold one, the review process runs just like the normal annual reviews. So:

1. Updated advice and information must be circulated at least 2 weeks prior to the AR meeting. (Although if they are ready and information is sent out, some parents decide to forgo needing the whole 2 weeks, especially for early reviews.)
2. Then you have the AR meeting.
3. Within 2 weeks of the AR meeting, a report must be circulated.
4. Within 4 weeks of the AR meeting, the LA must inform you if they propose to amend or not. If they propose to amend, they must send the amendment notice/draft/notice of amendment/proposed amendments (whatever the LA/you want to call it) at the same time. You must be given at least 15 days to comment on the amendments and state your preferred placement. In the draft, section I must be blank. It must not name a type of placement or specific placement.
5. Then, if the LA is going to amend, they must finalise within 8 weeks of sending the proposed amendments, so max of 12 weeks from the AR meeting. They may or may not have agreed your proposed amendments. They may or may not name your preferred type of placement/placement in section I.

If the LA intends to amend, they will send consultations out somewhere between 3 and 5. Yes, they don’t always wait for your preference or comments on the proposed amendments. This is why it is a good idea to proactively contact placements who have or may be consulted to ensure placements have accurate information.

If the LA amend, that EHCP is then in force and the provision must be provided until it is subsequently amended at a later date; be that this year, next year or further in the future. Realistically, you wouldn’t be able to move to enforcement straight away.
The bulk of the provision should be in place within 5 weeks.

If the LA maintains as is, you will get the right of appeal at no.4. If the LA amends, you will get the right of appeal at no.5 when they finalise the amended EHCP.

Panels may or may not be held at different points during the process. It doesn’t change the timescales. Just because the LA claims it goes to panel doesn’t necessarily mean it does or that the panel is what you are imagining. Sometimes LAs hide behind ‘panels’. Aan MN’er once caught her LA out with a FOI request showing the panel they claimed made a decision didn’t exist.

@drspouse yes, you can appeal for an independent school. For wholly independent schools, you would need them to agree to being named and to show the LA’s proposed school(s) can’t meet needs &/or it isn’t unreasonable public expenditure.

I've always imagined 'panel' to be a couple of people sitting at a nasty old table with cracked laminate, wielding a lukewarm cup of coffee as they flick through the pages of a request and saying 'What do we reckon then?'

I suspect that there's no hope of professionalism from the SW. After yesterday's text message issue, she phoned me today, but it was really hard to hear her. She sent me a text saying 'on a bus, network issue.'

DD2 had her part A ADHD assessment today. The assessor was very nice. Part B on Tuesday.

@Lougle that needs reporting.

One of my LA’s ‘panels’ was previously one person.

Did they agree with themselves on the outcome, or was there cognitive dissonance? 🤣