EHCP advice. Am I within my rights to request a new lead?

Charl96

Hi everyone just after some opinions/advice. My daughter has gmfs level 5 quad CP, vision impairment, and global development delay. Her EHCP lead is not helpful and very negative. For example she said she would probably not get into the SEN school which is 6 miles away, and a lot more suited to her needs as it has hydrotherapy and a lot more facilities for her. And if she was lucky enough to get in she definitely wouldn't get transport. I then find out the purpose of an EHCP is to allow children to access schools outside of there area if it's more suited to there needs. And that the local children's therapies team recommend that children with more complex needs attend that school and not the more local SEN school her EHCP lead was trying to push me to send her to. I also asked for more than 15 hours as I am a single parent of twins, had been in lockdown for almost a year, and was really suffering from no sleep and constant work load. She said no we can only give what the government give for people in your circumstances which is 15 hours a week. and didn't offer any assistance at all. I left her first ever review in tears and cried for 2 weeks. So fast forward she got a place and the transport for September and I was over the moon. Now at the last meeting I find out her EHCP lead has typed up the new EHCP with x amount of funding which doesn't cover a 1:1. So the senco at her new school mentioned applying for exceptional needs funding. Her lead said wait until the review next October meaning she would have done over a month without her own 1:1. The senco and I agreed to apply and have in place for September as she needs full help to do everything, eating,  playing,  changing, transfer into equipments. The lead was funny about it, wanted the request sent to her and not the person the senco usually sends it to, and made a point of adding at the end if she didn't get the extra funding she wouldn't need to adjust the plan. Now after what she said about the school not being true I'm thinking she's saying the same about the extra funding as she works for the local authority and they like to make it hard. However does everyone think I'm within my rights to request a new lead? Has anyone experienced anything like that? Thanks in advance for any advice

chiarieds

Hi @Charl96 - & welcome to the community. You must feel so frustrated with being nearly there getting everything needed for your daughter, but not quite. I don't know enough about this personally, but Scope has some advice, which may prove helpful. Please see: https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/families-with-disabled-children/education-health-and-care-plan-ehcp/

You may find the links to IPSEA helpful; main website here: https://www.ipsea.org.uk/

Please let us know how you get on, thank you.

Cher_Alumni

Hi @Charl96 and a warm welcome to the community from me.  How are things going at the moment? I can really empathise from what you've said with how difficult a situation this must be and wondered how you were coping emotionally?  Are you sleeping better now and feeling less stressed?  Being a single mum to twins is no easy feat so well done you for fighting for what's right 

As we're a pan-disability charity, I think it would be best to speak with an organisation specifically trained in EHCP's and SEND.  As @chiarieds mentioned, IPSEA are amazing and you could book a 30 minute appointment to speak with a volunteer on their advice line.  In addition to this, there are some other organisations who could help with your question, namely:

• SOS!SEN
• SENDIASS
• Contact

Each of these have contact details on the linked webpages.  

Please let us know how you get on and I'm rooting for you and your family each step of the way.  Good luck.