Independent SEN school not meeting ehcp targets

Mommag

Hi my child is at an independent autism school. He has a dx of ASC and anxiety. School have not met the needs in section F of his ehcp and he is now not attending. School have asked for an emergency AR to see if the placement is suitable. It would be if they put the provision in place. My LA caseworker said the school may still say they can’t meet his needs and then we will have to look for other placements (of which there are none due to his learning needs). This seems so unfair as for the first time my son has friends at school. How can I ensure they put the provision in place? Thank you 

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @mommag Thanks for joining us!

I haven't been through this myself, but I hope another member who has will see and reply to your post soon. 

Have you been in touch with your local SENDIASS, or IPSEA, at all? 

I'll also tag on of our volunteers, @L_Volunteer, in here, as she may have some advice for you  

L_Volunteer

Hey @Mommag. Thank you for finding the courage to reach out to us. I appreciate how much courage it can take to reach out, especially when you are new and finding things difficult. 

The first thing I will point out is that it is illegal for the school to not follow section F of the EHCP. Has the emergency AR happened yet and, if so, how has that gone?

I hope it has gone well. However, if things haven't changed, the normal procedure applies which is to:

• Ensure the SENDCO is aware of the situation
• If the SENDCO is aware and it is still the same escalate it with the senior leadership team (e.g., headteacher)
• If the senior leadership team is aware but it is still the same escalate it to the local authority
• If the local authority is aware but it is still the same escalate by taking it to the tribunal

If you need to take it to the tribunal, @Tori_Scope's signposting to IPSEA would be particularly beneficial for you. 

However, the school can only take your child if they can meet your child's needs (and this includes following the EHCP!).

It is upsetting that this is not currently being done, especially as it is the first time your son has friends at school.

I hope this changes and your son can stay at the school whilst having his needs met.

Please don't hesitate to let us know if you need any further support with this. We are all here for you and listening to you.

Take care for now and we will look forward to, hopefully, hearing from you again soon 

Mommag

Hi thank you for your replies -which I’ve only just seen sorry!

things have moved on sadly. We had the AR and it was disgraceful. The school said they couldn’t meet his needs as they were expanding!

My son is now waiting for EOTAS but there’s a group of parents whose children are unhappy and the school are being underhand and deflecting issues and gaslighting parents (most of whom have ND disabilities).

The school is only interested in making a profit and we have contacted Ofsted, the LA, HSE, Lado etc and no one wants to know.

our children now have PTSD from their experiences and this school is like another Winterbourne View scandal waiting to happen. 

Can anyone help?

thank you
Lana

L_Volunteer

Hi @Mommag. Please don’t apologise, the most important thing is that you feel comfortable reaching out to us when you want and need to.

I am really sorry, and disappointed, to hear that the AR was disgraceful and the school said they couldn’t meet his needs.

It is really important, and legally binding, that your son has a setting which is able to meet his needs. Is there a particular type of EOTAS that your son is waiting for?

From my experience and awareness, some types of EOTAS seem to be better than others. It will, of course, also depend on how effectively the EOTAS is matched with your son’s needs.

I would like to reassure you that we are here with you. You don’t have to fight this alone no matter how you may feel.

Another resource you might find helpful is IPSEA. From what you have said, the tribunal seems to be the next logical step – unfortunately. 

This is unless they are able to find a suitable EOTAS. IPSEA will be best placed to support you with navigating this.

I completely hear your frustrations and concerns, especially as you have heard other people’s experiences. Please keep us in the loop