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Help with EHCP appeal - going crazy

SarahTB
SarahTB Community member Posts: 2 Listener
edited September 2019 in Education
My daughter age 9 is diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, extreme anxiety and stomach migraines associated to anxiety and stress. She has been out of school since Februaury 19 due to severe anxiety from the previous school telling her I will go to prison and loose my job if she doesnt behave, needless to say that traumatized her.

She had a EHCP and in this plan it goes on about self esteem, paranoia, acceptance and much more, she has missed the whole of year 4 and the LA have decided to place her in our local mainstream school despite my request for a more appropriate school that are willing to accept her, now she is supposed to start next week, in a class mixed with children of year 5 &6, she has missed year 4.

She was currently on an alternative learning programme on a farm with no more than 6 children attending only 2 days a week from 10am to 2pm, they have told me she is not ready to be returned to school, I know she is not ready, but no I am told their chosen school can meet her needs which they cannot because they dont even have a sensory room.  They have also confirmed to me via telephone.

So she will need to be in a class with children being a year to two years above her, this will completely destroy her welfare, self esteem and confidence by feeling more inferior and stupid, a class of 30 children when she can just about manage 6 and that's being outside, I am so angry that the decision to do this clearly doesn't have her best interests at heart. I suffer from Mental health myself so know only to well the damage caused by people that have no underlying understanding whatsoever yet they are able to make ridiculous suggestions on what is best. Damage caused at a young age stays with a person.  I have 7 days left to lodge the appeal.

Comments

  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @SarahTB

    Is she seen by a educational psychologist or not? What were the results? I’d probably change schools since it does not seem like the school is actively trying to meet her needs. This website lists special needs schools by category of impairment- https://www.specialneedsuk.org/
    Take a look. I have previously used the website to search for a school that takes pupils with physical impairments only but I had very little success trying to find anything. There were no schools within Surrey that would meet my son’s needs or equip him with the tools to be independent either. I did find a few on that site but they were miles away in other parts of the country. 
    She has a right to a decent education like all children in this country. Also talk to a special needs lawyer. This is discrimination. Good luck! Keep us updated on the outcomes.
    Don’t let them get away with it either. It is hard sometimes isn't it? I often tell people “Logan’s physical disability is never the issue, the system is”. We did visit a couple of mainstream schools within the area as well. I asked a few questions when I interviewed the Head but only received painfully vague responses. Stick to your guns. I could literally write a article on this topic myself. This is why we now homeschool.
    That might also be a option. 
  • SarahTB
    SarahTB Community member Posts: 2 Listener

    Hi April, she has been disenrolled from the previous school and is now expected to start the school the LA have named in her EHCP which I did not agree to.  The school the LA chose have made no contact with me, I had to phone them a week before the summer holidays to find out what was going on, they said they received the notice but were going to appeal because they couldn’t meet her needs, they don’t even have a sensory room.

    Getting a solicitor isn’t an option because of costs, I had to reduce my working hours because I needed to be there for my daughter because she hasn’t been in school.  All we seem to do is struggle.  It’s a continuous battle.  She has been seen by an EP and the report is a mile long.  The school the LA chose cannot meet her needs and she has nowhere to go now.  The alternative learning programme she was on ended before the summer holidays because it was setup by the previous school.  She’s pretty much just been left.

    I found a school that was willing to take her but the LA refused point blank and told me that the school they chose was suitable, how they came to that conclusion is beyond me.  I am so tired and exhausted from going back and forth.  Even the mental health have disengaged because she needs other help which they can’t offer so I’m left on my own to deal with it.  I'm sat now trying to finish this blasted court form and I'm going round and round in circles.

  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger
    I strongly recommend checking out that site @SarahTB. I too had a fair bit of trouble trying to find a school that was accepting children with physical impairments only in the town.
    I called the council and asked them to recommend local schools with experience in working with physically disabled pupils. Turns out there are no such schools in the area. I almost gave up at that point. 
    Can you move or not? I was prepared to relocate to Guildford at one stage during my search when I had a brainwave. Show the school the report it may help. The newspapers might also be interested in your story. Sell it as a human rights piece to them. Can you contest their decision or not? 
  • Chloe_Scope
    Chloe_Scope Posts: 10,586 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2019
    Hi @SarahTB and a warm welcome to the community. I really sorry to hear that this is the case and that your daughter hasn't had the correct support implemented. 

    The below information may be useful:

    Support from outside school

    Contact your local authority to find out if they have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS). They can provide information and resources about educational needs.

    Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) gives free advice about education for people with special educational needs.

    SNAP Cymru has information, advice and support for parents, children and young people in Wales who have, or may have, special educational needs.

    I understand the importance of your daughter feeling comfortable about where she goes to school.

    I also am tagging @melaniethorley who is our education advisor and might be able to advise something else! 

    Please do let me know if there is anything else we can do to help and please do keep us updated. :)

    Scope

  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    How are you getting on @SarahTB ?
    Scope
    Senior online community officer

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