We Lost our Tribunal

[lisa]

I'm so fed up with the whole stupid system. My daughter has AS, Dyslexia, ADD and Mears Irlen Syndrome. The LEA have given her 13 hours LSA time. She's not coping at all and making no academic progress.

 

We had reports stating she needed 20 hours support and another report from the NHS stating if she didn't receive significant support she's at danger of not coping in a mainstream setting. She hasn't made any progress in 2 core subjects in the past 2 years yet the tribunal decided, because the school said so, that she didn't need additional hours and was coping fine. I'm gutted. She's year 5 and there's no way on earth she's going to cope in secondary with 13 hours. It's utterly ridiculous. We've done everything we possibly could but all anyone cares about is money. They don't care if she's self harming or threatening to kill herself as long as they don't have to pay.

 

All that time and hard work for nothing.

[smiley]

<'>

 

I'm so sorry to hear that <'> <'> <'> <'> <'> <'>

[stressedmumto2]

<'> I'm so sorry to hear your sad news, I've recently been to tribunal and lost myself so I do have some idea of how you are feeling.

 

Is there any way you can appeal he decision, this can only be done on a point of law, get a barrister opinion if you can if you feel that the tribunal got it wrong.

 

the Children's leagl service was going to help me with this as I couldn't afford for a barrister to check through but thankfully my ed physc sorted it one for me.

 

take care <'>

[madme]

Lisa Im so sorry. It must be devastating. I agree with Stressedmum- you need proper legal advice asap to make sure that you comply with the time limits for appeal. You can actually instruct a barrister direct without a solicitor ie saving costs.

[Flora]

Lisa, you must be gutted <'>

 

Flora

[oxgirl]

So sorry Lisa, it's so frustrating isn't it. <'>

 

~ Mel ~

[hev]

lisa i think our whole system which is meant to help our kids stinks,im so sorry you lost <'> <'> try to appeal,its all so hard though isent it <'>

[pumpkinpie]

Sending you a hug <'> :

Dont let the ....beat you down, think seriously about an appeal from what youve written something stinks!!!!!!!

[Bagpuss]

Lisa, I'm so so sorry <'> <'>

[lisa]

Thanks everyone.

 

Feels a bit like the last straw at the moment. It arrived on the doormat with my birthday cards (birthday today), lovely birthday present and perfect timing. I was already feeling mega stressed. If you saw my other post, we got a letter from school yesterday telling me they're not going to cover her LSA while she goes on a training course. Basically the school are taking it upon themselves to reduce the hours in her statement for the next five weeks. On top of that I found out that school haven't been doing the daily 20 minute 1:1 out of class literacy program either, which is a requirement of her statement. L said yesterday, 'oh, we haven't been doing that for ages'. Phoned school and the LEA today threatening legal action which I don't think went down too well.

 

Not sure what we're doing about the statement yet. I don't think we stand much chance appealing the SENDIST decision. I think I need a bit of time to think about where to go from here.

 

Thanks again.

 

Lisa

[Kathryn]

Hi Lisa,

 

The rude word filter won't let me say what I really want to say in reaction to your news.

 

I'm sure you've had better ones, but Happy Birthday anyway.

 

<'> <'> <'> <'>

 

K x

[Suze]

Hi Lisa ..so sorry about the tribunal <'> .Your daughter sounds a lot like my son re the dx,s she has.We tried in year 5 to increase his hours he was also on 13hrs with specific teaching for literacy............he was 2-3yrs at least behind his peers.We did,nt get the hours , but I planned then and there to get the best high school provision I could for him.I made sure the local autism team were onside to support me in my application for a place in a unit.The lea agreed and he now goes to a high school with an ASD resource attached.He is supported full time and gets tons more help then he ever did at primary.I know this must be a worry for you cos it was for me.Have you talked high schools yet I know they normally do it at the year 5 review.Try to check out what there is out there in your area before your year 5 annual review .The lea have to attend this one as you should discuss high school placement.This maybe a way you can get her hours increased without changing the statement...IYSWIM..ARE THERE ANY UNITS CLOSE BY??Best of luck and I,m so sorry , ps happy birthday

[lisa]

Thanks Suze.

 

We've already checked out all the schools and decided where she'll probably go. There really is no choice at all for us apart from mainstream. There's an ASD unit in one secondary in the borough which opened last year but the LEA really couldn't have chosen a worse school to put the unit if they tried. It's in the worst area in the borough, it's absolutely huge, about 1300 kids, gets 20% A-C grade GCSEs and all the kids look and act like Catherine Tates Lauren. One AS pupil got stabbed by another child in the school, really inspires confidence!! The LEA are also using it to dump all the low functioning autistic secondary age kids from the special school. L wouldn't stand a chance of getting in (not that I'd want her to go) when there are a lot of AS kids with 17 and 20 hrs, even full time support who the LEA are saying don't qualify because they're too high functioning!!!!!!! Absolute madness!!!!

 

She has her annual review in 3 weeks. Being so close to the tribunals decision the LEA are not going to give her anything else.

 

We're going to try her in secondary but if it doesn't work out I've already decided that I won't leave her to struggle and will take her out altogether to home school her. It's just not fair. We may even take her out at the end of this year. I'm fed up with fighting, I know she'd be much happier and less stressed at home. We've done all we can, gone through 2 tribunals, we haven't got the money to take her case to the high court. We could re-mortgage the house, go through the whole lot and either get nothing or a little bit more support which probably won't even be enough to work anyway so what's the point. The government pays for the tribunals, they pay for the LEA, they pay for the school, everyone involved works for the government apart from us.

 

Sorry to sound so gloomy. We only heard yesterday so still feeling very upset, keep crying all the time. I need to try to get things into perspective. I have 3 beautiful, healthy kids.

[Bambi]

Im so sorry u lost the tribunal <'> ><

 

I do wonder what planet some of these 'powers that be' are on and no matter how hard i think/search i come up with NO UNDERSTANDING, IGNORANCE & CRIMINAL.

 

I wont say anymore because i could rant for england about our pathetic system, if thats what they call a system that cares for our childrens individual educational needs!

 

Bambi x

[Suze]

<'> ...oh hun I,m so sorry..........the high school with the unit does,nt sound the best does it .The only thing I can say is I felt just like you, my boys school has 2000 kids in it .But he has support in every lesson and the rest of the time he,s in the unit having his breaks , and do his homework etc.The best thing about it has been the staff , who are brill.But like you say ..she probably would,nt get in at that school anyhow.I know if things had turned out differently for my son I too would be planning to home ed.hope your feeling better today hugs suze. <'>

[BusyLizzie100]

<'> Lisa, what a flippin' ********! So sorry. <'> <'> <'>

Lizzie