The Statement has Arrived

[pingu]

Hi Everyone.

We FINALLY got K's proposed statement through thiss morning, but its got me totally lost. i have been going through it and getting what info i can from previous topics and posts, but there is something i cant put my finger on that is bothering me about it.

 

it mentions all what k needs. eg. "develop attention control" and "develop language skills" but has no advice on how they are going to do that. It does mention in part 3 (Educational provision to meet needs and objectives) that k needs to be provided with 13 or so recomendations to achieve the objectives.

but these recomendations are confusing me.

 

i know im not making much sense, i think ill go and read some more of "checking the proposed statement" which i printed via a link from this site (thanks to whoever that was - my brains turned to mush and is no longer capable of thought)

 

im going to get a drink, and come back in a bit to try and explain what i mean.

 

<hugs> to all

shaz

[pingu]

I think im stuck on the fact they say what he needs, but then fail to explain how hes going to get it?

[annie]

Hi Pingu ,

 

Well done on getting the proposed statement .

 

I don't know if this is the link you have looked on already.

 

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=1068&a=3230

 

Annie

xx

[Flora]

I think im stuck on the fact they say what he needs, but then fail to explain how hes going to get it?

 

 

That's exactly the same with Bill's statement. Part 3 has a list of objectives but doesn't say anything on how they will be met! I can't give you any advice on how to go about thrashing this out with the LEA because we are just taking it all to tribunal.

 

good luck with it shaz

 

Flora x

[pingu]

Hi Me again.

Right i have sat here all day and gone through it a million times, and i know im missing something obvious but still cant put my finger on it.

 

Annie - that wasnt the link i meant, but usefull all the same. i have printed that out too.

Flora - its nice to know im not alone.

 

i think (after all i have read today) that the main thing bothering me is tems like "Opportunities for small group teaching etc etc

and

Access to 5 hours mid day support etc etc.

theres just no explanation there.

 

Heres another one "Ongoing advice and support from behavioural support services" - who are they? we didnt know we had any support???

 

and all over the statement and in all reports it says he would benifit from a speach and language therapist (at band 3 - whatever that means) yet on the provisions bit. speech and language are never mentioned.

 

I just think its a bit basic. not specific and not once explaining the hours and stratagies which are going to make it work. -..........taking in mind that since he started back at school he has not managed a full day. and most of what they are proposing will take place on an afternoon.

 

the school also recommended one afternoon per week in a social skills group, yet social skills are nowhere to be mentioned as one of the things to address

 

im well confused, so please bear with me, i have a feeling its going to be a long night.

 

<'>

shaz

[jomica]

"Access to 5 hours' midday support" - this to me just means that IF he happens to need it there might just be someone around who might possibly be able to support him (and probably several other children at the same time too). On the other hand, it might just be really badly written, but where LEAs are concerned I'm highly cynical!

 

If he needs 5 hours' support it should say something along the lines of "provision of 5 hours' 1:1 support".

 

It sounds like what you've got is very, very woolly and hasn't been quantified. They're trying it on with you, I'm sure. If I were you I'd have a word with IPSEA or parent partnership (if yours are any good - ours aren't) and see how it can be tightened up.

[pingu]

"Access to 5 hours' midday support" - this to me just means that IF he happens to need it there might just be someone around who might possibly be able to support him (and probably several other children at the same time too). On the other hand, it might just be really badly written, but where LEAs are concerned I'm highly cynical!

 

If he needs 5 hours' support it should say something along the lines of "provision of 5 hours' 1:1 support".

 

It sounds like what you've got is very, very woolly and hasn't been quantified. They're trying it on with you, I'm sure. If I were you I'd have a word with IPSEA or parent partnership (if yours are any good - ours aren't) and see how it can be tightened up.

 

hi jomica

I agree with every word you have written, in fact you have summed it up. Thats exactly the way i feel, and you would have thought that PP would have backed me up on the fact that ist is useless, BUT i was wrong. After a sleepless night the other night, i went through all i had to scrutinise the way it was wrote, and from all the advice it said to make sure everything was in there that needed to be. so in good faith we rand the Parent partnership people, who are USUALLY very nice. the same lady as always came to see us yesterday and made me feel about an inch tall, after telling me that i was ...........

 

"reading to much detail" into it. and ........

the LEA's write the statement in a ""very standadized" way. and.......

"he's very lucky to have a statement all all, coz she sat in on the board when decicions were made and hes ""ONLY borderline" !!! and

The only thing i could get her to agree with was to put his diagnosis of dyspraxia on the statement, which they had missed off all together. and then told me that by wanting it adding I have delayed the statement by 2 weeks.

 

Oh and get on this. Even though the ed psych, school, myself and the GP have all noted that he would benifit from some speech and language therapy. its not on the provisions. the reason????? Its classed as medical so school cant help. Now sorry for sounding daft here, but isnt speech and understanding of language one thing you need in order to get through a normal mainstream school, why wont they help him with it??

 

Maybe i am asking to much...

 

whinge over. 1-0 to the LEA

Ill bide my time.

 

shaz

[Kathryn]

After a sleepless night the other night, i went through all i had to scrutinise the way it was wrote, and from all the advice it said to make sure everything was in there that needed to be. so in good faith we rand the Parent partnership people, who are USUALLY very nice. the same lady as always came to see us yesterday and made me feel about an inch tall, after telling me that i was ...........

 

"reading to much detail" into it. and ........

the LEA's write the statement in a ""very standadized" way. and.......

"he's very lucky to have a statement all all, coz she sat in on the board when decicions were made and hes ""ONLY borderline" !!! and

The only thing i could get her to agree with was to put his diagnosis of dyspraxia on the statement, which they had missed off all together. and then told me that by wanting it adding I have delayed the statement by 2 weeks.

 

Guess who's paying her salary?? She sounds singularly unhelpful. Ditch her and get someone independent (e.g. from Ipsea or the NAS) to go through it with you.

 

Oh and get on this. Even though the ed psych, school, myself and the GP have all noted that he would benifit from some speech and language therapy. its not on the provisions. the reason????? Its classed as medical so school cant help. Now sorry for sounding daft here, but isnt speech and understanding of language one thing you need in order to get through a normal mainstream school, why wont they help him with it??

 

Nope, you' re not daft, a High Court judge agrees with you.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/caselaw.htm#LancashireJudgement

 

Try and get SALT into parts 2 and 3. If they put speech therapy in part 6 under "non educational provision" (or leave it out altogether), the LEA has no obligation to provide it.

 

It sounds as though you've got them sussed, Shaz, and you'll get what you want eventually I'm sure, but it's a right old battle isn't it?!

 

K x

[pingu]

Guess who's paying her salary?? She sounds singularly unhelpful. Ditch her and get someone independent (e.g. from Ipsea or the NAS) to go through it with you.

Nope, you' re not daft, a High Court judge agrees with you.

 

http://www.ipsea.org.uk/caselaw.htm#LancashireJudgement

 

Try and get SALT into parts 2 and 3. If they put speech therapy in part 6 under "non educational provision" (or leave it out altogether), the LEA has no obligation to provide it.

 

It sounds as though you've got them sussed, Shaz, and you'll get what you want eventually I'm sure, but it's a right old battle isn't it?!

 

K x

 

Thanks kathryn. i totally agree. thanks for the link by the way - im gathering everything i can find to fight this one out - our journey towards all this has been absolute hell and we are that close and suddenly they throw another final obstacle in your way.

 

like i say im biding my time

shaz.

[jlp]

We had similar with my son's statement - it was very vague and nothing was specified at all. I rang IPSEA and they asked me to send it and all the reports to them (a copy) and mentioned some points. I also went through all the reports with a fine toothcomb, identified all needs and ensured they were all on. Then changed all the 'access to' and 'opportunities to...' and specified hours etc (as I didn't have a clue I just wrote what I felt was reasonable)

 

 

If it helps get you started on what sort of things to change I can let you see the notes to G's statement where I have what they wrote in black and what I wanted added in red.

 

After doing all of this I went to a meeting (not with the LEA) and was told that I was asking for too much, that all statements are vague, made to feel that I was taking from other children etc - I got myself so upset over this but when I actually went to the LEA meeting they were really nice, I gave them a copy of the notes and they went through it and agreed to everything - with some improvements! Not sure why they didn't write a proper statement in the first place but I regret getting so upset beforehand as the people telling me what I couldn't have weren't the people who had any say in the matter.

 

Chin up, it's hard work but you will get it sorted - there are legal requirements that they have to do I think they try it on in the hope that people will settle for what they've given them and sadly I bet many do who haven't access to all the knowledge and websites that we do. I pretty much rewrote our statement but it was worth it.

[Cariad]

Yes you do need either IPSEA or SNAP, I used snap as I'm based in Wales http://www.snapcymru.org/, then an independant advocate. It's very cleverly disgused with "woolly" promises. At first glance it looks like they are offering you a lot. Then when you read it carefully it's vague and shabby. You need concrete things for your child with specified hours and the important points in the correct parts of the statement.

 

I think it's disgusting the way the LEA try to do the child and the parents over, it's all down to money at the end of the day, I learnt that when I went to Tribunal with them.