I've Sent the Letter to the LEA today!

[sjb]

Well, our letter to the LEA requesting a Stat Assess has gone off today, and with it, anything that i thought relevant!

 

Im expecting for them to say no, and i will be ready when they do!

 

Wish us luck anyway!!! lol

[NickyB]

Good luck, Sally :pray: :pray:

 

<'>

[JsMum]

 

 

 

Sending you loads of wishes and good Luck.

 

Even if they do turn the request down, you know that you can appeal and go all the way, many, many parents are having to appeal so if you feel your child does need an assessment then stick with it all the way, its a long road, but a lot longer if you dont go throw the process and so hopefully your child will eventually get their needs met

 

 

Good Luck, <'>

 

JsMum

 

[Teresa]

Good luck hope all goes well

[westie]

Good luck, hope you get a positive response from them <'>

[BusyLizzie100]

Best of luck. <'>

 

Make sure you let us know how you get on!

 

Lizzie x

[Kathryn]

Good luck!

 

 

K x

[dana]

 

Good luck and the best wishes!

 

dana

[sjb]

Thanks all

 

Will deffo let you know how we get on!

[Karen A]

Thanks all

 

Will deffo let you know how we get on!

 

I hope the LEA are supportive.Karen.

 

[sassyj]

Good luk with the process, we are in the middle of it at the moment waiting for proposed statement!

I wll keep my fingers crossed for you.

 

Sarah

[Athena]

Hi Sally, wishing you the very best of luck!

 

I am just about to request a Statement myself, the school are supporting my application, so I will shortly be asking them to write a letter in support.

 

I have the letter from the IPSEA website, but I don't know how much detailed information I need to send with my request. Do I send the Ed Psych, Paediatricians and OT report now or later if I have to appeal against a refusal to assess OR should I keep them for when they do assess?

 

I do find it all very confusing! If my understanding is correct, you apply for an Assessment of Special Educational Need, the LEA can refuse to assess, you can appeal to SENDIST, the LEA then HAVE to Assess but can then refuse to produce a Statement and so you have to appeal to SENDIST again? And you can also appeal against the contents of a Statement?

 

So confusing and time consuming and appears to based on a confrontational approach with the LEA, rather than parents and LEA working together for the best interests of the child.

 

I was also thinking of witness statements, of people who know DD very well, e.g her childminder, volunteers at the youth group she attends. Would these be helpful? Should I send them with the request or save them for later?

 

Hope someone can advise me!

 

A

xx

[lynne]

 

 

You do not need to send any documents when you request a statement. You just write a letter requesting for a statement because you feel your child is not accessing the curriculum or struggling.

 

The LEA will than ask the school for infomation and they will also ask you for infomation. Once they receive this information they will make a decision either to proceed to gather evidence and ask the ed psy to go in and assess the child or they will refuse the statement.

 

 

 

[Kathryn]

I have the letter from the IPSEA website, but I don't know how much detailed information I need to send with my request. Do I send the Ed Psych, Paediatricians and OT report now or later if I have to appeal against a refusal to assess OR should I keep them for when they do assess?

You can send the reports in at any time during the 6 weeks the LA take to reach a decision to assess or not. There's no point in witholding the reports: the more information the LA have to inform their decision, the better. If they do agree to assess, the reports will remain on file and be taken into account along with all the other information gathered during the assessment process.

I do find it all very confusing! If my understanding is correct, you apply for an Assessment of Special Educational Need, the LEA can refuse to assess, you can appeal to SENDIST, the LEA then HAVE to Assess but can then refuse to produce a Statement and so you have to appeal to SENDIST again? And you can also appeal against the contents of a Statement?

In a nutshell yes, assuming that each appeal is successful, it is possible for the eventual statement to be the product of three separate appeals to the tribunal. Some intrepid souls have done it - hopefully you won't have to!

 

So confusing and time consuming and appears to based on a confrontational approach with the LEA, rather than parents and LEA working together for the best interests of the child.

I agree. The new tribunal case management system is designed to take the adversarial approach out of the process by compelling LA's to focus on the issues and work with parents towards a solution much earlier on. Time will tell if it's working!

 

I was also thinking of witness statements, of people who know DD very well, e.g her childminder, volunteers at the youth group she attends. Would these be helpful? Should I send them with the request or save them for later?

Good idea. They will help to provide a detailed picture of your child's behaviour and to support your own parental views. You don't have to send everything in all at once right now. The LA will have 6 weeks altogether to consider your request and during that time you can send in any further information you want to.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Kathryn

[JsMum]

Right I have replied but I cant get out what I want to say.

 

So Im gonna go and think and come back,

 

Sorry for trying to give some advice, but then retrack my post.

 

 

Be back soon, when I know how to get it out.

 

JsMumxxx

 

 

Edited March 16, 2009 by JsMum

[Athena]

Thank you for your helpful replies - JSMum, you are so knowledgeable, I await your advice with great interest!

 

A

xx

[daniels-mum]

Cant offer advice, just to say I am with you in spirit, I too have just requested Stat Assess, I have just finished my parental views which took ages, school are supporting me so can only hope now, 2nd April is the big day.

I hope all goes well for you and everyone else in same boat x

[Athena]

Thank you daniels-mum, I am still at the info gathering stage at the moment, but hope to get my request in shortly - good luck to you, do let us know how it goes.

[JsMum]

What I was going to advise was that you send what you can collect PHOTOCOPIES and any relivant key information and attatch it all to the letter of request of assessment, then when the parents comments time comes just repeat the process, I think it is a good idea to get as much as possible in from day one, because if it does go as far as a tribunal it shows the panel you have given evidence and reports from day one, often LEAs ignore this kind of information and if they do and do not act on it, then the panel have evience that you notified the LEA well before parents comments and other information is passed on early.

 

If you read the book How to be a velvet bull dozer too this gives you lots of helpful advice when it comes to giving in the parents comments and other information.

 

When I went to tribunal everything that I gave to the LEA, Solisitor, case statement, all went into a appendix, what was clear from the start is that I had concerns well before the LEA acted, and it doesnt look good because its clear they left J with inadequate support.

 

So I do recommend that the earlier you can notify the LEA your concerns and back up with evidence, its never too early to give this, but do repeat the process when its time to give it in at parents comments, in the early days.

 

I felt like I was ignored so at least my contribution was there in my letter of concerns at the same time of assessment request.

 

In my situation I felt rather powerless and insignificant, I am only the Mum at the end of the Day, so at least giving in a detailed letter gave me a chance to voice my concerns, yes they did turn down the assessment, but I conitued to write my concerns and after a relasps with Js Behaviour and mental Health it was then decided that an assessment of SENs was done.

 

Hope my post makes sence,

 

JsMumxxxx

 

 

Edited March 17, 2009 by JsMum