Parent Partnership

[KarenT]

Can someone tell me where Parent Partnership support begins? I'm aware that the bulk of their work is with assisting parents through the statementing process so I guess it's a technicality where that starts. There has been no application for statutory assessment for James so far as he manages fairly well in school and it's not seen as necessary, however I'd really like my volunteer to come with me to IEP meetings so that she can support me if things do lead in that direction (which I suspect they might in the future). Does this count as part of the early stages of statementing, or separate altogether? I ask because so far the only contact I've had with my volunteer was an introductory email and although I've sent two emails to her in response and asking her to accompany me, I've had no reply. Is this usual, or is she just not very good?! I'm considering contacting the coordinator to chivvy her along.

 

Karen

x

[elainem]

Hi

 

she sounds not very good to me. I haven't had loads of experience either as we have only just started statementing process. However about a year ago I was having concerns about how nursery would manage if Mathew needed changing (wasn't fully toileted, and in the event they were fab) - PP were very helpful and offered to contact school on my behalf. TBH it's simply not good enough to not even reply, I would def go to the co-ordinator. I would just say something like, I'm assuming so and so is off sick, so wondered if you would re-allocate this so I can get some assistance?? Words to that effect.

 

Elaine

[call me jaded]

Any child on School Action or School Action Plus is 'under' the Code of Practice, so yes they can.

 

The problem is that you are relying on a volunteer to give their free time and it depends on how many other people are asking and what their circumstances are.

 

I would contact the co-ordinator and see if they can team you up with a different volunteer. Also clarify if this is what they expect volunteers to do.

[elainem]

gosh I didn't realise they were volunteers, thought they were employees!

 

Elaine

[phasmid]

Which is why the level of support around the country seems to be so patchy! This is a role, in my opinion, that ought (needs?) to be funded. Most volunteers have either some background in education or are parents like us. The PP service is far too important to be treated as an afterthought by the powers that be.

[annie]

I would speak to your PP co-ordinator as well. Like everybody has said, not replying to you isn't good enough.

 

My LEA has 1 full-time Parent Partnership co-ordinator and 2 full-time PP officers. None of them are volunteers, they are paid employees. I know they were recently asking for volunteer helpers though as they have huge workloads.

 

Annie

[oracle]

Our Parent Partnership Officer is most certainly paid! But we do have some trained volunteers. It is not however their responsibility to make sure you are getting the services that you need. That comes down to the paid person and, although I may be proved wrong here, I think every Authority now has one?

 

Carole

[lil_me]

Most are paid staff some have volunteers but I think every council has to have one

 

Ours have been fantastic in Durham from start to finish IEP-Statements

 

They even offer to attend meetings with the school etc to ensure everything is being done properly, can't fault them

[oracle]

Ours have been fantastic in Durham from start to finish IEP-Statements

 

They even offer to attend meetings with the school etc to ensure everything is being done properly, can't fault them

 

Argh but then you have Helen Geldard in Durham who has changed the ASD sky line beyond recognition. This lady has moved mountains for parents in Durham and continues to do so.

 

Carole

[KarenT]

Thanks for all that guys. I'd thought support was available from IEP stage but just wanted to be sure before I ask again. Will email the coordinator today.

 

Karen

x

[lil_me]

Oh yes Carole Helen was the person who stopped me trying to deny my sons diagnosis, I sat in one of her conferences and she may aswell have sat and described my boy. She has done amazing things for both children and adults on the spectrum and I have no doubt she will continue to do so in the future. She's there any time anyone needs her and her commitment is outstanding.

[nellie]

Hi folks,

 

This topic is great but I would just like to remind everyone of the forum policy not to name authorities, schools, professionals etc.

 

 

 

Parent Partnership is a subject dear to my heart. Ideally I would be like to see all Parent Partnership Services run independent of the LEAs and offer a similar service to IPSEA and the NAS.

 

A local education authority must arrange for the parent of any child in their area with special educational needs to be provided with advice and information about matters relating to those needs.

Local education authorities must take whatever steps they consider appropriate to make parent partnership services known to parents, head teachers, schools and others they consider appropriate. Section 332A Education Act 1996

 

Parent Partnership Services: provide advice and information to parents whose children have special educational needs. They provide neutral and factual support on all aspects of the SEN framework to help parents play an active and informed role in their child's education. Although funded by the local education authority they provide a service to parents and are often either run at arms length from the authority or by a voluntary organisation to ensure parents have confidence in them.

 

Parent Partnership Officers are usually paid but the independent parental supporters are normally volunteers.

http://www.parentpartnership.org.uk/

 

Nellie xx

[LKS]

LEAs must take whatever steps they think appropriate and thats where a lot of the problems lie IMO. My LEA seems to think schools should inform parents about PP, schools think its LEAs job and so on and so forth In my children's schools SEN policy it states ***** school recognises parent partnership. Well whoopee doo. Most parents reading that will think its something to do with the 'partnership' between schools and parents! Our PP has 4 paid members of staff but has also been asking for volunteers. A friend of mine who's son has AD/HD and is on SAP recently had someone from PP go in with her when the school were threatening to exclude her son. PP managed to diffuse the situation and get everyone talking again. KarenT if nobody can come with you from PP when you have an I.E.P. meeting, don't sign or agree to anything there, ask if you can take it home with you to have a look at (maybe discuss it here) and then send it in with any ammendments and suggestions ! It worked for my daughter , although I'm not sure if the school appreciated it

[Hectorshouse]

My PPS has been fantastic once I knew they existed, and what they were actually for, my lady has on many times now come out beyond and above the call of duty, she was also a teacher and specialised in the autism for many years, which has been really great as she has a true understanding of our position. I don't think that many parents really know what they are for and are wary of speaking to more professional bods, I know that in some areas they are really quite cr*p but this is not true of the whole country, bit like LEA's. If as a parent you don't have support in meetings, you don't have to agreee to it straight away like LKS has said, and you are entitled to have that support there.

[Kathryn]

If I had listened to our Parent partnership officer we wouldn't be at the stage we are now. I called for help in the beginning when I hadn't a clue what to do and she actively tried to discourage us from seeking a statement without offering any other suggestions. In the end I stopped contacting her as I just felt depressed after talking to her - she was just trotting out LEA policy.

 

I think these people are briefed by the LEA to divert parents from seeking statements and they are a convenient buffer, shielding LEA officials from the frustration and despair of desperate parents, and giving parents the illusion that they are being listened to and are part of the decision making process.

 

I agree with Nellie, they should be independent.

[Tez]

My parent partnership officer is definitely paid, but is new in the job and quite frankly I probably know more than her. However, she will come along to meetings with me and I find it very useful to have her there as an extra set of ears. She is alos learning quickly and I'm sure that in the future she will be more help to other parents.

 

Like Kathryn I found that she was very anti the statementing route. At my son's last review meeting the school told us that they would like to apply for a Statutory Assessment and were confident that they could obtain a statement for my son. The Parent partnership officer said that he wouldn't get it because he was coping too well acaedemically even though at the time he was, and still is, out of school due to anxiety. The school are adament that the statement is the right way to go and are still confident that they will obtain it.

 

I will still contact my PPS but as with any other professional or expert I will listen to their views and then make my own decisions.

[helenl53]

Hi Guys

 

It is quite strange that you are all reporting the PP person diverting you away from the statementing route - this seems to be the party line and makes me slightly suspicious of the 'impartiality' and 'factual' information we are supposed to be given. I take the view, that it is not possible for PP to make a judgement.

 

You might as well listen to the guy in the pub's advice.

 

Best wishes

 

HelenL

[bid]

Like Kathryn, I was also told there was no point in trying for a Statement as my son was too old (coming up for 15)! (Same LEA )

 

Luckily I ignored her, not only got a Statement but also a place at a residential special school for AS.

 

But it terrifies me that I could so easily have believed her as I knew absolutely nothing about the assessment/statementing procedure at the time.

 

Bid

[lorryw]

I also had an unfortunate encounter with PP. Im afraid the details are lost in the mists of time but several years ago my husband was driving past our sons school. He pulled into the car park opposite just to see how our lad coped at lunch time. He was horrified to see our son picking berries from a bush on the other side of the school fence and eat them.

We were furious and complained to school who took it very lightly and we were concerned that our son was not being properly supervised.

I had recently been introduced to PP at a support group meeting and contacted them for help.

A chap arrived at our house at 4.30 and talked at us for a full hour. I noticed him looking at his watch several times and he managed to leave on the dot at 5.30. To be honest I had stopped listening after 30 minutes and when he was gone we still had no idea what had happened. The gist of his speech had been what a wonderful school my son attended (it wasnt) what a great guy the head was(he wasnt) and we should be grateful. It all left a nasty taste in the mouth and we never contacted PP again.

Loraine

[Lesley]

I also have reservations about our PPS.

We contacted them for support after starting the tribunal process but all they seemed able to do was advise that we should listen to the LEA & 'wait & see how our son gets on once at school'.

We've since got independent diagnoses of Asperger, ADHD, specch & language disorder.

AND STILL THEY WONT LISTEN!!!

[Helen]

The woman who runs my local PP is rubbish at her job, she receives a wage for this post, she is most definitely biased towards my LEA.

[Zemanski]

Parent Partnerships are run differently across the country - in some authorities they are completely independent and the LEA buys in the service; in others, like ours, it is run by the LEA but is supposed to function independently. The degree of independence from the LEA varies dramatically even within LEA run ones.

 

only the officers are paid, there are usually about 4 of these I think, they are administrators and do not do most of the work with families. They organise training, refer cases and keep the files. . . .

 

when you go to PP you speak to one of these officers who then refers you on to an Independent Parental Supporter who should have received the training I mentioned above.

These are almost always volunteers and can only claim expenses (most of us don't bother unless it's a big thing) - some authorities are experimenting with paying IPSs but I think it is only one or 2 and LEAs are not generally interested (more money) unless they really can't get volunteers.

 

the level of IPS training and experience varies from authority to authority - ours is not good at training (or independence so the training is almost always based on the LEA policies rather than the COP) and some of us actually organise ourselves to train out of authority too (we do claim for this as it can be very expensive) - and also from IPS to IPS.

A group of us know each other very well and have encouraged the PP to allow us to use a mentoring system to make the most of the skills of the experienced IPSs - we set it up ourselves really. We know each others strengths so we sometimes bring in one of the others for advice (with a parent's permission).

 

A good IPS will be good in spite of the LEA but in some authorities they are very hard to find - do ask for another if yours is not responding. Remember though that there may be reasons for their lack of response (computer problems, family crises, etc.) and while this should have been referred back to the PP messages don't always get through.

 

hope you find a good one

 

Zemanski

[pim]

The PP in my area also tried to discourage me from applying for a statement, saying ds was too young and that I wouldn't have enough evidence. She said someting similar each time I phoned. She also confused me about EPF funding, saying that was the route to go down before applying for a statement, which I've since found is not true.

 

pim

[nellie]

I worked as an IPS for a couple of years, I was asked to leave as they thought I was unable to remain unbiased in situations, especially where I perceived an injustice to have taken place. They said there is a very important role for advocacy for parents, however it is not appropriate in this Parent Partnership.

 

I would still advise parents to contact PP for information and support, they are not all bad and you may get an IPS who cares enough to take the time and energy to get proper training.

 

PP should give parents information about the COP and SEN law, not just the LEA's policies and criteria. It should be up to parents what they do with that information.

 

Nellie xx

[Hectorshouse]

I have already said that my lady has been fab, and she has, but also she hasn't always agreed with what I have done and thought that maybe I was being a bit too confrontational with the LEA, but as it turns out she now totally agrees with my line of attack, and has started calling me and asking if I would mind if she put me intouch with some other mums as I seem to do so well in meetings and can confidently understand the COP ... I think that as she is employed by the LEA there is always going to be a little uncomfortablness on her part when I challenge them.

 

HHxx

[Zemanski]

looks like you're being groomed, HH

 

one thing to remember is that if you actually join the PP you get insurance cover, advice and training, etc

 

if you are going to attend meetings, help fill out forms or write official letters with parents it is probably best to sign up officially

 

Make sure you don't take on more than you can manage; I turn down cases regularly because I know when I'm overstretched and that's not fair to the parents I'm supporting - at the moment I'm just handling one case that's been going a long time as Com is in crisis so he needs my attention but normally I have about 3 ongoing.

 

Nellie, I stood my ground when my PP boss threatened to sack me for lack of impartiality at a training session - fortunately there were several other IPSs in agreement with the criticism I made of an LEA official (top brass) and she backed down. Had she done it in private I don't think she would have let me stay though

Also the session before she'd tried the same thing with a very new IPS and I stood up for her - surprised L didn't quit

 

We later decided (at our post-training coffee house session which is where most of the real training takes place) that she was probably in love with him - couldn't see any other reason for her apparent blindness

 

As you might gather I don't think a great deal of our officers and set up but I have skills and knowledge I want to use and there are parents out there that need them so I stick it out.

 

Zemanski