School Permanent Exclusion of SEN child: Independent Panel Review - parents' experience?

[JMK]

Hi,

I was just wondering what experiences any of you have had in relation to an Independent Panel review relating to the Permanent Exclusion of a SEN child.

1. General experience

Any experiences, positive or negative, in general?

2. Clerks Associates UK

Any experience of this entity acting as an "independent clerk" to an Independent Review Panel in a matter involving a Permanent Exclusion of a SEN pupil, also involving discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

There is limited publicly available information with regards to this "independent clerk"; however, I can see from their Annual Report & Accounts at Companies House that they are a small, privately owned organisation. 

 I am very concerned that there is a clear and material risk that they are highly dependent for their revenues and cash flow from the business that they receive from the school and its parent Trust (which has 9 schools in total under its management) who have appointed them.

I also note that the Trust has a material employee relations dispute with their staff over underpayment of maternity pay whilst materially increasing the salaries of the highest paid Trust executives and other highly paid staff (presumably the Head Teachers).

https://southwarknews.co.uk/news/community/teachers-at-six-charter-schools-walk-out-in-first-of-four-strike-days-planned-for-this-month/

Given the current situation, we have no choice but to engage in this process of an Independent Panel Review; however, we are concerned as to various elements including this one which is a key role in providing independence.

3. Independent SEN expert

We have the right to an independent SEN expert to review the matter and provide their opinion to the Independent Review Panel.

The concept is that this person is supposedly acting "independently" and also solely in respect of the SEN elements of the matter.

We do not however know who this person is, their experience or level of independence.

The last information that I can find in the public domain about the effectiveness of an Independent SEN expert is a UK govt report from 2014 which portrays a very mixed experience for parents.

Hence, we are seeking to understand if anyone has any more recent experience of an Independent SEN expert in relation to an Independent Panel Review.

Many thanks for any thoughts that you have based on your experience.

For reasons of confidentiality, it is perhaps better to send any replies to me directly.

Many thanks