SEN Code of Practice - June 2014

[Otta]

New code of practice (final) now published and comes in to play from September. Thought it might be interesting for some parents on here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

EDIT: To correct link.

[bawdy-nan]

oh god - thank you for this. Have been looking the other way on this as I can't bear to get down and dirty with the paperwork to understand what gives. Cursory glances at IPSEA suggest doomful outcomes ...

[Otta]

Now totally signed off and "up and running" (sort of)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25

[sbain]

Not sure if you have already seen this - the southwark local offer http://localoffer.southwark.gov.uk/

[Fuschia]

My god

That local offer site is appalling

For a start it doesn't actually have any info on sen provision in local schools ... The link to local schools is to a London database ... Not even southwark specific.

There are also myriad grammatical and spelling errors. It looks like it has just been thrown together and not even proof read

[bawdy-nan]

yes - it's awful and I can't fathom what ehc now means in practice. Looks very much from this that the legal rights are diminished...

[Otta]

Parents needing advise may find this site useful

https://www.ipsea.org.uk/home

Plenty there about EHCs.

The whole thing is very new, and I can assure you that staff within SEN Teams in local authorities are still finding their feet with it.

It should be welcomed that there has been a move to make these plans less insular, as education professionals do have a habit of thinking they're the only ones that know what is best for a child, as do social care anmd health professionals. This is a move towards making everyone come together so that the plan take in to accound opinions of everyone including the child.

Legal rights shouldn't be diminished...

[bawdy-nan]

Yes, thanks Otta, I'd forgotten about IPSEA. The thing is, the Southwark site doesn't really say anything ...

I think I'm feeling gloomy about the whole thing as we're just about to start properly thinking about yr7 transfer and the "offer" feels grim. And thin. We're in a wonderful situation at the moment but I can't think how secondary's going to work at all.

[bawdy-nan]

I thought the new SEN code of practice said that schools must display their SEN policies and make them available ... browsing through the "local" secondary schools websites this certainly isn't the case ...bodes ill about attitudes to SEN, but, perhaps that's the point ...

[Otta]

I'm guessing here, but as the CoP only came in to action this month, schools probably have a window in which to get their acts together.

[bawdy-nan]

I thought they had always had to make it available.

[Otta]

To be honest I'm not sure, but I guess schools would argue that if you call and ask for it they'll send it to you, thus making it available.

But you're right, policies should be on websites.

[bawdy-nan]

I'm wondering whether some schools are still updating in response to the new code of practice ... there's lots of mention in other policy documents that they should be read in conjunction with the SEN policy but then there's no SEN policy available ...probably, as you intimate, being updated...hence not available online (or, it has to be said, when requested) (wish they'd get on with it though)

[sbain]

Yes - the local offer site is appalling, full of broken links and spelling mistakes. It also doesn?t really give any information whatsoever. Hopefully though it will improve over time. My son who has special needs is currently pre-school age and to be honest the whole idea of sending him to school terrifies me. I have no idea how/if it will work, which school will be able to support him etc.

However the services provided by Southwark for preschool children with disabilities are actually pretty good. The vast majority of the people we work with at Sunshine House are wonderful, committed professionals who seem to really care about my son. They also try hard to provide as much support for us as they can - we get weekly hydrotherapy, a weekly physio led group, invaluable support from our KIDS/portage worker. So its definitely not all bad.

[bawdy-nan]

This is helpful re statements and transition to EHC as well as the changes to the process and systems etc

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/guest_posts/a2198536-Guest-post-and-Q-A-Changes-to-SEN-legislation-what-you-need-to-know

[MsMaz]

You can also look on the Southwark parent carer forum website. Southwark Parent Carer Council, which is for parents of children with SEN/D. www.southwarkpcc.org.uk

Parent Partnership is now called Southwark Information and Advice Service (IAS) - and is for parents of children with SEN and yp with SEN - and they are supposed to advise about schools and the new EHC process and social care/personal budgets. I say supposed to...

There are some legal fact sheets and template letters available about the reforms by Irwen Mitchell solicitors

http://www.irwinmitchell.com/personal/protecting-your-rights/social-healthcare-law/the-children-and-families-act-2014/factsheets-and-template-letters

[bawdy-nan]

Thanks MsMaz!