SCN0142

Written evidence from Parental Submission 28

 

Submitted by [name] in a personal capacity.

  1. A parental Education, Health and Care Plan request was submitted on 6 November 2017.
  2. As of the date of writing (5 June 2018) it has been 30 weeks and the EHCP is not finalised.
  3. None of the statutory deadlines have been met.
  4. Parents were advised by the local authority’s caseworker that EHCP could be drafted without input from Educational Psychologist in order to meet statutory deadline. This is in violation of Regulation 6(1) of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.
  5. None of the exceptions listed in Regulation 8(2) of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014 apply.
  6. The draft EHC plan does not adhere to the SEND Code of Practice as it is not detailed, quantified or specific.

 

Key Dates

  1. 2017
  2. 6 November - Parental request hand delivered to Local Authority, including completed Appendix 2 (advice from Education) and all supporting evidence (e.g. copies of clinical reports, school SEN provision maps etc).
  3. 4 December (week 4) - Parents submitted Appendix 1.
  4. 18 December (week 6) – EHCP deadline missed (decision whether local authority will carry out statutory assessment should have been made by this date). Parents emailed caseworker to say 6 week period ends today.
  5. 19 December (week 6 + 1 day) - Parents emailed the Local Authority’s Corporate Director Children, Young People and Education re: failure to respond to EHCP request.
  6. 22 December (week 6 + 4 days) - Telephone call from caseworker saying assessment will go ahead.
  7. 2018
  8. 5 January (week 8 + 5 days) - Parents emailed caseworker to confirm we want statutory assessment to proceed.
  9. 12 January (week 9 + 4 days) - Email from caseworker confirming letters for advice were sent earlier in the week.
  10. 16 January (week 10 + 1 day) - Parents received email from a Business Support Assistant at the Local Authority. A letter of apology was attached from the Corporate Director Children, Young People and Education. It had originally been posted to the incorrect address and returned to sender, hence being emailed as an attachment.
  11. 25 January (week 11 + 4 days) - Spoke to caseworker on telephone. She said there is a delay re: educational psychologists (EP) and it is likely the EP report won't be available by 24 Feb (week 16) deadline. She asked whether we wanted the EHCP to be drafted without input from the EP, or whether to wait. I said my gut feeling is to wait. Caseworker said we could talk nearer the time to confirm what we wanted to do.
  12. 19 February (week 15) - Speech & Language therapist appointment.
  13. 26 February (week 16) - EHCP 16 week deadline missed (decision whether to issue plan should have been made by this date)
  14. 27 February (week 16 + 1 day) - Educational Psychologist visited us at home.
  15. 5 March (week 17) - Second Speech & Language therapist appointment.
  16. 6 March (week 17 + 1 day) - Educational Psychologist carried out assessments.
  17. 26 March (week 20)  - EHCP 20 week deadline missed (final plan should have been issued by this date)
  18. 5 April (week 21 + 3 days) - We received Educational Psychologist's report.
  19. 12 April (week 22 + 4 days) - Spoke to caseworker. She confirmed she has received all reports, including Educational Psychologist's. She estimated 2 weeks to draft report, then a further 2 weeks to get it onto an agenda for decision.
  20. 27 April (week 24 + 4 days) - Emailed caseworker. She is on track for a decision by mid-May.
  21. 9 May (week 26 + 2 days) - Emailed caseworker. She replied "I’ve started the draft and expect to have it finished this week. I will ask one of the managers to make the decision next week."
  22. 15 May (week 27 + 1 day) - Received confirmation from local authority that they will issue EHCP.
  23. 17 May (week 27 + 3 days) – Draft EHC Plan received. Provision in Section F does not comply with the SEND Code of Practice as it lacks detail, is not quantified or specified.

 

June 2018