Re: Tribunals/Evidence/Bringing Bad Practise to the Attention of Opinion Formers/Law MAkers

[Guest guest]

I think IPSEA would be more effective at getting something to happen -

they are good at following through on matters affecting groups of

parents and have challenged LEAs successfully on several occasions.

Margaret

>

> I have read the recent Tribunals emails with horror, empathy and a

> growing sense of rage.

> I think it is time that these events were accurately recorded,

including

> the costs to parents. Financial costs are the easy ones to

calculate.

> However, I think it is important to at least name (even if we can't

> quantify) the other heads of damage eg

> Emotional cost, stress, damage to the family, and so on.

>

> Putting my ex lawyers hat on, I stress that these reports must be

> factual and not emotional.

> If they are primarily factual then they will be noted. My

experience is

> that the minute anyone sniffs " emotional/hysterical parent " then

what is

> serious, and unacceptable will be disregarded.

>

> First, the " dossier " should go to the NAS. It is the obvious first

port

> of call.

> Then it should be copied to local MPs.

>

> It is possible that none of this might work.

> I have a cunning plan. Cameron set up a Commission on Special

> Educational Needs when he was Shadow Education Minister. It is

headed by

> Sir Balchin. The interim report is concerned with many of the

> issues raised in our recent emails, essentially that the SEN

provision

> process is costly, drawn out and unnecessarily adversarial. At a

recent

> seminar I attended on this, the fact that LEA's are " hopelessly

> conflicted " (in my husband's brilliant words!) was discussed, and

there

> is discussion of removing some or all of the SEN provisioning powers

> from the LEA's.

> It will be no surprise to you to know that all the parents present

at

> the seminar voted strongly in favour of doing this.

>

> I would like to suggest that if people can send me summaries of

their

> own experiences, I will send them on to the Commission and hopefully

> directly to Sir Balchin himself.

>

>

> I know that this seems so little, and for many of us, too little,

too

> late, but change has to happen and often this is how it starts.

>

> Alison

>

[Guest guest]

I think IPSEA would be more effective at getting something to happen -

they are good at following through on matters affecting groups of

parents and have challenged LEAs successfully on several occasions.

Margaret

>

> I have read the recent Tribunals emails with horror, empathy and a

> growing sense of rage.

> I think it is time that these events were accurately recorded,

including

> the costs to parents. Financial costs are the easy ones to

calculate.

> However, I think it is important to at least name (even if we can't

> quantify) the other heads of damage eg

> Emotional cost, stress, damage to the family, and so on.

>

> Putting my ex lawyers hat on, I stress that these reports must be

> factual and not emotional.

> If they are primarily factual then they will be noted. My

experience is

> that the minute anyone sniffs " emotional/hysterical parent " then

what is

> serious, and unacceptable will be disregarded.

>

> First, the " dossier " should go to the NAS. It is the obvious first

port

> of call.

> Then it should be copied to local MPs.

>

> It is possible that none of this might work.

> I have a cunning plan. Cameron set up a Commission on Special

> Educational Needs when he was Shadow Education Minister. It is

headed by

> Sir Balchin. The interim report is concerned with many of the

> issues raised in our recent emails, essentially that the SEN

provision

> process is costly, drawn out and unnecessarily adversarial. At a

recent

> seminar I attended on this, the fact that LEA's are " hopelessly

> conflicted " (in my husband's brilliant words!) was discussed, and

there

> is discussion of removing some or all of the SEN provisioning powers

> from the LEA's.

> It will be no surprise to you to know that all the parents present

at

> the seminar voted strongly in favour of doing this.

>

> I would like to suggest that if people can send me summaries of

their

> own experiences, I will send them on to the Commission and hopefully

> directly to Sir Balchin himself.

>

>

> I know that this seems so little, and for many of us, too little,

too

> late, but change has to happen and often this is how it starts.

>

> Alison

>