16th November 2023 • My Family Our Needs

In this interview, we introduce Lorna Woolley who is an Independent SEND Consultant.

We asked Lorna for her advice about how to approach a school search, supporting evidence for an EHCP and what to do if you’re rejected.

A parent asked us:

‘Hello MFON

Do you have a list of consultants who can help us? If not, where do we look?  Is there an association or group of SEND consultants, or how do we find someone who can give advice?

My daughter has just been refused a place at a residential college I found through the NATSPEC directory.  Even on appeal they say they cannot meet her needs.  This has taken since March.

We need help identifying another college to apply for, but I am overwhelmed by the number and don’t understand what the specialities are.  The college we applied for scored 3/3 on all the criteria I searched on so I have no confidence that I will be able to find another one that can take my daughter using the same method that I used last time.

Hence I need a consultation with someone who knows the landscape and the colleges and help do a match with my daughter.

Thank you for steering us towards a person / people who can help.‘

We asked Lorna the following:

How should I approach the school search?

It all starts with the EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan). Every child must have an EHCP to access specialist provision. The EHCP must reflect your child or young person’s challenges as they truly are – do not be tempted to make their needs sound more complex than they are or to omit detail about need. The EHCP needs to include recommendations for your child’s education and learning. 

The recommendations and evidence for an EHCP need to come from professional diagnostic assessment reports. All children and young people will require an Educational Psychology assessment for the EHCP but many also need a Speech and Language assessment, together with an Occupational Therapy assessment. These reports, along with any diagnostic reports, will give the EHCP the detail required to ensure that all challenges are addressed and met. Up-to-date reports will give schools and colleges the best chance of deciding whether they can meet need and also help them to calculate how much funding is likely to be required.

Information on the EHCP must be current and specific about the challenges the young person is experiencing. There should not be any ambiguity about the level of provision or resources your child or young person needs.

Schools and colleges will have a baseline fee which may increase depending on the child or young person’s challenges. Often, a rejection is more likely to be because of the resources available, the staffing, and the current cohort of children. Although it may feel like a door closing, it means you are not wasting your time or risking a placement breakdown. Schools and colleges will only offer placement if they feel they can meet need, and they can only make that decision if the EHCP and supporting diagnostic reports are up to date.

In terms of finding a school or college, all specialist, mainstream with additional provision, and independent schools, are listed on the government website. The difficulty families may face is that this site categorises schools and colleges into ten areas of special need. For example, the list of autism specialist schools may range from day provision to those schools and colleges who support 52-week residential provision. Finding what is suitable for your child or young person involves working through the lists very carefully and identifying what each placement is offering and the level of support it can give.

The school search process can be time-consuming and quite complex. However, expert help is available. For example, independent educational advisers are not affiliated with a particular local authority, solicitor’s practice, school or group of schools. As well as recommending suitable schools and assisting families in their decision-making, they can also facilitate necessary assessments or tests and ensure that any professionals involved contribute in a timely manner.

What is the Natspec directory?

Natspec is a directory of specialist schools and colleges which support young people 16+. When searching on Natspec you can detail your young person’s needs and it will find schools and colleges who may be able to support some or all of those needs. The grading system allows up to three needs to be specifically identified – so 3/3 indicates that three of the needs you have listed may be supported at a particular school or college.

However, it is only a guide and until a school or college has reviewed up-to-date paperwork, the EHCP and invited your young person in for a visit, there is no guarantee that the placement is going to be the best fit. If you are considering residential provision for your child or young person, then the paperwork and EHCP need to reflect this. Natspec is a good place to start, but all schools and colleges are listed on the government website. Those who are listed as part of Natspec have paid to be members.

What should I do after my child has been denied a place at a school?

Consider the response the school has given you. Their feedback may indicate that they have identified something in the reports that is not compatible with their current cohort. Your child or young person may require resources that are already at capacity. Very often, when placement is denied, it has very little to do with your child or young person’s needs but rather what the school or college are currently able to support. There are often some very practical reasons why a school or college cannot offer placement.

You can appeal a decision, but this needs to be approached cautiously. The EHCP is a legally-binding document. A school or college must be confident that they can fulfil all the requirements of the EHCP. You must trust the school or college when they say they cannot meet need. Families often do not appreciate how much the placement is going to cost; you need to make sure your evidence details exactly what your child or young person is going to need so the school or college can present the strongest case to the local authority when asking for funding.

What should I do when starting again after being rejected?

Consider very carefully the content of the EHCP. If you’re not sure yourself, perhaps engage a professional who can review the content and advise accordingly. 

Starting with a well-evidenced EHCP and up-to-date supporting documents will give your child or young person the best opportunity to reach their full potential. The EHCP must be reviewed annually and be updated according to need and progress made. A ‘good’ EHCP can be built upon and ensure that your child or young person has everything in place to be appropriately supported.

---