Memorandum submitted by Kids First
THE ROLE
OF PARENTS
IN DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN'S
EDUCATION
Kids First is a group of over 100 parents or
carers of children with disabilities and/or special needs in the
London Borough of Merton. It was formed in January 2004 and acts
as a platform for the monitoring and improving of local services,
whilst offering opportunities for personal contact and exchange
of information to individuals who often feel isolated by their
experience and in need of support from those who can empathise
with their situation.
Education, and special educational needs in
particular, has accounted for a substantial amount of debate and
lobbying in the first year and a half of Kids First's existence.
Members have engaged in discussions with officers and councillors
from the London Borough of Merton with a view to ameliorating
provision and the lives of these children and their families,
but there has been friction.
Consultations have been limited in their scope
and reach, with obstacles placed in the way of true dialogue.
For instance, consultation on the LEA's draft SEN Policy was only
notified to a small minority of SEN parents in the borough over
the summer holidays 2004. Kids First, upon the chance hearing
of these proposals, lobbied successfully for wider community participation.
However, despite meetings with councillors and officers, the draft
policy looked set to be passed by Council, especially as Ofsted
in its September 2004 inspection had advised the LEA to hurry
up and implement it. It was only when IPSEA (Independent Panel
for Special Education Advice) challenged the SEN policy on its
unlawful content that the policy was amended satisfactorily. Even
so, parents continue to be deeply concerned about the LEA's ambitions
to significantly reduce the number of statements issued when parental
confidence is low and early interventions and specialist provision
are not yet sufficiently robust.
A SEN Policy Implementation Group was set up
by the London Borough of Merton. Initially, Kids First was not
invited to participate and had to request involvement in the five
meetings. In an effort to ensure that parents' views were taken
into consideration it was necessary to point to the DfES guidelines
on improving transparency and accountability to parents, but there
is yet room for improvement.
In the London Borough of Merton, there is a
history of overspending on special educational needs and therefore
those who work within the authority or schools may have different
priorities. Currently the London Borough of Merton is determined
to drive down the costs of SEN transport. We appreciate that this
is a large expense but believe that this is in part due to the
paucity of good provision across and within the borough.
Merton's current Inclusion and Learning Continuum
Review is headlined as a review of all the borough's special schools
and bases, but some parents at Merton's special schools and bases
have not been kept informed of this review and its progress. Indeed,
the findings of the review have a fait accompli air about
them, rather than resulting from genuine review of specialist
SEN provision in the borough by all parties.
The Ofsted inspection report of September 2004
highlighted some of the problems with the administration and handling
of special educational needs in Merton, especially over budgeting.
Kids First would welcome even more stringent monitoring of services
so that parents realise a reduction in stress and workload, with
less reliance on securing appropriate provision through the legal
services or SENDIST.
Generally speaking, there is a desire by parents
to be given a greater voice in decisions surrounding their children's
education. For this to happen in Merton, Kids First is seeking
to build bridges with the LEA, schools and councillors. We also
believe the Parent Partnership Service should operate independently
from the LEA.
Kids First welcomes the London Borough of Merton's
recently renewed working relationship with Contact-a-Family with
its regular newsletter and part-time worker who is able to signpost
parents and carers to appropriate services or contacts. It is
hoped that this service will be expanded to offer even greater
assistance to families of children with disabilities and/or special
needs in the borough. We are also lobbying Merton for better information
to be made available to families through its schools, literature
and website so that there is less ignorance of parent's rights
and barriers are brought down for the good of our children.
January 2006
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