Education
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name, date of call and short notes of what’s said if you do anything by phone. Keep a notebook handy for this (I wish I had!) Make sure you ask for confirmation in writing when you are told something on the phone Ask other parents for advice and help Get lots of help and advice don’t be afraid to ask, ask, ask! Parent pressure on people in the services is often moreeffective than colleagues nagging Make sure you are sent a copy of each advice or report. Keep a file just for these Don’t forget it’s your child; you do some of the choosing; you know your child better than anyone
I’m afraid you may have to ring and write to check the Statement is progressing. It’s sometimes useful to fax important letters because then you know they have been received. Make use of email if you have access to this. On the phone be: • Firm • Clear and concise
• Polite and appreciative • Relentlessly cheerful even through gritted teeth! It all helps and will get you much further than blowing your top. Good luck! A N Other Parent How will a statutory assessment be carried out? A casework officer will be responsible for your child’s case and be your ‘named officer’, however they do not make the decisions. Instead, decisions are made by a SA and Placement panel: including two assessment managers and the Principal Educational Psychologist. There are strict time limits about assessment and statementing. The process starts when the local authority gets a request from you or the school to consider an assessment. You need to make sure that they are sent enough information with the request to make a sound decision. At this stage they will only be looking at the information sent by you and the school. - 83 -