‘I help families through all aspects of the SEND & EHCP process. Read about our success and how we did it.’
Service
Tribunal Appeals | Mediation | Assessment Applications | Annual Reviews | Disability Discrimination | Transport | Reviewing & Redrafting | School, LA & LGO Complaints | EOTIS Packages | IEP Process | Multi Agency Meetings | CPD and Training | School Searches
Success
19 July 2022. Tribunal Hearing. Buckinghamshire. Parental preference for a maintained special school in a neighbouring Local Authority secured. This was achieved mainly because the head could not prove incompatibility just by sighting going over allocated number. The LA had originally named a similar school, which was also over allocated number. We also secured 1:1 throughout the school day, something that already existed in the EHCP and the LA wanted to delete because of the change of school placement.
11 July 2022. Complaint Upheld. Wandsworth. Parents have received a refund for the OT provision they have been paying for, for 6 six years! This is despite the provision being in Section F of the EHCP.
2 July 2022. LA Concede. Somerset. Parental preference for an independent residential special school secured. The young person so obviously and desperately needed the care the school offered. It took the appeal to get the LA to prioritise the young person.
22 June 2022. LA Concede. Somerset. Parental preference for an independent mainstream school secured. The school was not significantly more expensive than the LA’s maintained mainstream school therefore, incompatibility with the use of resources could not be proven. Also, the LA had already been funding a place through a direct arrangement.
13 June 2022. LA Concede (twice). Plymouth. Parental preferences for the same maintained special school secured. With six weeks to go before both hearings the LA concede. This happens more often than not, in my experience. Parents overjoyed. It’s always worth appealing!
15 April 2022. EHCP Review & Redraft. Shropshire. Following an Annual Review, the LA produced an amended EHCP. I reviewed and redrafted the EHCP with the parents, adding 1:1 adult support due physical needs. The LA accepted.
6 April 2022. Tribunal Hearing. Calderdale. Parental preference for an independent special school secured. This was largely achieved by the LA not being able to show how the large number of therapies in the EHCP could by provided by their choice of school. Also, crucially, one report recommended a small setting.
11 January 2022. LA Concede. Tower Hamlets. LA agreed to assess following the registration of an appeal. 95% of appeals following a refusal to assess go in the favour of the parents. The legal bar is very low.
15 December 2021. Tribunal Hearing Calderdale. Parental preference for an independent mainstream school secured. As this school was not significantly more expensive than the LA’s maintained mainstream school, incompatibility with the use of resources could not be proven.
7 December 2021. Training. Somerset. It was a pleasure to offer training in writing effective reports to inform EHCPs for the Sensory Physical and Occupational Therapy Team in Somerset.
21 November 2021. Tribunal Hearing. Newham. Parental preference for EOTIS secured. The young person had been struggling with school attendance for many years due to multi sensory issues.
3 November 2021. Tribunal Hearing Plymouth. Parental preference for a maintained special school secured. Despite the LA submitting a lot of evidence, incompatibility with the use of resources could not be proven. The Area Guidelines for SEND also helped us prove that the school could go over allocated number.
19 October 2021. Tribunal Hearing. Bradford. Parental preference for an EOTIS package secured. Quite unbelievably the LA tried to contest the case without offering any alternative school placement.
11 October 2021. LA Concede. Waltham Forest. 1:1 adult support throughout the school day secured. The LA had refused to add this provision in Section F following a private report presented at an Annual Review.
15 July 2021. LA Concede. Bradford. EOTIS agreed by LA after an appeal was registered. The young person had been out of school for nearly 2 years.
2 July 2021. Annual Review. Plymouth. EOTIS package secure after parental and LA school preference unexpectedly closed. Parents manage the package through a Personal Budget.
15 March 2021. Complaints Upheld. Bradford. The LA had not been paying for the transport or school fees for an independent school named in Section I of the EHCP for over two years! The parents received a full refund.
13 January 2021. EHCP Review & Redraft. Oxfordshire. The Local Authority accepted the parental amendments, including intensive SALT. No need for an appeal.
20 September 2020. Transport Appeal. Shropshire. Despite claiming the young person could use public transport to get to college, the LA conceded after a Stage 2 Appeal and agreed to fund a taxi.
Brendan Anderson 