THE "INTENTION TO AWARD" PLACES ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING USED

https://staffspcf.co.uk/

My name is Dr Doom Devine Benjamin, CESR Specialty Doctor A&E with University Hospitals of North Midlands, i’m a SEND parent.

By virtue of my job, i’m daily in contact with people including children with special needs as patients. I also belong to a support group of clinicians with SEND children. The situation of SEND children and families is saddening.

The struggle is real, i believe you would only understand when you have walked in our shoes.

My perception of the system is, it’s not willing to do what is needed to actually get these children thriving.

For instance, the ASD pathway, this takes several months of waiting, then multiple assessments from various teams, at the end of the day your child is given a diagnosis, you are given multiple reading materials and links and discharged from the team. No further support. Absolutely nothing…. You are not just left with the emotional trauma, you are not supported with a feasible way forward.

Then, the real struggle begins with you needing to push and fight for the bare minimum to support your child.

Personally, the only support i have consistently requested for is the right educational support for my son ****.I went as far as trying to get him in to 2 private schools for which i would pay out of pocket but he was rejected. The question is, does the system really care? The problem is not supporting these children adequately now will lead to more problems in the future, children will end up broken, there will be increase in mental health challenges etc, this in the long run will only cost the system much more than what the would have invested in the children when they were younger.

***** struggled a whole lot with school, i believe his inability to fit into the box was a problem, which lead to him being ignored, and teachers concluding he couldn’t achieve certain milestones like speaking, understanding, maintaining attention/concentration, writing, reading, spelling.

I decided to look up and find a private tutor, this way, ***** could actually be taught in a person centered way.

I got in touch with Ms Louise and decided to let her spend time with *****, and deduce the best approach to teaching him, understanding the limiting factors and working towards changing those that could be changed. 

We knew ***** had sensory issues one of which was to loud sounds, however, we had no idea that ***** could hear the most little amount of noise which was creating a lot of distraction and poor concentration with his learning. Ms Louise soon discovered that even the sounds from electricity at home caused distress to ***** affecting his concentration. ***** has attempted to describe these sounds that he can hear. He is able to concentrate more with noise cancellation devices. I wonder, is there a place for the audiology team to assess *****’s level of hearing, recreate this for other adults working with him to experience what he does, could they produce a more effective device which cancels out all noises to support ***** and other kids that may be experiencing sounds at an exaggerated level.. Could necessary adjustments/adaptable measures taken within the classroom environment to enhance his learning and other kids like him?

With a more personalized and tailored approach to *****, Ms Louise has been able to get ***** to attain milestones that were once perceived as beyond reach for him, ***** is now able to communicate his basic needs, his understanding has continued to improve, he is able to read, write and spell, and much more. Also with the support of Ms Louise ***** was able to achieve his toilet at the age of 6. Prior to this, ***** would only open his bowels in a diaper, he went everywhere with a diaper in his bag and would wear it when he needed to have a bowel movement.

It is impossible to get ***** to learn in the presence of what we would see as negligible distraction, he is different, processes things differently and most things are exaggerated but that’s his reality.

This private tutor receives glowing reviews for their exceptional work with children, particularly those with special needs. Parents praise the tutor's ability to engage, entertain, and educate simultaneously. The child-led approach and diverse activities are highly appreciated, fostering quick settlement and learning.  Summary generated by AI from the text of recent member reviews:

https://childcare.co.uk/profile/3752270

 "Most alternative provision is delivered through Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), AP  academies, registered independent schools and general hospital schools, all of which  are regulated as schools. However, some alternative provision education is delivered in  unregistered settings which fall outside any existing designation as a “school”. These  include a wide range of providers, from dedicated tutoring companies and online  providers to bespoke vocational training and therapeutic support. This provision,  commonly known as unregistered alternative provision, is highly valued by some  commissioners. When used under the right circumstances it can potentially offer a  crucial ‘hook’ back into learning for children and young people with complex needs who  require bespoke packages of education, training, and support."

 Understanding the use of unregistered alternative provision - call for evidence (2022)

Stafford Business and Accountancy Services for their commitment to empowering and enabling me to continue to support families and children.

Thank you also to our local community for their support, encouragement and understanding.