[senco-forum] the bogey man

It's not their fault your head won't spend the SEN part of the formula on

I always know I'm being suckered into responding to a Brian posting, but
when they're this tempting, how can a man resist?  Besides, I'm further
through my bottle of ruby cabernet than you are with the Merlot.

You're quite right - although parents of children with special needs and SEN
practitioners tend to characterise the LA as the bogeyman, we mustn't forget
that the front people who represent this amorphous entity are human - all
with their own challenges in life, and presumably intent on doing a good job
for the benefit of all.

I often wonder how it is that the content of this amorphous entity can
include so many good ingredients, yet turn out so unpalatable.  Come on,
Brian - you would acknowledge, wouldn't you, that LAs frequently break the
law in relation to SEN?  So what happened to all the good people?

The truth, as we both understand, is that they have their collective
professional private parts squeezed from above.  And while they may each
seek to do their best for the children, families and schools, they do so
knowing that the amorphous entity will be responsible for any shortcomings
in the service that they can provide.

If all these shortcomings and serial law-breaking isn't the fault of the LA,
what should dissatisfied customers do about it, when they live and breathe
the consequences?  Say, 'I know it's not your fault, just carry on as best
you can'?

> It's not their fault your head won't spend the SEN part of the formula on
> SEN. It's not their fault that you don't even know what the SEN budget is.
> It's not their fault that, particularly in secondary schools, the kids are
> taught with no regard to the statement. It's not their fault that the 10
hrs
> provision is used to support whatever size group/class the kid is in,
rather
> than the kid personally. It's not their fault that advice and support
> provided by LA support teams is ignored or not acted upon.

Yes it is 'their' fault, at least in part.

It is not beyond the capacity of any LA to ring-fence delegated SEN funding
and to ensure accountability.  Or to ensure that specified provision is
delivered in the way that a statement intends.  One LA that I've worked in
managed to explain to its SENCOs exactly what the delegated funding was, and
advise the schools clearly as to how it should be spent (just about the only
positive comment that I could make about this particular LA).

As a teacher, my performance is scrutinised carefully, and increasingly, our
political masters expect that my performance will be assessed in terms of
outcomes.  Why aren't LA's assessed at least partially on the basis of the
frequency of parental complaints about SEN provision, or the number of
Tribunals that they rack up?  Why aren't they held accountable when they are
shown to be breaking the law - systematically - in respect of SEN provision?
(One Tribunal, one complaint to the Secretary of State or the ombudsman, one
Judicial Review at a time.)  These are outcomes.

Actually, I have met one LA Officer (and heard about some others) who
genuinely do seem to take pleasure from deceiving, browbeating, humiliating
and confusing parents and schools.  They all seem to have achieved rapid
promotion.  I count it in your favour that you're not one of them.

So where should the dissatisfied customers take their cases?

Biff

----- Original Message -----
From: "brian hepburn" <hepburnbrian at hotmail.com>
To: <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2006 8:52 PM
Subject: [senco-forum] the bogey man

> Team
>
> You've all been watching too many horror films, haven't you? There's
> somebody waiting inside that dark room to get you. But it's not Jason,
> Freddie or Saw, it's the LA!
>
> The LA jumps on you just as you're turning your childlike, innocent faces
up
> to the light of resources,funding, recognition, appreciation or whatever
> else you're hoping for. (I know, it's a preposition at the end of a
> sentence, sue me!) The only way you can cater for the little lambs is to
get
> more money from the LA, but will she co-operate? No, she's going to leap
out
> when you least expect it and TURN YOU DOWN!
>
> Why? Obviously because she enjoys torturing you. The LA hates all
children,
> schools and especially SENCOs. She will do whatever she can to destroy
you.
> She is never happier than when she can suck all the joy from your lives by
> saying no. She knows that without her, you'll never be able to meet the
> needs of those pathetic scraps of children. And she laughs her evil laugh
> every time she says no, because she gets so much masochistic pleasure from
> the your pain.
>
> Deep breath, Brian.
>
> OK, I've calmed down a bit now.
>
> I've worked in SEN depts, I've worked with SENCOs in a LA support service,
> I'm now on the dark side working as an SEN officer. I've seen the SEN
> process from all sides. (I'm a parent and worked with parents of kids with
> SEN)
>
> Just like there's no such thing as Jason, there is no such thing as the
LA.
> It's a bunch of people, who mostly sit in an office and make decisons
based
> on the paperwork schools send them and balance that against the Code of
> Practice and pressure from government .Believe it or not, they mostly (I
> don't know them all) have the children's best interests at heart.
>
> It's not their fault your head won't spend the SEN part of the formula on
> SEN. It's not their fault that you don't even know what the SEN budget is.
> It's not their fault that, particularly in secondary schools, the kids are
> taught with no regard to the statement. It's not their fault that the 10
hrs
> provision is used to support whatever size group/class the kid is in,
rather
> than the kid personally. It's not their fault that advice and support
> provided by LA support teams is ignored or not acted upon.
>
> You want to listen to the parents who ring them, at their wits end because
> the school won't listen to the parents' concerns? Particularly when they
> know, since LMS, that the LA has no power and so can't make schools act on
> those concerns.
>
> Ah, yes, there are always 2 sides to a story. In this case it's at least
4.
> Kid, parent, school, LA. And what's the easiest reaction when everyone's
> frustrated and tired? Let's get angry. Let's start blaming someone else.
>
> I can see exactly why SEN becomes a battlefield. It's a microcosm of
> education. Thatcher and Baker turned education into a battlefield in the
mid
> 80s. Since then, any tinpot politician or Daily Mail editor has used
> education to score cheap points. The effect has been to create sides, to
> perpetuate the blame culture and to stop us all seeking out the real
> culprits.
>
> And we fall for it. We fight amongst ourselves.
>
> I give up. I'm going to help finish the bottle of Merlot. I'm going to eat
> last year's Xmas pudding (to make room in the cupboard for this year's
lot)
> and take my last chance to watch I'm a Celeb for another year. (How do I
> live without Myleene in her white bikini?)
>
> Have fun with the fighting
>
> Brian
>
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