From the Horses Mouth..

Here it is.. the unspecific and wooly reply to my specific and direct questioning of Ed Psychs poor specification of reports to be used in EHCPs.

This reminds me of one thing. Leaders pave the way... Senior leaders create the values and accepted norms for their teams, and here is the perfect example:

 The email reply to my detailed questions is as follows;

1-We can’t answer your questions

2-Basic details

3-Ofsted details

4-Unrealistic reassurance

5-Please come back to us to waste time further

 Educational psychologists do not specify. This leader does not specify. It’s a status quo. A culture. An accepted norm. Babcock clearly to me have no intention to improve.

Do I know how to change this.. no, but what it does do is push and drive our team even harder to keep moving towards a future where every SEND parent feels their voice can he heard.. no matter what professionals throw at them..

Onwards and upwards. Let’s get this sorted one case at a time..

Do not accept the unacceptable!!

PM is for support.

Dear Jess,

Thank you for your recent emails and the further clarification you have provided, regarding some parental concerns. It was also good to read some of your recommendations for improvement and I am pleased you feel there has been progress, with regard to signposting on our website, for families to get in touch or raise a complaint.

As I am sure you will appreciate, I cannot discuss individual family cases, so it would not be appropriate for me to respond to the comments from parents and carers. However, I will try to provide a summary response to your main points and, in the first instance, would encourage you to direct parental concerns to the professional who is supporting his or her child, or to escalate to line management where necessary.

LDP, on behalf of Devon County Council (DCC), has been delivering a range of educational improvement and specialist support and intervention services since 2012. Many of these services contribute to the statutory assessment process, with Educational Psychology being at the core.

The Educational Psychology Service provides a range of support across Devon, from individual child assessments, which are used to inform an EHCP, through to non-statutory support, such as early help and intervention, training and bespoke packages purchased directly by the school. Therefore, our advice may be summarised in different ways, such a School Visit Record or a Record of Involvement.

The EP Service works closely, and in partnership, with DCC to ensure responses to changes in law or best practice are actioned and a continual cycle of improvement is embraced. The focus and performance of all service areas are reviewed quarterly, with DCC, and clear annual measures are in place.

A significant focus for LDP, in the coming months, is to work with DCC and relevant partners, to respond to the outcomes of November’s Local SEND Inspection in an effective and timely manner.

A number of senior colleagues in LDP are leading key workstreams and activities, within the locality improvement plan (Written Statement of Action), so your feedback is timely. The document makes specific reference to improvements in the timeliness and quality of statutory assessments and will address a number of the points raised by you and your clients.

I’m sure you have already seen a copy of the document, but just in case you haven’t, please use the following link. This can also be found on County Council website – https://www.devon.gov.uk/.../send-local-area-inspection

I hope this reassures both you, and the families you represent, that the necessary improvements are being taken forward and my original offer of meeting with you, to discuss in more detail, still stands