It's Not You - Local Education Authorities

LEA’s [Local Education Authorities] are responsible for making provision for Special Educational Needs. The legislation envisages the delivery of provision by means of a Statutory Assessment, which may be followed by a Statement of Special Educational Needs or Note in Lieu [in terms of provision, not worth the paper it’s written on].

That sounds simple enough but LEA’s are public authorities, cash starved with insufficient numbers of well trained experienced staff. Whilst many individual LEA offices are conscientious and committed they faces an impossible task ie the fair allocation of resources to those children identified as having SEN. It is impossible for LEA’s to be fair on the budget they are allocated. They are under resourced and SEN isn’t fashionable. Consequently most LEA staff will privately acknowledge that decisions are resource led.

Like many other things in life, the public services you pay your taxes for, aren’t in reality there when you want them.
Instructing us as a way of getting your child's right to the best chance in life realized. If years in education are lost, the future is lost for your child.

No It’s Not You

Many parents, when first refused provision, think that they haven’t perhaps explained their case adequately or effectively and than engage in a long serious of meetings and letters in which they try to make LEA staff ”understand”. Sometimes relationships between parents and offices can become extremely strained. The most powerful challenge is the legal basis of the LEA’s decision because ultimately if the LEA is found not to have fulfilled it’s legal obligations, the LEA’s decision will be overturned.