Education Lawyers Berkshire
Education Lawyers Covering Berkshire
Here at HCB Education Law, our specialist education lawyers have secured special educational needs support for several children, young people and families in Berkshire and have experience of working across England and Wales.
A learner is deemed as having special educational needs (SEN) if they have difficulties accessing educational facilities at school which is impacting on their learning.
You should seek legal advice if you are unsure whether your child has special educational needs and is receiving the appropriate support. HCB Education Law Solicitors offer the following: SEN legal advice, assist an appeal or challenge against the local education authority and support you through the process of a special educational needs and disability tribunal.
Support available to you in Berkshire for Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Berkshire Local Authority web page:
http://fis.westberks.gov.uk/kb5/westberkshire/fsd/localoffer.page?familychannel=4-3
You can also click on the link below to the Berkshire Local Offer to find support available to children and young people with special educational needs:
http://fis.westberks.gov.uk/kb5/westberkshire/fsd/service.page?id=WR2sK5YlwU0&familychannel=4-3
The ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review’ model is used in most schools to support SEN and parents and guardians should be involved in discussions about planning SEN support for their child or young person. There are various types of support available to your child, but this will mainly depend on their circumstances, this support could include the use of special learning materials, small group and one-to-one work. You should be updated a minimum of three times a year on the support that is being provided, by whom, and how the progress will be monitored and evaluated.
Each school receives a SEN Delegated Budget, this budget is not finite and as a result could limit the support available to the children and young people at the school who require SEN. On occasion, the school may not identify that your child has SEN, or the needs of the child or young person cannot be met at the school. If this is the case, then you should consider an application for an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
How to Apply for an EHCP in Berkshire
Before an EHCP can be issued, an Education Health Care (EHC) Needs Assessment must be completed. Information gathered during the assessment process is brought together and forms the EHCP.
Further information on how this assessment is made and guidance on the application process can be found here:
Berkshire Local Authority operates its own policies in addition to the requirement to comply with legal duties under the Children and Families Act 2104, and the SEND Code of Practice 2015. Statutory law can be complex, in our experience, local authority’s own policies can over simplify the law. This has led to the local authority making poor decisions and have applied their policies without full consideration of the needs and circumstances of the child or young person.
It is the responsibility of Berkshire local authority to decide whether an EHCP is necessary. The local authority must take into consideration the subjective needs of the child or young person, the additional help they require to meet their needs and whether the support can be provided in a mainstream school.
Appeals can be made to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST), if the local authority refuses to complete an EHC needs assessment, or if they refuse to make an EHCP. As this process can be complex it is useful to take specialist legal advice regarding a SENDIST appeal. Here at HCB Education Law we have specialist lawyers who assist with SENDIST appeals.
What SEN Legal Advice is available in Berkshire?
HCB Education Law Solicitors are specialist education lawyers who have helped many children, young people and their families in the Berkshire area as well as extensive experience of working with families throughout the country.
To speak to one of our specialist education solicitors covering the Berkshire area, please call our team on 02920 291 704.