SEND reforms have “failed to make system less adversarial for parents” – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 4th, 2019 in budgets, children, disabled persons, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A key aim of the SEND (special educational needs and disability) reforms introduced in England five years ago – to make the system feel less adversarial for parents – has not been achieved in relation to children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), it has been claimed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 3rd September 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Parents win funding to mount legal challenge over school closure – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2019 in legal aid, news, school children, special educational needs by sally

‘Parents shocked by the sudden closure of a residential unit at a special needs school in Bristol, which resulted in children with severe and complex learning difficulties having to move out, have won legal aid funding to investigate a possible challenge to the lawfulness of the decision.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council defeats judicial review challenge over changes to school transport and SEN transport policies – Local Government Lawyer

‘Leicestershire County Council has defeated a High Court challenge brought by a 17-year-old, severely disabled girl over proposed changes to its school transport policies.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd July 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Hackney defeats High Court challenge to approach on SEN funding and Education and Health Care Plans – Local Government Lawyer

Posted April 15th, 2019 in judicial review, local government, news, special educational needs by michael

‘A High Court judge has rejected claims that Hackney Council’s policies on Special Educational Needs and Disability, including a reduction in its expenditure on SEND, were unlawful.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 12th April 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council withdraws decision to close special schools after legal challenge – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 28th, 2019 in judicial review, local government, news, special educational needs by sally

‘Wiltshire Council has agreed to withdraw its decision to approve the closure of three special schools and a related notice regarding the opening of a new special school, following legal action from a group of families.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 26th March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

High Court sets June date for judicial review hearing over SEND funding policy – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 6th, 2019 in budgets, judicial review, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A High Court judge has granted three families permission to bring a judicial review challenge over the Government’s special education needs (“SEND”) funding policy.’

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Local Government Lawyer, March 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Call to register home-schooled children – BBC News

Posted February 4th, 2019 in children, news, special educational needs by sally

‘Children taught at home should be recorded on a compulsory register, England’s children’s commissioner has said.’

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BBC News, 4th February 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ombudsman upholds 11 complaints against council over SEN provision in two years – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised Norfolk County Council over its provision for children with special education needs after upholding 11 complaints in two years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 16th January 2019

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Norfolk council rebuked over special needs provision – The Guardian

Posted January 16th, 2019 in complaints, local government, news, ombudsmen, special educational needs by sally

‘The local government ombudsman has reprimanded a local authority over its provision for children with special educational needs after upholding 11 complaints against the council over the last two years.’

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The Guardian, 16th January 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Parents to take government to High Court over special needs funding cuts – The Independent

Posted December 20th, 2018 in disabled persons, education, judicial review, news, special educational needs by tracey

‘A group of parents are taking the government to court over its lack of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding which they say leave “thousands of children across the country in limbo”.

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The Independent, 19th December 2018

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Families go to high court to oppose Hackney’s SEN cuts – The Guardian

Posted November 2nd, 2018 in families, judicial review, local government, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A group of families have gone to the high court in London to try to overturn local authority cuts to special educational needs (SEN) spending, claiming their children are already failing to get the support they require.’

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The Guardian, 31st October 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Parents head to High Court over special needs cuts – BBC News

Posted October 2nd, 2018 in education, learning difficulties, news, special educational needs by sally

‘Sarah Jones is one of four mothers from Surrey taking a case to the High Court to challenge cuts to services for their five children with disabilities.’

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BBC News, 2nd October 2018

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

School discriminated against expelled autistic boy, judge rules – The Guardian

‘Children with special needs who have been excluded from schools for aggressive behaviour linked to their condition are being discriminated against, a judge has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 14th August 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court judge quashes decision by council to cut SEND budget by £5m – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 7th, 2018 in budgets, local government, news, special educational needs by sally

‘A High Court judge has quashed Bristol City Council’s decision to reduce spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by £5m.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 6th August 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Welsh council wins appeal over whether SEN allowance was payable to teachers – Local Government Lawyer

‘A Welsh council has won an appeal over whether former teachers were entitled to be paid SEN (Special Educational Needs) allowance under their contracts. The Employment Tribunal had held that the conditions for entitlement were satisfied in each case, and accordingly, that Swansea City Council’s failure to pay SEN allowance was a breach of contract.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 2nd May 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘It was heartbreaking’: Family wins tribunal after special needs pupil excluded – The Guardian

Posted March 20th, 2018 in education, news, school exclusions, special educational needs, tribunals by sally

‘Mother tells of academy that seemed to care more about its behaviour policy than her son’s education’

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The Guardian, 20th March 2018

Source: www.theguardian.com

Tribunal upholds council refusal to disclose information on ‘Twitter storm’ SEN law firm – Legal Futures

‘The First-tier Tribunal has upheld a council’s refusal to hand over information on its handling of a review into its dealings with a law firm that caused an uproar by sending out a series of tweets appearing to gloat over defeating cases brought by parents of children with special educational needs.’

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Legal Futures, 13th March 2018

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Ombudsman upholds 80% of complaints about Education and Health Care Plans – Local Government Lawyer

Posted March 12th, 2018 in complaints, health, news, ombudsmen, reports, special educational needs by sally

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is upholding about 80% of complaints it investigates about Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs), it has been revealed.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 8th March 2018

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Upper Tribunal judge refuses to set aside flawed SEN school ruling – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 14th, 2017 in costs, education, local government, news, setting aside, special educational needs by sally

‘The First Tier Tribunal made a legal error in a case concerning which school a child with special needs should attend, but not one so serious that it required its decision to be set aside, an Upper Tribunal judge has ruled.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th December 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council criticised for failure to provide suitable education to boy with SEN – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 13th, 2017 in local government, news, ombudsmen, special educational needs by sally

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised Essex County Council for failing to provide suitable education to a boy with special educational needs (SEN) for two terms after he stopped attending his special school.’

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Local Government Lawyer, December 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk