My young man has got rather into politics. Democracy was on the school syllabus whilst he was hopping around at home. One Monday, as we joined his class at a local library (no stairs involved) he picked out and brought home a book on British politics. He opened it randomly, read it and asked me what a civil society was, this is what it said "The aspects of social and economic life (primarily voluntary associations and private organisations) that are outside the control of the state. A strong civil society based on a large number and wide variety of private associations and organisations is thought to be the basis for democracy." it also said "it is noticeable that one of the first things dictators do when they come to power is try and get control of voluntary organisations, knowing they are dangerous basis of the struggle for freedom and democracy."
As if someone was whispering in my ear.
I've started my new job for a local charity that supports parents of children with disabilities. I'm also going through the process of getting my sons statement transferred to the new EHC plans. There goes that whisper again. "So that children and parents can spend more time doing other things" It took me 11 hours to sit down and re-write my sons plan and I had to do it at the weekend now that I'm working. My son wasn't happy that I had to shut myself away surrounded by paperwork, guidance and a laptop. Then I remembered the reporters face and his slicked back hair, tucked in shirt and friendly camera man who was amazed as a Lancaster bomber flew overhead on route to a local airfield. So I looked back at my blog "Bumped" in 2011 when the government was consulting parents on the SEN reforms. This document will tell you all about it: (and there's a nice picture of Mr Gove)
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130401151715/https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eorderingdownload/green-paper-sen.pdf
Myself and young man appeared briefly on TV talking about our experiences with the old SEN system and how I'd like not to have to fight anymore. The journo finished off the piece with that line "So that parents and their children can spend more time doing other things" cutting to a scene of myself and my young man playing chess.
All those years ago under the old system it took up two years of my life to get a statement of SEN and the support he needed. It's been six months so far and we're not there yet, the stress is the same, no different and it already feels like pulling teeth, not quite got to banging head on the wall yet. In the above document it says:
This Green Paper is about all the children and young people in this country who are are disabled, or identified as having a special educational need. It is about their aspirations and their hopes. Their desire to become, like every child and young person, independent and successful in their chosen future, and, to the greatest extent possible, the author of their own life story.
Four years later and the question is has the new system managed to achieve this. I'm having to exercise restraint. I have to believe that all partners are striving to achieve it and that they are not entrenched in old ways of working and that there has been a culture change.
My case worker thanked me for all the hard work I'd put into re-writing my sons plan as it was a very difficult task and he had many to write up. I have some sympathy for him and his colleagues this is new to all of us and everybody seems confused and under resourced.
My new job is to be a critical friend and it helps me to refer back to that randomly picked part of my sons chosen British Politics book. I have to exercise restraint. Last week I had four meetings back to back that went like this: parents view, LA's view, parents view and LA's view. This will hopefully result in partnership working by introducing them to each other and a better outcome for our children.
But it won't stop the whispers.
