oh blimey I dunno about that Gyps. .but in the meantime, while you are awaiting the NAS to get back to you, can you ring the head of the school, where I presume they got copies of the yearly assessment, and ask on what authority they gave them out? It may at least give you some background to work with..

 

Good luck

 

Im waiting for the school to get back to me today, they should have received my letter to de-register her from school , as from today, im done with it. So will have a word with him then. Thanks olly

Sorry I couldn't be of much more help.... am presuming the council probably has access to school info tho regardless of which council depts cos of the various services they provide for children.. ..

 

I've not been much help to you tho

No worries olly, i just wondered if anyone on here was hot on this topic. I didnt even think of this angle till yesterday when my friend (who is a lunchtime assistant) was listening to me rant on. She said, "i nearly lost my job once because i told someone id keep an eye on their kid" the mother then took this as proof the kid was being bullied, as she suspected. .

 

She urged me to find out what i could about if this woman broke some confidentiality rule...

basically anything that adds weight to my complaint, because she was bang out of order.

at the appeal was there a representitive from transport?

 

at schools admissions appeals (which i went to 2 years ago)  a rep from the school was present and they try every trick in the book to avoid overturning the decision

As far as I know, Gyps, the school should have a written confidentiality policy which you should be able to have access to. I don't know if it's a legal requirement, but a lot of schools have them now.

 

Olly has given you the best advice. It's horrible to feel that your trust has been betrayed.

Gypsie, I think it could possibly be covered by The Data Protection Act 1998, The Information Commissioner is the UK authority dealing with this type of thing.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

 

Lots of info on their site http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Yeah it was just me and her there. I couldn't believe she was saying it, i thought it was so low. And the sad fact is lil gyps prob will never live independently etc...but the focus of these reviews are all positive, positive, positive, so you put your HOPES.   And the actual reason we were at this appeal in the first place was ludicrous. It all boils down to money.

thanks peter, I think im not going to be asking these questions myself, ive got my fingers burned trying to do the appeal on my own, I will wait till the NAS get back to me and ask them if that should have been the case. Then they can go in all legal-eagled thank you

Thanks rosiedoll I wil have a look through the site

In lincs the education dept. has a transport dept and therefore they may be able to see education reports,  she will have wanted all the information she could regarding your daughter and the school may have let her access this information,  i am not excusing what she did but in my own experience the lea will try anything to save money

The irony of this whole situation is that they went back on their own arrangements.  Basically in 2008 my daughters bus was changed. She hated (with a passion) the bus escorts. She went from NEVER in her whole school life before (or since) being in trouble to being suspended from the bus 6 times. School would send her home for being so violent when she arrived at school. I had to restrain her at home, she was so wound up. The escorts were attacked by her, sworn at by her... the list goes on and on. She only attended school 100 days out of that year.... IT WAS HORRENDOUS. Because it was so bad, THEY changed the bus routes so that she could be with another escort...since then no probs. 

 

Then Easter last year i got a letter saying because of costs they bus route was changing...guess whos bus they had put her back on????  I said no way, they said... sorry if we keep her on the same bus it will cost us £2350. Deal with it.

You're welcome Gypsie xx Sorry you've out been through that stress. My blood was boiling just reading it  God knows what you must feel like 

each child should have their own escort - move her escort onto the same bus?

not down here, there is one or two max for a whole minibus. Southampton is pretty crap for special needs.

If u have a friendly Senco at your daughters school it might be worth having an unofficial chat with them. They usually know all the tricks and things to say to get stuff done.

i'd also use a social/case worker if you have one - strength in numbers, for any appeal

well my daughter goes to a special school so there isnt a senco as such.

I dont have any involvement with social services machel, but im thinking i may contact them. I did try to contact everyone going into the appeal, even got my mp on the case to write to them, but they wont budge.

 

Thanks everyone for the replies x

I can see you've done a lot of work already Gypsie, but just in case you haven't tried these?

The Local Government Ombudsman

http://www.lgo.org.uk/making-a-complaint

The Local Government Ombudsman can investigate complaints of maladministration ( by the local council ) which cause injustice, suffering or hardship. This means that they can take up complaints about the way an organisation has done something, or not done something it should have done. 

 

Examples of the type of complaint they can investigate are:
delay or neglect in responding to enquiries or providing a service
failure to follow the agreed policies, rules or procedures of the organisation
rudeness, discrimination or unhelpfulness of officials
incorrect and/or misleading information and advice given by officials
failure of officials to provide advice and information.

Citizens Advice Bureau for advice? http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index.htm

Or possibly,to get further info?

The Care Quality Commission  http://www.cqc.org.uk/

Independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We regulate care provided by the NHS, local authorities, private companies and voluntary organisations

Good luck xx

Thanks rosey, I will add them to my list of things to bring up and look into, the ombudsman may be my last hope, thank you

 

Its just shit that we have to fight at all. Its not like ive got a choice of school to send her to. They send her to one at the other side of the city, an hours drive away... and then tell me, its that bus or nothing.  Its not right!

We have something called the Childrens Legal Centre (its based within our university, but I think its national)..      they are there to represent children rights, and support & advise those that fight for those rights on their behalf.

 

I had a friend that used to work there, so I know that they did used to deal with this kind of thing..   if nothing else they may be able to give you some advise.

 

http://www.childrenslegalcentre.com/

 

they may well take on your case for you 

Thanks for that link ditty, I will contact them, see if they can help . x

I cannot believe that you have to go through these problems on top of your daughter's problems. It's hideous, why can't the Government do as they say instead of conning us before elections? I really hope you will get satisfaction. You should NOT have to fight for this. I'm sick to the back teeth of everything being commanded by money.

I can't think for one moment why she wont just let me educate the little Gypsie **snigger**

 

Gyps... I know you will work out the right thing

So sorry to hear you and little Gyps are being treated so appallingly, Gypsie.

 

I don't know about the legal stuff, but you should be able to make a formal complaint because your comments were taken out of context in the official summing up, surely?

 

Makes me mad that these things always happen to the people who don't deserve it.

 

That's bloody awful. It's clear the wee one's health suffers when she has to travel with the escorts she doesn't get on with -  did they ever take medical evidence into consideration? There's a clear case for a medical assessment of the impact of the change of arrangements .

 

I think it depends where you are and how your local authority operates whether the school transport services would have access to school info - I know in our neck of the woods services are integrated , and details are disclosed to transport by the schools when decisions are being made, so that they're making a fully informed decision -it sounds here though  like they're using what you said ( a comment not related in any way to immediate needs..and immediate needs are what this situation is about ) as a weapon against you. That's unjust,  unprofessional and unforgiveable. For her to say "so while it looks like we are dealing with someone who is autistic," ..  she frickin is dealing with someone with autism ! there's been a diagnosis!  That in itself is grounds for a formal complaint, even if they managed to defend the confidentiality aspect  successfully. 

 

Something else that might be useful in preparing your case is to invoke the Freedom Of Information Act and request all info relating to the decision to change arrangements, right through the appeals process. That would let you see exactly what's been going on- you have the right to see all written info ( including individual  council officers' notes , not just minutes, emails etc ) It'll give you a  better idea of how decisions have been made, and put the shits up the council! 

 

I really hope you get this resolved , and that the NAS sort them right out. Swines.

Rant over!