Alert to Barnet parents

PRESS RELEASE ... PRESS RELEASE ... PRESS RELEASE ... Embargoed until 00.01 hours 28th March 2003

Challenge Barnet LEA now or you may lose your child's special educational provision in the future

warns IPSEA, the national parents' charity which supports parents of children with special educational needs.

The law says Statements of Special Educational Needs must specify the special provision a child is entitled to. Despite the law, Barnet has written to hundreds of parents of children with disabilities or learning difficulties, telling them that their children's Statements will be changed and will no longer specify the special educational provision they are entitled to receive at school.

Commenting on the situation, John Wright of IPSEA said today

"Remove the specified provision from a Statement and you remove the child's legal entitlement to the help they need, whether that's extra teaching, non-teaching support, speech therapy or occupational therapy, or specialist aids and equipment such as laptop computers.

We believe what Barnet is doing is against the law. And we believe that Barnet knows it, for we've been told that whenever a parent rings them to complain, the Officers back-down immediately. Good news for those children whose parents understand how important it is that extra help is clearly specified in their Statement. But bad news for children whose parents either don't understand Statements or who don't have the confidence to challenge the LEA."

IPSEA's job as a charity is to help parents and carers defend their children's rights to the special provision and support they might need to make progress in school. For this reason, the charity has written to all Barnet parents who have contacted them over the last year (and to all Barnet head teachers, asking them to pass on the message) :

If Barnet try to remove the specified provision from your child's Statement, call them and challenge it immediately. If you need help to do this, or if you want to help challenge Barnet policy, call IPSEA on 01394 380518.

ENDS

NOTES FOR EDITORS

For information on Barnet's policy, and on the law of special education, contact David Ruebain, Solicitor and IPSEA's Legal Adviser, on 0208 881 7777.
For interviews with families affected by Barnet's actions contact Christine Haugh on 0208 446 2451.
For information on IPSEA contact John Wright (national office) 01394 380518.

If Barnet try to remove the specified provision from your child's Statement, call them and challenge it immediately. If you need help to do this, or if you want to help challenge Barnet policy, call IPSEA on 01394 380518.