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1:1 support for primary school wraparound care, who funds it? (Lambeth)

mumtoone

Hi all, hoping someone has been through this and can share how it went.

Our son is autistic with complex needs, has an EHCP, and starts school in Lambeth in September. The school has told us he'll need his 1:1 to safely access breakfast and after-school club, which we need five days a week as we both work full time with no family nearby. The catch is they've said the cost of that 1:1 is down to us, roughly £20 to £50 an hour, on top of the club fees which we cant afford. 

His EHCP coordinator says it can't be funded under Section F because it's outside school hours, and has pointed us to social care to be looked at under Section H. We've put in for a social care assessment but it won't be done before he starts, and im not sure if thats the solve?

A few things I'd love to hear from others on:

- Has anyone actually got the 1:1 for wraparound care funded, and which route worked, Section H/social care, the school as club provider under reasonable adjustments, direct payments, or something else?
- If the LA won't fund it and the school won't either, how did you break the deadlock?
- Did anyone get interim support in place while a social care assessment was still running?
- For context, we know another child at the same school already gets this support, so we know it's possible, we just can't work out who's meant to pay.

Any experiences, good or bad, would be really appreciated. Trying to get this sorted before September so he can actually start on the same footing as everyone else. Thank you.

  • in reply to Acquiesce

    Thank you so much; sorry for replying so late to you. Interestingly, the wraparound care is provided by the school, so technically they are the providers in this case. They have some specialist clubs (tennis, chess etc.) which are run by a private company, but the standard breakfast / after shool is by them. 

    It's a tricky one, as we want to keep a good relationship with the school. I can see they are really trying and want to keep him safe, which is everyone's number 1 priority, but we have to work. We've managed a week, but we're now entering the second week with no solid plan! 

  • Are you able to speak with the parents of the child you believe receives this to see how they navigated the process?

    As I understand it the school is not liable to fund, and (given their Sendco will be on holiday now) I would advise you speak directly with Lambeth Council to see how they will meet the requirements on page 40 of the document they link on their website around wraparound care here: 

    https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/childminders/information-guidance/wraparound-childcare-programme 

    assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/.../national-wraparound-childcare-programme-handbook.pdf

    Be clear that you want this to be in place for September and that the school and ehcp coordinator have said this is not in their remit (which I believe to be correct). The government document linked clearly states providers must pay, not parents, and, as the local authority that is their job (as opposed to the school). 

    I suspect they will try to put it back onto the school, but since they will hold the send allocation funding it is their responsibility.

    I suspect it won't be easy but stand firm and keep going back to the 'in place for September thing', while being aware that if they do agree to fund the school would still need to appoint which is unlikely for the start of term.

    If you can agree funding with the council though it might be that school can pull something together as an interim, so keep pushing the in place for September thing with the council... and remember you've already had the info from the school and ehcp coordinator so keep pushing that it's their job. Good luck!

  • This all gets a bit complicated. 1:1s generally aren't funded outside of the school day, that is definitely true. Schools have an obligation to make reasonable adjustments to ensure send kids can access things like wrap around care. Providing a 1:1 would be an example of a reasonable adjustment. However, you can't charge a parent for a reasonable adjustment - I do not think that is lawful. It does create a difficult situation for the school - they probably have limited funding and TAs don't usually work hours outside of the normal school day so someone does need to pay the 1:1. But I don't think they are allowed to charge you more to access something that other kids can just attend. Obviously the priority has to be the safety of your child and others.

    Your difficulty would be telling them you won't pay may might them say well it isn't safe for your child to attend, a 1:1 would be unreasonable. However, they need evidence in order to make this call and from what you've written, your child hasn't actually started yet? This begs the question... What is their evidence? Would you agree that your child would definitely need a 1:1 in order to attend? Obviously the priority has to be the safety of your child and others.

    I don't have any personal experience with this situation and I'll be honest, I've never heard of this happening. I would reach out to SENDIASS and IPSEA as suggested below. They can both give free advice and will be far more knowledgeable about the law etc.

    I can understand this is a difficult situation as I'm sure you don't want to be fighting with the school before he has even started. I assume this is a mainstream school? I would question, if they can't facilitate him attending a club, are they the right setting for him? I would question with the school what is going to happen if for example, your child's 1:1 is absent that day. I don't want to add to your worries but it would be of concern to me that they are already making rulings like that before he has even attended.

  • Dear mumtoone,

    I understand how difficult it can be to access funding and I know many of the online community have had similar experiences. I thought I would share some resources that might be able to help answer your questions:

    Please visit our online advice and guidance which explains more about getting extra help in school, assessments, education plans, reviews and school transport for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/education/extra-help-at-school   

    If you require further support, you may like to contact the following regional organisations:  

    England  

    • Every local area has a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Service that can provide information, advice and support to parents and carers of children and young people with SEND, including on exclusions:  www.kids.org.uk/sendiass   
    • Independent Provider of Special Education Advice is a registered charity that offers free and independent information, advice and support to help get the right education for children and young people with all kinds of SEND: http://www.ipsea.org.uk/   
    •  Coram’s Child Law Advice service can be accessed through their website or contacted on 0300 330 5485 from Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm: childlawadvice.org.uk/.../   
    • SOS!SEN offers a free, term-time, national helpline, staffed by a team of volunteers, to provide next step advice and support on questions and issues parents may have relating to their child’s SEN provision: https://sossen.org.uk/services/helpline/ Their helpline number is 0208 538 3731.  

    I hope that some of the information I have shared will help. Please reach out if you have any question, the community are here to support you. 

    Warmest wishes,

    Olivia Mod