Appealing to the SENDIST Tribunal
Special Education Needs & Disability Tribunal information
A Local Authority will sometimes make a decision that parents do not agree with.
The Authority may refuse to assess a child, decline to issue an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or will write an EHC Plan that does not fully reflect the needs of the child. A Tribunal Appeal can address these issues.
Success at the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) depends on following the correct procedure and by securing the best evidence to persuade the panel.
We help parents through the Tribunal process; drafting the appeal application, providing detailed grounds of appeal based on the evidence of the child’s needs and education law. We represent parents at the hearing and advise on the need for further evidence such as Independent Educational Psychologist report to strengthen the case.
Although most parents want their child to remain in mainstream school, for some children a Special School is more appropriate.
The success of such a placement will depend on the support for the child. We represent families who have children with all sorts of needs, whether it is the need for additional educational support in the form of speech therapy, occupational therapy or physiotherapy. Children/young people with hearing or visual impairments also need specialist teaching/support to achieve their potential.
The right educational placement does not only entail the correct teaching for a child. For some children it can also involve speech and language and occupational therapy provision.
We have succeeded in persuading the Tribunal of the benefit to some children of Sensory Integration Therapy. Sometimes sensory issues need to be addressed before a child can benefit from other provision a school offers.
The question of which school a child attends is a matter brought to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.
Turner’s Solicitors have worked with a number of Educational Psychologists and Independent Therapist. We can always recommend experts who have the right experience in the therapy needed and in attending Tribunal appeals.
The Tribunal process can appear daunting for parents who attempt to draft their own appeal and prepare the documents for the panel. The Tribunal Panel receive the appeal before the hearing and read the papers in detail in advance of the event. It is vital that the best written case is presented.
We provide advice to parents at each step of the tribunal appeal process.
Want to find out more?
Call 01656 768 500 today.
TURNER'S SOLICITORS
Turner’s Solicitors specialise in helping parents and students gain the most from their school, college or University experience. We handle all matters relating to education including Special Educational Needs, Admission Appeals, Exclusion Appeals, University Complaints and Disability Discrimination cases.