Hi everyone,
Following a truly harrowing meeting yesterday with my Local Authority / school concerning my autistic daughter's non attendance where it was me on my own - and eight of them (!), I am more determined than ever to ensure we create some meaningful change for those who come after us.
Those of you who know me know I am 'tough as ol' boots' but even for me that meeting was intimidating and not supportive. I explained everything we had tried over years to ensure my child's attendance at school (all the usual - Early Help, Emotional Based School Avoidance Officer, reduced time table, privately funded play therapy, privately funded ELSA - we even privately paid my daughter's gym coach to come every morning to try to create some new morning routines etc.etc.).
In the meeting I heard all the ill informed oldies - such as "home life being too comfortable" and "the problem must be something at home preventing her attendance as on paper there is no reason why she cannot attend." Along with a good dollop of "you just have to let her know school is not optional".... oh, and not to forget the obligatory mention of "parenting courses"!
We are not currently in receipt of any support services (we were closed to our fabulous Early Help worker in December 2023 as there was "nothing further she could do" to support us after almost a year with us). We have been weeks without hearing from any professionals and have most definitely been "out of school out of sight". Yet despite all our engagement and requests for help, we received the fixed penalty notice warning.
The system has to blame me, because if it doesn't then who is at fault? The school? The government? The Local Authority? And if they acknowledge there should be more help, more provision, more support then that will be costly....
So here we are
If you can continue to sign and share the petition to help families like mine, please do. I do not want families up and down the country to have to continue to go through what we are going through now... it needs to start at the top with an understanding and empathetic response from the DfE.
Thank you!
KR
Emma