We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified Solicitor to join our brilliant team at SEN Legal.

If you have any questions, please feel free to message me on a confidential basis. Full details on the post below.

senlegal.co.uk/vacancies-soli…

I really hope this makes Local Authority's think twice before simply applying their own policies/criteria when choosing to depart from Social Care recommendations in future.

Thank you to my colleague Richard Nettleton for assisting me in this matter. 3/3

bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/…

We succeeded in 2/3 grounds: that the LA's decision not to follow the SENDT recommendations was unreasonable, due to their failure to take all relevant matters into account and assess all relevant considerations & there is a req for specificity in social care sections of an EHCP

Very pleased to have acted in this Judicial Review whereby the Local Authority's decision not to follow the recommendations of the SEND Tribunal was quashed by the High Court. A useful piece of case law for all those in extended appeals in SENDT. 1/3

bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/…

With just over 2 weeks to go until Dyslexia Show
Hayley Mason-Seager and Ricard Nettleton will be at stand A105, to answer any questions you may have.

Hayley will be delivering talks on both Friday and Saturday at 13:30 in the Workshop Theatre.

#KnowYourRights

Very important deadline for phase transfer cases tomorrow. If you don’t get your EHCP through, get chasing your LA so you have time to appeal if you need to. #knowyourrights #SEN #parentpower #EHCP

I'll be at the Dyslexia Show this year, both offering legal surgeries and available on our stand to answer all of your questions. Come along and say hello if you are visiting! #dyslexia #knowyourrights

My main suggestion would be that Local Authorities learn how to apply the law, rather than making:

[unlawful decisions]
[decisions made on their own policy]
[decisions made without considering the evidence]
(insert multiple examples here)

- now wouldn't that be nice!

Top tip re the delays with Hearings, is to set out all the amendments you are seeking on the working document as soon as all of the evidence is available. We are settling so many cases lately (avoiding the need for a hearing), the earlier those negotiations can begin the better.

Remember the good old days where parents could register an Appeal and have their Hearing heard within 12 weeks? We are so far away from that now. We were disappointed when it increased to 16 weeks but that is also now a thing of the past. It’s usual now seeing 50 week timetables.

Just an update on tribunal registration dates. Tribunal Appeals being put in over the last couple of weeks are being registered with a January 2025 Hearing date… we should expect to see a gap in the timetable (as usual) for phase transfer cases yet to be issued & appealed.

You just don’t use those words if you don’t mean them do you. Saying “I didn’t intend to offend” is what you may call an ^*%^ saving exercise. It’s far too little too late for the parents of Warwickshire. The investigation & outcome is what will speak volumes for Warwickshire now

I was busy in the High Court yesterday at a judicial review Hearing (more on that soon hopefully 🤞🏼 ) that I appear to have missed this poor statement of apology from Warwickshire County Council for all of the hurt they have caused the SEN community…warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/4…

If there is something I love, it's Christmas, and if there is something I love more than Christmas, it's judging the cutest christmas cards.

If your child would like to enter, all the details here (p.s. They could win a £100 Amazon Voucher for 1st place!) #SEN #christmas

It was so lovely to see the pan-disability team parade their cup during half-time last night after watching them win it in Liechtenstein. Thank you to Chelsea Foundation for your hospitality. A brilliant evening (very happy to get the win too!)

I try to avoid politics but the fact that somebody is education secretary with such little grasp on the SEND System is barbaric. The system is failing, LA’s continue to make unlawful decisions daily. How is the system ever going to improve when she doesn’t understand the issues?

I wonder whether Ms Keegan might feel differently if she had a child with SEND. If she had a child who could not access any form of education, whose mental health was declining, was unable to speak, or move without difficulty. Would she make the same claims about parents then?

96% of all cases are found in favour of parents. Does Ms Keegan truly believe Judges who uphold the rule of law, who are held to a higher standard than the reasonable person, are just giving out specialist placements because parents have asked? Even the suggestion is comical.

This is appalling. How is the system ever supposed to improve when we have an ‘education secretary’ who clearly doesn’t have the most basic grasp of what is going on at the tribunal? The Tribunal applies the law, it doesn’t just give parents placements.

schoolsweek.co.uk/send-system-is…

A very exciting time for us all at SEN Legal as we embark on our next chapter :)

senlegal.co.uk/post/exciting-…