Advice please...is this discrimination?

[maisie78]

We have chosen a nursery for Gabriella and wanted her to start asap. She will need a 1:1 more or less full time. We were advised to wait until Sept 1st and apply for an EHC plan as the changeover from statements was imminent. But we were told by the Ed Psych that we would be able to get temporary early years funding to cover the 1:1 until her ECHP is complete. I have sent the application and evidence but looking at around end of January/mid February before it is completed.

The nursery owner has been a star and has tried pretty much every avenue to try and get the temporary funding with no joy. The best she can get is 1/3 funding so basically for every 3 hours my dd is at nursery she will only have 1:1 for 1 hour and the other 2 she would be in the 1:4 ratio. This is not safe and so unacceptable. We have been told that she cannot get the full temporary funding until she is 3 years old.

So basically that means she cannot start nursery until at least the end of January. I believe this must be discrimination because that is treating her differently to able bodied children and denying her safe access to daycare. Whilst the rest of my friends can pick a nursery and have their children start within a couple of weeks, here we are having to wait 5 months!

I am fuming I just don't really know who to speak to or what to so next

 

[emyandpotato]

I don't know if it counts legally as discrimination as it's more things taking longer rather than there being no option altogether, but it is absolutely disgraceful that this is happening, and I feel awful for you and Gabriella.

 

[Reid]

I'd agree with above. The problem is if you seek any additional help it always takes ages which is very frustrating as in the mean time your child misses out. I had my son referred for speech therapy it took 8 months for his first appointment to come through. Just keep on at them phone them every week if need be and never give up xxx

 

[chickenlegs]

I agree, it is a time thing. I am a teacher and we had a child start who had a trach. Obviously he needed one to one because of the risk of choking. His one to one also needed medical training to deal with trach changes, suctioning etc. It took AGES for the funding to come through so there was no choice but for his mum to sit in the room with him for 7 months until the funding and the training were completed. It was either that, or he didn't start really.

 

[maisie78]

Thanks for the input ladies. I have calmed down a little now so looking at it rationally I can see what you are saying.

What made me so mad is that they have extended the funded hours for disabled children but not the TAEYS (Temporary early years support) which would give us the funding we need straight away while waiting for the ECHP. But they have said under 3's can't have that funding. I wouldn't mind waiting if there was no other option but I know the temporary funding is there for exactly this situation but is being denied to her because she isn't 3 yet.