Statementing in Oldham

Okay if you have a child who is Hypermobile/EDS in Oldham, please be aware of some serious changes to the statementing system !!

If you child has a disability and requires less than 15 hrs of 1-1 support at school, you will not get a statement!!
Oldham is the only borough in the UK to do away with statements for those who require less than 15hrs support.
You can However apply for a Parental Statement. Which means you have to do all the paperwork yourself. The likely hood of you being successful? 10%.
If you have a child who is Bendy, then you will be assessed on the CAF scale, as that is apparently how they are funding schools direct with regard to any special needs. If you ask for a statement from school, school have to phone the council, and get approval to apply for a statement. You will most likely be given a CAF assessment instead.
So your child has a CAF statement, good, they are getting the support they need, HOWEVER.............
What happens if you move out of the area, or you child then goes to school in Tameside?
The CAF is NOT RECOGNISED ANYWHERE OTHER THAN OLDHAM. YOU WILL NEED TO THEN APPLY FOR A STATEMENT IN THE NEW SCHOOL. Another 6 month wait, while your child is assessed.
A statement was devised as a national standard for assessing those with special needs. OLDHAM have pulled out of the Statementing Standard, unless your child requires MORE THAN 15hrs per week, which generally means that you child would be in a specialist school anyway. Those of us with children in mainstream schools are the ones who are going to struggle.
A CAF assessment is NOT A LEGALLY BINDING DOCUMENT.
What does this mean for the EDS'ers out there? Sometimes our kids need very little help, yet other times, they can fall and dislocate and need massive amounts of 1-1 every week. If you child is EDS then you wont get the level of support your childs needs in school, you wont have a written statement providing for the injury periods. You wont have something that will follow their education time, and provide for extra time with exams, lockers, etc.
If you child isnt EDS, but maybe Dyspraxic, or Dyslexic, you WILL NOT GET A STATEMENT. Your child will be bound to the education system in the Oldham Borough, and will get support, however if you move out of Oldham or your child goes to school outside of Oldham, you will then have to apply for a Statement.

PERSONALLY I THINK THIS STINKS!!!!!!