Meetings about inclusion that are not inclusive
- By Brian Leveson
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- 27 Mar, 2022
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Having attended many coproduction meetings, we are deeply concerned that meetings about inclusion are not inclusive
Not listening to our demographic was not antisemitic - but a desire to be more inclusive
Two years ago, as the pandemic began, I attended a meeting that included a discussion on the dreaded SEND travel annual application form. We had been very vocal that this form was a barrier to a service that is essential for disabled children and the council had no legal basis on which to ask parents and carers to fill in the form every year.
I was about 20 minutes late for the meeting because I had been doing online home schooling and the meeting had been arranged at 3 hours notice.
The department were going to issue a third letter about the annual application for in as many months. In the spirit of coproduction I offered to read it.
I was told that I could not, because of my 'demographic'.
I was about 20 minutes late for the meeting because I had been doing online home schooling and the meeting had been arranged at 3 hours notice.
The department were going to issue a third letter about the annual application for in as many months. In the spirit of coproduction I offered to read it.
I was told that I could not, because of my 'demographic'.
I wrote to the Local Government Ombudsman about what I perceived to be antisemitism - see London Borough of Haringey (21 000 897)
The council told the Local Government Ombudsman that when developing new consultation strategies, one potential pitfall would be if, “we got just enough people for it to be representative of most groups, but had one particular group, e.g. white, middle class people from one part of the borough that was very over represented……to be fair and equitable…we would have to have some sort of mechanism to decide who from that demographic should come onto the group to represent it”.
I complained about “direct discrimination” about what appeared to me to be antisemitism, but the council said that the intention to look again at improving co-production with a broader range of people demonstrated his commitment to ensuring good service user and parental participation.
I complained about “direct discrimination” about what appeared to me to be antisemitism, but the council said that the intention to look again at improving co-production with a broader range of people demonstrated his commitment to ensuring good service user and parental participation.
The 'road map' to inclusion was the Amaze Report
Since that meeting we have had the AMAZE Report setting out recommendations Haringey need to follow for inclusive coproduction - but they have not been followed.
Meetings at venues that are not inclusive
One of the demographics that is most excluded is families with complex disabled members, whether that is complex autism, learning disabilities, medical needs or physical disabilities.
By not following, for example the three weeks minimum notice recommendation, people have been excluded from meetings about the formation and running of the parent carer forum, the SEND strategy and the Written Statement of Action following the OFSTED report.
As a result of this meetings and policies are not designed to be inclusive, venue and meeting methods are not inclusive and people are excluded.
By not following, for example the three weeks minimum notice recommendation, people have been excluded from meetings about the formation and running of the parent carer forum, the SEND strategy and the Written Statement of Action following the OFSTED report.
As a result of this meetings and policies are not designed to be inclusive, venue and meeting methods are not inclusive and people are excluded.
Concerns raised and not addressed
We raised concerns that parent carer forum meetings are not inclusive.
A family event for Easter has been arranged at a venue that is not inclusive as it is in park without an inclusive play-space, on a great big hill and with no Changing Places.
Initially, our concerns were wholly not accepted by the forum who strongly suggested that we were being selfish and self promoting for wanting an inclusive venue - which was the same as the response from the forum to requests for evening meetings.
Sadly, the activity is going to go ahead, with no change of venue to a more inclusive park.
The parent carer forum 'walks and talks' provide parents who are free in the daytime the opportunity to share ideas and hold discussions. We have been instructed not to discuss issues (or speak even) in the evening online meetings, the purpose of which is exclusively for the self selected committee to present at (to be fair, you can comment in the chat, but this is not the same as a discussion).
A family event for Easter has been arranged at a venue that is not inclusive as it is in park without an inclusive play-space, on a great big hill and with no Changing Places.
Initially, our concerns were wholly not accepted by the forum who strongly suggested that we were being selfish and self promoting for wanting an inclusive venue - which was the same as the response from the forum to requests for evening meetings.
Sadly, the activity is going to go ahead, with no change of venue to a more inclusive park.
The parent carer forum 'walks and talks' provide parents who are free in the daytime the opportunity to share ideas and hold discussions. We have been instructed not to discuss issues (or speak even) in the evening online meetings, the purpose of which is exclusively for the self selected committee to present at (to be fair, you can comment in the chat, but this is not the same as a discussion).
Years and years and a multitude of reasons to exclude our 'demographic'
1. Raised continuing concerns about lack of inclusion of a range of disabilities in the 'old' PCF and system
2. 24th April 2020 - for being white, middle class people from one part of the borough
3. Post-AMAZE report - lack of 3 weeks notice (why prepare for or turn up to a meeting only to be told you or your view point is not wanted)
4. On-going behaviours and hostility from Haringey Staff
5. New PCF - no evening meetings for 6 months
6. Lack of inclusive venues & no talking or discussion allowed in evening meetings
2. 24th April 2020 - for being white, middle class people from one part of the borough
3. Post-AMAZE report - lack of 3 weeks notice (why prepare for or turn up to a meeting only to be told you or your view point is not wanted)
4. On-going behaviours and hostility from Haringey Staff
5. New PCF - no evening meetings for 6 months
6. Lack of inclusive venues & no talking or discussion allowed in evening meetings
How the Difficult Parent rates it
What the Difficult Parent ratings mean
If you thought SEND was bad - the NHS is seemingly prepared to throw away money to private companies
About 3 or 4 times a year we get the euphemistic message 'Parents please note we have put a letter in your child's bag' - its a world away from how a child's death was handled in my child's first school
More of a trial by ordeal than a well organised clearly set out administrative process for moving the care of vulnerable young adults from Haringey's Children's Services to Adult Services. We have been failed at every stage of the process.
Never EVER get on the bus without a camera running if you need the priority wheelchair space
The reality of using a London Bus in the teeming rain on a Sunday afternoon is no joke when the parents of a paraplegic person in a wheelchair clash with the self-entitled buggy-pushing parents of toddlers.
At 3pm today I received some barefaced lies from Haringey Council Adult Social Care in response to a photograph I published online yesterday and the media interest it generated
Haringey SEND Transport are insisting that a 17 year old minibus with no air conditioning is a suitable vehicle to transport my paraplegic son in this heatwave. The appalling conditions inside the minibus inside the bus is something they knew about last summer, yet they have to date done nothing whatsoever provide a suitable minibus this year nor appropriately mitigate the temperatures inside the minibus.The conditions inside the minibus are so bad that they triggered multiple seizures during the heatwave as my son has epilepsy, which they SEND transport department know about and they also know that they are triggered by heat.It is not just son who is impacted: last year we know of one child who died on Haringey SEND Transport in the summer heatwave and another who had seizures.
I am simply asking a question - are we all absolutely certain that the road closure / travel restrictions (commonly know as LTNs) placed on some of the most severely disabled people who are wholly reliant on cars are absolutely necessary
Haringey's road closures exemptions policy for disabled people is not fit for purpose, unduly burdensome and intrusive - it's time to stand up against the pro-LTN lycra-clad cycling bullies
Is the argument for and against exemptions for disabled people in Low Traffic Neighbourhoods really a case of GOOD versus EVIL?
