SEND Parent carers meeting Wednesday 8th September 2021 Markfield Park cafe on Haringey Transport chaos
- By Brian Leveson
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- 07 Sep, 2021
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A new electronic software programme that is designed to optimise the routes for the SEND transport buses has resulted in 'errors' in the transport details for 550+ children with special educations needs and disabilities (SEND) in Haringey
Haringey SEND Parent carers are meeting on Wednesday 8th September 2021 (9am - 12 noon) at Markfield Park cafe to talk about and do some filming for a YouTube on this year extraordinary (even for Haringey SEND) home to school transport chaos
What happened? All change (but DONT TELL THE PARENTS)!
Families were not informed of their bus routes and escort as usual during the summer holidays.
Already, families were alarmed as there has been 'structural changes' within the SEND department in the summer that no one had included families in, no one had informed families and no one has considered the impact on families. As we blogged at the weekend, families simply did not know about the new structures and who to contact.
But the 'change' that had the biggest impact on families was the utter carnage caused by the implementation of new software for 'route optimisation' software (don't laugh, I can see the irony). It lead to a multitude of issues, the likes of which parents have never seen before (even from the usual level of service from Haringey).
Already, families were alarmed as there has been 'structural changes' within the SEND department in the summer that no one had included families in, no one had informed families and no one has considered the impact on families. As we blogged at the weekend, families simply did not know about the new structures and who to contact.
But the 'change' that had the biggest impact on families was the utter carnage caused by the implementation of new software for 'route optimisation' software (don't laugh, I can see the irony). It lead to a multitude of issues, the likes of which parents have never seen before (even from the usual level of service from Haringey).
The impact on vulnerable families
Too many families have contacted us with stories of what happened to them - so many that we have decided to meet them and film parents explain the impact
- children not picked up
- Families unable to get through to the Transport department who were constantly engaged
- few parents receiving "SEND Transport information Packs"
- Children waiting hours for buses
- Buses waiting outside the wrong addresses
- Data breaches
We STRONGLY question the wisdom of not having a 'dummy run' of the software
So, it's August 2021, and you have 550 odd families replying on you to get their vulnerable disabled children to school. Is there any sense in using a brand new system at that point in time and not doing the following blindingly obvious things:
a. Trying it earlier in the year to iron out any glitches
b. Ensuring that there is a back up plan if it all goes wrong
c. Involving families in the design and
d. Warning families of the new system
a. Trying it earlier in the year to iron out any glitches
b. Ensuring that there is a back up plan if it all goes wrong
c. Involving families in the design and
d. Warning families of the new system
We STRONGLY question the wisdom of not working WITH families on this system
Coproduction is about working with families on this very thing, implementing new systems, to understand the needs of the people that you are providing the service for, and getting an understanding of their perspective.
The fact that this system and the 'structural changes' with the statutory assessment team were all done without any input whatsoever from families has resulted in the chaos we now see.
There needs to be significant behaviour change at the very top of the Children's' Department in order to address the resulting service failures leading to inequalities that we currently see and experience as service users of the Haringey SEND department.
The fact that this system and the 'structural changes' with the statutory assessment team were all done without any input whatsoever from families has resulted in the chaos we now see.
There needs to be significant behaviour change at the very top of the Children's' Department in order to address the resulting service failures leading to inequalities that we currently see and experience as service users of the Haringey SEND department.
We STRONGLY question the abilities of the people responsible
I doubt anyone thinks for a moment that the imminent (as seemingly delayed) OFSTED inspection report will report that there are no problems with the department.
But the problems that we've had over the summer and the start of term have been all about NOT working with families and not CONSIDERING families in service redesign, resulting in questionable improvement and a load of wasted money
But the problems that we've had over the summer and the start of term have been all about NOT working with families and not CONSIDERING families in service redesign, resulting in questionable improvement and a load of wasted money
HOW MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY WAS WASTED?
Some children have been back as school since last week, but are still struggling with their SEND Transport provision not turning up.
How much taxpayer money was wasted paying escorts without children to escort?
How much was spent on buses with nowhere to go?
How much fuel was burnt for no reason whatsoever?
How much taxpayer money was wasted paying escorts without children to escort?
How much was spent on buses with nowhere to go?
How much fuel was burnt for no reason whatsoever?
A total complete monumental disaster for the most vulnerable SEND families in Haringey, whose children as so fragile they qualify for SEND home to school transport provision, having been through an arduous and adversarial application system where their entitlement was strongly and robustly challenged... ...you go though all of that as a family, and then it doesn't even turn up! Now where is the EQUALITY in that?
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?
