A Home Ed Blog to watch

 Here at Learning Liberty is the latest on the Governments mistaken attempts to interfere in family life!

What are the Elective Home Education Departments of English and Welsh Local Authorities Up To?

A little late in the day for this as I have been distracted but it seems that the Local Authority Home Education Departments have had some sort of government directive and are sending blanket letters and questionnaires to known Home Educators in their area.

At the same time there is much noise and confusion on the lists (a phrase borrowed from a fellow home educator who shall remain nameless) about secret meetings with home educators who may or may not have the interest of all home educators at heart or just their own livelihood or the soothing of unexamined fears.

These talks seem likely to include Graham Stuart, who may or may not have our best interests at heart but has obviously learned nothing from the parliamentary petition secret committee debacle if he ever noticed it in the first place, just see if you can find the petition blogged by any of the avidly active HE political bloggers in a positive light.

As anyone who reads this blog even occasionally will know I have no time for interference in private family life by officials, local or otherwise, and I mean to walk the talk and to some extent already am.

Here Lou takes action on the ground,  click the text to go to her blog and read more.

FAO: Mr. John Heath,

(Principal Education Welfare Officer),

Cornwall Council,

County Hall,

Treyew Road,

Truro,

Cornwall,

TR1 3AY. 24^th 


September,2009.

jheath@cornwall.gov.uk


Dear Mr. Heath,

As a home educating parent in North Cornwall area, I wish to complain specifically about the behaviour of your EHE Co-ordinator for North Cornwall and more generally regarding Cornwall Councils approach toward home educating families.

The Cornwall Council Information for Elective Home Educators website states that;

“No visit will take place unless you have agreed to one and an appointment has been made”.


Update:

It seems  that some home edders have been contacted by services such as the school nurse offering services and assurance that no snooping is going on, so I think that this is another facet of the questionnaires and letters being sent with blanket coverage to all known home edders by some LA's and there is Graham Stuart in secret talks re new guidelines with some "unnamed" home edders, causing a lot of fuss on the lists as most will know, and now home edders being assured that services are just as available to them as any other child.

Hysterically funny and stupid, all done in secret and all causing distress, paranoia and consternation, lol,and rightly so , why not just tell us?

Anyone got a better explanation?

My Bambi

My Bambi, originally uploaded by maire52.

Wrong blog don't care, this is mine, Barclays hurry up with the transfer, I want it now!

And here she is home.

Great New Blog

from Peter and Carol, long time home educators who insist on the freedom to choose their child's education.

Leicestershire County Council are they abusing some of the families and children they owe a duty of care to?

I think the my LA is gatekeeping and rationing resources it should be provided to a child with life threatening medical issues who had been assaulted by fellow pupils.  The school have refused any responsibility as it took place outside the school gate.  The police have decided they have no role as although the result was “criminal”?  assault the child may have also done something, not clear what to the other child, my understanding is that the other child was unhurt.

So I think the story is: child out of school, traumatised, unwilling leave the house for some time.  Some help is being offered for problems but I suspect it is inappropriate to the point of making matters worse due to a poor grasp of the cause of the problem.  I  am telling you this just having other agencies involved might be significant.

To my limited understanding the parent is actually carrying out their section 7 duty when they refuse to send their child to a school they feel is too far away given their child's medical issues.  I also think that the child's mental state may make attending any school difficult for a while.

The parent is being told by an Education Welfare Officer that as they are refusing this school there is nothing more the local authority can do and their only option is home education! 

This seems an example of off rolling but am I right that it is entirely due to the LA being negligent of its duty of care to this family?

This is my suspicion and what I have been trying to find out by searching for Leicestershire’s policy document on children to ill to attend school is whether that is right.

I have ascertained that the parent does not really want ot home educate and my understanding is that the Local Authority still has a duty in this case. 

My best guess is that the most appropriate way of meeting its obligations would be to provide the child with at home tuition.

My sister’s child has had this for three years due to ME but she had to fight to get it I think, although she has had to fight for so many vital services and modifications that I am not sure if I am right.

This parent, whom I have only spoken to over the phone and via email, is unlikely to have my sister’s experience, education or resources, and may very well be in a vulnerable position.

I have offered to support her in my very new role as home education contact for my area.  I am aware of the irony of my first case being supporting someone who needs to not be coerced into home education!

Problems with Safeguarding - Rawlins Community College Quorn Leicestershire

Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy 2010-11
Rawlins is
• An inspirational centre of learning where all excel
• A safe, healthy and fulfilling place to work and learn
• A respectful and successful community to which all are proud to belong
Effective safeguarding procedures which are understood and implemented by all staff are essential
if Rawlins is to be a safe, healthy and fulfilling place to work and learn.

post under construction

http://www.rawlinscollege.org.uk/files/policies/COMPLAINTSPOLICY.pdf

And I have no clue what 'policy test' might mean and haven't the faintest clue but it is on the list, but so so way down.

http://elearning.rawlinscollege.org.uk/course/view.php?id=906&edit=0&sesskey=1GW3qmJSCb

Can Comet Help, no, why on earth do they offer to?

Denver, come back, you promised me so much, and now you cannot even hear me!

Can you see this

You: denver I don't know what has happened to Kayleigh but my bath is going cold so i need to know am i wasting my time looking at ablank text box waiting for an answer

You: helo denver are you there

You: Ok I will post this conversation to Comets managing director when i find the address

You: is this all i can do

You: are you actually going to help me

I honestly do not know!

Can Comet Help

Welcome to Comet's free chat service to assist you through the checkout pages.
Your estimated wait time is 0 mins and 8 seconds.

My name is Denver, can I take your name to make this session more interactive?

You: hi wanting to by as samsung tv package

You: Package for SAMSUNG LE40C750 (x1) £899.98 Package consists of: SAMSUNG LE40C750 SAMSUNG BD-C5900/XEU Total (excluding delivery)

You: can i buy this anywhere at the moment

Denver: Please wait a moment.

You: ok

Denver: Are you looking for home delivery or store collection?

You: I am looking at both

Denver: Can I have your postcode please?

You: le11 3sy but we can travel

Denver: Please wait a moment.

You: ok

Denver: I see that this item is available for collection in Tamworth store.

Denver: The store address would be :

Denver: Unit 3 Ventura Retail Park

Denver: Bitterscote

Denver: Tamworth

Denver: B78 3HD

Denver: Are you comfortable in collecting from it?

You: I think so

You: but my husband has just said it might be available in arnold

Denver: Please reserve the item online using the postcode B78 3HD

Denver: On reserving it online, the item would be ready for store collection within 30 mins and you need to collect it within the store closing hours in the following day.

You: we have reserved on line at leicester st george and it let us reserve and sent me a confirmation but it turns out the store does not exits so i am not sure that the websites are correct

Denver: If you were able to reserve an item online and able to get the reservation reference number, that itself is a guarantee that it will be reserved for you until the store closing hours in the following day.

You: the store is not open or active, I reserved and got confirmation unless I am confused, is the leicester St George branch open?

Denver: I see that this branch is CLOSED FOR RE-FIT WILL RE-OPEN IN OCT 2010. It would be probably best that you call our customer care at 0844 800 95 95 and they would be able to confirm you in this.

You: I do not want to call anyone.

You: I thought comet said you could help

Denver: I am transferring you through another department, please bear with them while they review the conversation so far to assist you further.

Please wait while I transfer the chat to Kayleigh.

My name is Kayleigh, can I take your name to make this session more interactive?

Kayleigh: Welcome to Comet’s Dedicated Chat Enquiry Service. My name is Kayleigh. May I take your name please?

You: ok

You: why

Kayleigh: How can I help?

You: can you read the previous conversation please because i have explained

Kayleigh: I have read through the above conversation, yes. Do you want me to check if the Leicester store is open?

You: I think if you read again that denver says it is

You: closed

Kayleigh: I can see that, but our reservation system has not been letting reservations go through for that store while it has been closed and if you say that you have done so, it may either be an error with the web in the order processing or it will be an error on the store list and may now have re-opened

You: CLICK AND COLLECT CONFIRMATION YOUR RESERVATION NUMBER: 322579178 Dear Mr Bruce Stafford Thank you for choosing to click and collect with Comet. We are happy to confirm that your reservation is being held for you at our LEICESTER ST GEORGES (NEW) store. Your Order 674931 Package for SAMSUNG LE40C750 (1) £899.98 631337 SAMSUNG LE40C750 (1) £899.98 669059 SAMSUNG BD-C5900/XEU (1) £0.00 611611 GOODMANS LD2410D (1) £189.99 Total £1089.97 Please bring this reservation number with you when you collect and pay for your product. Your reservation will be ready for collection after 30 minutes of receiving this e-mail and will be reserved in-store up until closing time Sunday 03 October 2010. On arriving at the store please go to the Click and Collect Collection Point located in the cash desk area where we will be pleased to process your order. For your information the address and opening hours of your chosen store is - LEICESTER ST GEORGES (NEW) UNIT 3 ST GEORGES RETAIL PARK ST GEORGES WAY LEICESTER View a map and find directions to this store Opening times on Saturday 02 October 2010 are 09:00 - 18:00. Opening times on Sunday 03 October 2010 are 10:30 - 16:30. Should you require any further information, please contact us using one of the methods outlined below. Further Contact Details General help & information : http://www.comet.co.uk/services Frequently asked questions (FAQs) : http://comet.custhelp.com Telephone: 0844 800 9595 Thank you for shopping at Comet. Comet Direct http://www.comet.co.uk Comet Direct is a trading name of Comet Group plc, George House, George Street, Hull, HU1 3AU REGISTERED NUMBER 278576 ENGLAND No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.856 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3170 - Release Date: 10/01/10 19

You: what is it?

You: Are you still there

You: hello

You: Can you see this

THE EQUALITIES ACT - WILL THE DISABLED HAVE ANY ACCESS TO ITS INFORMATION?

My problem, their problem, disability, stupidity, incompetence, Ballsian Delusion, or not a problem?

I want to see the equalities act

I click on the gov page that google finds which says Equalities Act

Wait what it this it is not the equalities act

http://www.equalities.gov.uk/equality_act_2010.aspx

It is a lot of random funny coloured tiny tiny words.

Is it really the equalities act and I am mistaken in what I was expecting?

Am I not looking properly and so seeing what is not there?

Am I seeing more than actually is there?

I need to look more closely.

To be honest it doesn’t make much sense and there doesn’t seem to be a link labelled the Equalities Act

Wait a minute, peer closer

Code of practice

That sound familiar, is it a useful tool, or did it turn out to be full of bullshit no one but the naive and honest expected any one to take any notice anyway?

Oh well, nothing to lose I’ll click on the link

Codes of Practice on the Equality Act 2010.

Wait a minute that isn’t a document

Have I done something wrong, did I click the wrong link?

I usually do, so it is the best fit explanation

I will go back and click the link again and check

 Codes of Practice on the Equality Act 2010.

No it is the same place, look at it more closely

Hmmm Codes not code

That might be why, I wonder how many codes an act can have?

I would never have considered it might have more than one.

Ok is everything on this page a code of practice?

Let’s look again.

Ok it is looking like I may have no idea what a code of practice is!

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cr=countryUK|countryGB&rlz=1C1SKPC_enGB352GB352&qscrl=1&tbs=ctr:countryUK|countryGB&defl=en&q=define:code+of+practice&sa=X&ei=Ux6mTP-UOMaEOpyC5akC&ved=0CCsQkAE

Ah may be I both make things more complicated that they are and expect them to be simpler than they are.


I expect them to be what they say they are.

But is this a code of practice?

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/home/legal-and-policy/equality-act/equality-bill-timeline/

it is on the code of practice page but it doesn’t feel like it could be a code of practice.

Need a couple of hours nap, back later!                                Zonk!!!!