Just in case you hadn't met her

I thought it worth linking to Grit, now being gritty in Hong Kong and losing none of that humorous punch!

Thanks to Elaine for the heads up on this, and on Home Ed Forums you will find updates on what is known on the current Home Ed political manoeuvring situation, what goes on behind closed doors we can only guess at but Graham Stuart occasionally updates us on his perspective here.

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?

Cornwall County Council, Tackling Ultra Vires Practices

To: children@cornwall.gov.uk; klavery@cornwall.gov.uk; tdoughty@cornwall.gov.uk

cc: comments@cornwall.gov.uk; nburden@cornwall.gov.uk; Amanda.Hale@cornwall.gov.uk

Elective Home Education - For the attention of John Heath

Re: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B23GNcZa7kQPNmRiNWZjYWItMmJkMy00MDIxLThkYmItNjQ0NDNjZjk1ZmQ0&hl=en_GB&authkey=CLCuvfsP&pli=1

As a Beacon Council and aiming for democracy in local government, providing excellent service an understanding the law on home education I would have thought that you would have known that this job description seems designed to recruit someone to carry out ultra vires practices.

Perhaps you are not aware that you have no duty or right to monitor families who do not avail themselves of your services, but only to intervene if you find no education is taking place, you do not have to go looking for this.

1.       See Home Education Guidelines for Local authorities

2.       3.6.  ‘... parents are not legally required to give the local authority access to their home.’

3.       Also

4.       2.7  ‘Local authorities have no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis.’

5.       In fact Graham Stuart, recently elected chairman of the Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, has just confirmed this in his response to Ofsted’s Report on Home Education.

6.       ‘Under section 436A of the Education Act 1996, inserted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006, local authorities have a duty to identify children who are not receiving a suitable education in their area, so far as it is practical to do so. As the 2007 Elective Home Education Guidelines for Local Authorities make clear, however, ‘local authorities have no statutory duties in relation to monitoring the quality of home education on a routine basis’ and are only required to intervene if it appears that parents are not providing a suitable education.’

7.       See http://cnes4education.wordpress.com/2010/06/17/education-select-committees-chairmans-statement-on-home-education-report/

I hope that this advertisement reflects a misunderstanding, perhaps you should bear in mind these things are not private and can seen by Elective Home Educators, many of whom understand the law and the complexity surrounding it with some mastery.

I do hope you can amend you plans for Elective Home Education in order to stay within the law.

Yours sincerely

Maire Stafford

More details about the people I have sent this too and copied in at Cornwall County Council.

Kevin Lavery

Chief Executive

The chief executive is the head of the paid service and is responsible for a budget of approximately £1 billion and 22,500 members of staff.

Contact details

Cornwall Council, County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY
Phone: 0300 1234 100
klavery@cornwall.gov.uk

Trevor Doughty

Corporate Director for Children, Schools and Families

The children, young people and families directorate includes children's social care, schools, youth service and child protection services.

Contact details

Cornwall Council, County Hall, Truro, TR1 3AY
Phone: 0300 1234 100
tdoughty@cornwall.gov.uk

Neil Burden

Cabinet member for Children's Services

The services contained in this portfolio include;

·         Education and Schools

·         Safeguarding Children

·         Family Services

·         Integrated Youth Services

·         Individual Needs and Disability Services

·         Carers Board

Neil Burden, the Independent Councillor for Stoke Climsland, joined Cornwall Council in 2009.

Amanda Hale
Deputy Risk and Insurance Manager (Policy)
01872 323231
Amanda.Hale@cornwall.gov.uk

All policy related Issues