How many times have you wished you'd had the benefit of foresight or hindsight when making business decisions? Speak to one of our experts today.

Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs

 “Nathan Davies has a genuine desire to help children who have been let down by the education system. He acted on our behalf when we appealed against the LEA’s decision not to grant our son a statement. Nathan dealt with all the paperwork and represented us at the SEND tribunal. He was extremely professional and efficient. His knowledge of education law and of SEN procedures was second to none, and his advice invaluable, so as consequence, our appeal was successful. This would not have been possible without Nathan’s help and so I would recommend him to all other parents who are in the same, or a similar situation to ours.”

Nathan Davies
 

Urgent Need for Improved Mental Health Services

  • Posted

In recent times, mental health awareness has become a topic discussed and debated in the mainstream media and is applicable more than ever in relation to young people throughout England and Wales who have special educational needs. It is often the case that...

A Change to Local Authority Complaints Procedures is Required

  • Posted

A Change to Local Authority Complaints Procedures is Required Throughout years of specialising in Education Law, it has been common for the majority of clients we act for to raise grievances and formal complaints with their Authority for a host of reasons;...

Increase in Social Care labeling SEN parents as "difficult"

  • Posted

It is common, in my experience, for parents of children with autism to feel that concerns expressed to local authority professionals are often discarded, or that there is a distinct lack of understanding of the condition itself. This leads to disputes and...

Parents of Children with ASD Continue to be Targeted by Local Authorities

  • Posted

Earlier in the year, I wrote a series of blogs regarding the variety of unsavoury tactics employed by Local Authorities across England and Wales who attempt to discredit parents of children with special educational needs. I referred to intervention from...

Social Care and Autism in Practice - Use of Child Protection Procedures

  • Posted

Following an overwhelming response to a blog on this very subject in December, it would be worthwhile picking apart the specifics of what was discussed in that blog and how social care practice (especially in cases involving children and young people with...

Parents Face New Obstacle in Fight for SEN Support

  • Posted

Parents of children with complex needs, by and large, already have great difficulties in obtaining the required level of support, understanding from Local Authority professionals and also funding for a suitable placement that would meet the needs of the...

Parents in Wales Still Getting a Raw Deal

  • Posted

The specialist education law solicitors at HCB often hear very concerning stories from parents about misinformation that is provided by Local Authorities to parents as to their rights in obtaining additional support for their children with additional...

Exam concessions are not cheating

  • Posted

A quite astonishing article published recently in The Daily Telegraph in Sydney illustrates how mainstream schools and in many respects the media deal with special educational needs in schools. The article ...

How to Support Your Dyslexic Child

  • Posted

The SEN solicitors at HCB are often instructed by parents who are worried about their child who has specific learning difficulties (dyslexia). Parents often seek the assistance of the special educational needs solicitors within the department at various...

Concern over Lack of Support for SEN Pupils

  • Posted

A recent poll conducted by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers revealed that a large proportion of staff interviewed (over 80%) were of the opinion that more needs to be done to assist vulnerable and disabled pupils. One of the key concerns raised by...

Special Educational needs and school transport

  • Posted

A recent article has highlighted the significant problems that parents face with school transport for their disabled children. Brandon Presley, from Torbay in Devon, has profound learning disabilities and travels to school on the privately-operated...

The misuse of fitness to practice procedures

  • Posted

The specialist education law solicitor team at HCB have many years of experience in assisting students who are subjected to a fitness to practice process. Fitness to practice procedures are a common way in which Universities discipline students for conduct...

Compulsory Autism Training for School Staff Announced

  • Posted

Last week in a Daily Telegraph article it was revealed by the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan MP that autism training will now become a key aspect of core teacher training in future. Until this new initiative was announced, no formal training for...

How Parents Can Save Money on Additional Education

  • Posted

In practice, it is becoming more commonplace for the specialist education law solicitors at HCB to see parents of children with additional learning needs paying privately for additional intervention and/or therapies to help them make progress. Parents will...

School Ignores Disability Discrimination Law

  • Posted

A recent story in the press highlighted the need for schools to be reminded of their statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010: This article is concerning not only as it shows that this school has taken steps to exclude disabled children for reasons...

Parents Guide to Combating Local Authority Delays

  • Posted

It is becoming more common for the specialist education lawyers at HCB Solicitors to hear about parents encountering significant delays by their Local Authorities across the UK. This can often be in the form of taking longer than the statutory timetable...

The Admission Appeals Minefield

  • Posted

Unfortunately at this time of year many parents are finding out that their first choice school preference has been refused. A recent alarming article estimates that 100,000 parents have just missed out on their first choice secondary school. These are...

School Bullying: Why Schools Must Do More

  • Posted

An article appeared in the press recently detailing the difficulties a parent had encountered when trying to resolve a school bullying dispute in West Sussex. The article can be found here: Essentially, the article outlines that the school in question...

The importance of 15th February in transition years

  • Posted

February 15 th is a very important date that parents should be aware of; this signifies the date by which all Local Authorities across England and Wales must have issued a final revised Statement of Special Educational Needs or Education Health and Care...

Proposed Education Law Reform in Wales gathers pace with new Bill

  • Posted

Many parents in Wales may now be aware that the Law is changing in respect of assisting children and young people with special educational needs, somewhat prompted by the recent changes made in England following the implementation of the Children and...

Blind Pupil Banned From Using Cane

  • Posted

In the news this week a blind seven-year-old girl was told by her school that she can no longer use her white cane. The primary school in Bristol fear that Lilly-Grace’s walking cane could trip up teachers and other pupils. Hambrook Primary School has...

Tired Teens to Start School at Lunchtime

  • Posted

According to the BBC this week , as part of a trial, students in a London sixth form will start their school day from 1.30pm to see if concentration levels will improve as a result of the later start. Pupils at Hampton Court in Surrey will begin their...

How to Secure an Appropriate EHCP

  • Posted

When a Local Authority agrees to assess your child it can often feel like the ultimate goal of obtaining further support for them has been achieved; however this is just the start of the process. Often in practice, we find that Local Authorities fail to...