Single mum's three year battle to find autistic son a school

The eight-year-old has not consistently been to school in three years, which his mum blames on a lack of funding

An Exeter mum has accused Devon County Council (DCC) of neglecting her child after her eight-year-old autistic son has been unable to attend school consistently for three years. Frustrated mum-of-five Cathy Heslin has spoken of her 'absolute desperation' at trying to get the council to fund an alternative education placement in a forest school instead of a mainstream setting which she says her son, Oscar Tricker, can't cope in.

She alleges that due to 'no funding' being available, the only option currently being offered is attending a mainstream school in Okehampton which is around 30 miles away and more than a one-and-half-hour round trip from their home in Topsham. DCC insists in most cases, children with autism can be supported in mainstream education, and added it is progressing well with its 'transformation programme' to improve autistic support in schools.

Cathy, a single mum, has two autistic children aged eight and six. Oscar was officially diagnosed with autism when he was four and a half years old by a private clinic. He is enrolled at The Topsham School and is currently in Year 4 but has not yet attended and was absent for the entirety of Year 3, and the majority of Year 2.

However, Cathy says she has never received a letter from DCC about non-attendance and has not been contacted by education welfare officers. Instead, she says she has directly contacted the council's education department six times to seek help to resolve his non-attendance, but claims she has had no response.

Cathy has also sought help from the council's children's services team and her local MP, while also battling to get a new Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) for Oscar. By law, they should be reviewed annually but Cathy says Oscar's has not been updated since he was four-and-half-years old.

The legal document outlines a child or young person's special educational needs, health and social needs, and the support they need to achieve their goals. It is also claimed Oscar has not been seen by an educational psychologist for around three years due to alleged staff vacancies.

According to Cathy, Oscar's current caseworker has agreed he would be suited to an outdoor school, but has informed them that due to a lack of funding available to the council, the only option is the mainstream school in Okehampton where it is said can better cater for his needs than his current school.

Cathy, who has had to give up work to look after Oscar full-time, said: "I have patiently been working with the local authority for three years now but they have done nothing. My son is intelligent but has autistic traits.

"It is no fault of The Topsham School that he cannot cope there. They were very kind by giving him love and cuddles, but he has never been able to access the mainstream curriculum in any shape or form.

"He has now not accessed education for three??? years, despite me going above and beyond to try and get it for him. He can only just about write his name but he's not violent or aggressive; he's polite, kind and loving.

"All he has is three hours a week at South West Autism Support Services in Exeter which includes the time to transport him there and back. It is privately owned and he just plays soldiers, chess and Monopoly there.

"Oscar deserves a place in a special educational needs (SEN) school due to his autism. If he had a physical disability he would be sent to one.

"DCC keep promising to update me but for the fourth week in a row, I have been kept waiting. I believe an outdoor school would be perfect for him as he has visited a local one twice and really enjoyed it."

Cathy, who says she is among many parents of autistic children who are struggling for help, said: "This is neglect of a child; not from the parent but from the local authority. I know of so many parents with autistic children who are exhausted by the process and are saying they can't cope."

DCC has conceded it needs to do more to support children with additional needs, but says changes are being implemented.

A Devon County Council spokesperson said: “We cannot talk about individual cases. However, we acknowledge that in Devon, like in so many parts of the country, support for children and young people with SEND needs to improve.

“We are on track with a three-to-five-year transformation programme that will improve the level of support for all pupils in mainstream classrooms across Devon, including those with additional educational needs and disabilities. We believe that in most cases, children who can be supported in mainstream education should be able to attend their local mainstream school.

"This not only helps their education, but also maintains important community and friendship connections. We are also increasing the levels of support for pupils with more complex needs in specialist provision.

"We are working very closely with parents and carers of children with SEND, schools, and our NHS partners, and are making good progress with our improvement plans."

MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, David Reed, says he is awaiting a response from DCC to help provide a solution for Oscar.

He said: "Cathy has been in touch with me regarding her son Oscar and their long journey to find the right school to accommodate his additional educational requirements.

"As Devon County Council are responsible for education in our county, I have escalated Cathy’s case to the chief executive of Devon County Council. I am currently awaiting more case information from council officers, and I hope that a positive resolution for Oscar’s education can be achieved."