I get knocked down….

 

I have an ear worm … Clearly harking back to my ‘yoof’ and revealing my age but Chumbawumba’s Tubthumping lines (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubthumping) “I get knocked down but I get up again seems particularly appropriate right now.

I had a phone call this afternoon which didn’t fill me with joy but at least it was honest and kept me informed regarding the progress, or rather the lack thereof re Mrs Jones’s son’s school placement .

Unlike all other lines of communication by the parties involved which seem to have gone strangely silent….apparently e-mails go unanswered as do voice-mails or are merely shunted sideways for some one else to pick up the baton and run with, the assessment officer has continued to provide us with support and encouragement; has revealed herself to be as frustrated as we are at the faffing and procrastinating. So I’m erring by the sentiment that no news is good news.

Except it’s not and unless I am very much mistaken, the Jones family will be heading down the tribunal route to secure an appropriate school placement for their son. Panel’s request following last meeting to look at a further 3 schools was, as we largely suspected fruitless and just a waste of time and resources. None of the 3 schools detailed can meet need – hardly surprising since 2 had previously confirmed verbally that they were unable to do so; quite why the powers that be thought they would magically change their mind when issued with paperwork, I do not know. Even so, nothing further can (apparently) be progressed until panel meet again on 6th March. Tick tock, tick tock, time marches on and James’s education continues to fall far, far short of his needs.

So presumably we have reached a status quo. Frankly, I am tired of this bulls*t and want to cut out the middle man, stop waiting for them to fill in their forms, rustle their papers and convene their meetings. As my Dad, so quaintly says: “either pi$$ or get off the pot!” But I don’t even have the ‘luxury’ of taking the county to tribunal until we have gone through the motions of whatever hoops they decide have to be jumped through next – after all ‘fair and due process’ has to be followed – can you tell my scepticism? In my opinion this falls under stalling tactics and denying any need for expenditure in the interim.

If I sound bitter and twisted, I guess it’s because I am and I loathe that but the system grinds you down, wears you out, leaves you a husk of your former self.  Is this an admission of defeat? No, I won’t go quietly. Maybe the powers that be are hoping if they can deflect, retract and throw numerous spanners in the work I will go away, lie down and give up. Clearly they have not dealt with their fair share of special needs parents then.

So in the inspired words of Chumbawumba “I get knocked down but I get up again, you are never going to keep me down”…and whilst there may not any whisky, vodka or cider drinking, their might be some prosecco quaffing….and when the Jones’s eventually WIN the day (for they WILL prevail) there might even be some champagne opened.