Dear Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council,

1.Please provide a copy of your policy regarding the trialling of
SEN Direct Payments and personal budgets.

2.Please confirm whether all parents/carers issued with a new or
amended statement since January 2012 have been informed about their
right to apply for a Direct Payment for SEN provision under the
Special Educational Needs (Direct Payments) (Pilot Scheme) Order
2012. How has this information been provided? Please provide a copy
of any standard leaflet or letter issued together with confirmation
of the date of issue.

3.Please confirm the number of parents/carers who are receiving SEN
Direct Payments and what those Direct Payments relate to.

4.Please confirm whether any of these SEN Direct Payments could be
provided outside the Pathfinder project, e.g. payments under Part 6
of a statement for transport.

5.Please provide a copy of your policy for considering requests for
direct payments for SEN provision. If you do not have a policy,
please confirm whether there are any limits placed on direct
payments applications, e.g. they will not be provided if the LA has
a block contract or there is a financial limit. Please confirm
whether these criteria are communicated to parents and provide a
copy of that document .

6.Please confirm your arrangements for reviewing appeals against a
refusal of a request for SEN Direct Payments. Please provide a copy
of any policy and any leaflet/letter issued to parents explaining
this.

7.Please confirm what information is provided to parents/carers
about the trialling of personal budgets. Please provide a copy of
any leaflet or letter issued.

8.Please confirm how many parents/carers are receiving a personal
budget within the auspices of the Pathfinder project?

9.Please confirm how parents/carers in receipt of SEN Direct
Payments/ personal budgets obtained the information to make an
application. For example, were they:

(a) sent the information with a new or amended statement
(b) recruited as part of a specific pilot
(c) neither (a )or (b), the family approached the LA having heard
about SEN Direct Payments/personal budgets from other sources

10.Please provide a copy of your local offer.

Yours faithfully,

Fiona Nicholson

Dear Janet Morris,

That's great, thank you very much

Yours sincerely,

Fiona Nicholson