How do I make the local salt come back to me with an appointment?

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

3 yo DS has been referred for salt. He has had two sessions in give months, after waiting six months for the first appointment after he was referred.

Last appointment was five weeks ago. As we left, I asked when the next appointment would be. Salt said she would call me with a date. I have left four messages and have yet to hear back. I just want to know when the appointment will be.

How can I make them call?

DS has no language, by the way. He has just turned 3, and has three consonants, no words at all. He needs the speech and language therapy

[MooMummyMoo]

Do you have a paediatrician? I am not sure on other areas but in mine the paediatrician sort of oversees the rest of the child development disciplines. When I have had problems getting the Physio sessions or SALT, a quick word to the paediatrician and voila I hear back from whoever it was I was chasing.

As I say, don't know for other areas and I am sure there will be a formal escalation procedure but this is what had helped me in the past.

HTH

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

Paed did a development check in December. DS was showing as developmentally delayed, but paed didn't want to see him again for another six months. So we will not see him until June at the earliest.

I despair.

[chocnomorechoc]

Had a similar problem. I comlained via PALS and was seen within a week.

good luck!

When does DS start school? Is he at nursery yet?

[bitbap18]

Is she the only one in the area, or working as part of a team. If on her own, I'd go to PALS. If part of a team, find out who her manager is and make a complaint.

[senvet]

I'd try phone, email, letter etc to SALT and SALT's boss, copied to GP and Paed etc, but being nice, saying you may have the wrong number, or perhaps a new SALT has been allocated and Royal Mail lost the letter advising you

If that charm offensive doesn't work then complain

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

DS will start school in September 2016. He will start pre school at the end of April 2015.

I would imagine that the salt is part of a team. We live in a massively populated borough (bromley). I tried google but I cannot find out who her superior is.

Thanks for being encouraging.

[uggerthebugger]

Try the head of service named halfway down this page

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

Thank you so much.

[uggerthebugger]

Pleasure! Something had to go right today after an hour spent hunting for info on Croydon's total car-crash of a website....

[HiawathaDidntBotherTooMuch]

There is an email address, no less . DH is writing an essay of complaint. I am trying to rein him in. Good luck to you too.

[Bilberry]

Hate to say it, but you might be getting the standard level of therapy for your area. I estimated my ds got an average of two and a half hours of nhs SALT each year between two and five years old. I spent a small fortune on weekly private SALT. He now goes to a language unit.

Do complain though. I did eventually get a term of weekly 45 minute sessions after lots of complaints, though they were also backed into a corner by every saying he needed a language unit.

[chocnomorechoc]

Do you get Dla? If not apply (use the cerebra guide - google). A non-verbal developmentally delayed 3 year old does need a lot more help and support throughout the day than a typical child so I would expect you should qualify. Use Dla money to finance therapy privatly. Agree with PP, our DC get a very raw deal on the NHS.

[chocnomorechoc]

www.cerebra.org.uk/English/getinformation/guides%20for%20parents/Pages/DLAGuide.aspx

also worth checking if your local Cab or council (they have welfare advisors) can help with the Dla form. It is a long and tough form