Who has to arrange the speech therapy on DD's EHCP? LA or school?

[pannetone]

DD got a statement last Oct which is now being transferred to an EHCP. Draft EHCP has same speech therapy provisions.

DD statement named an indie special school. They have a SALT who comes in from a local independent practice and the school are invoicing their fees and the therapy fees to the LA.

The issue is that the SALT doesn't have expertise in selective mutism so having worked with DD for 2 terms she felt she couldn't support her any further - and realistically it was the 'whole school' approach that was helping DD the most - she now talks fairly fluently. But DD is now Y6 and for Y7 she will probably be going to a small mainstream indie - who generally have good SEN support but have no particular experience of SM (to the extent the admissions lady asked me how DD 'stopped herself from talking'.)

What I think DD needs is a SALT experienced in SM to get to know her in Y6 and help with her transition to secondary including giving 'training' to the staff there. BUT I can't find an independent SALT specialising in SM in the school area - nearest is a 50 mile round trip away. Is it the LA's responsibility to find a SALT experienced in SM for DD? (Her school is out of the LA area.) Or in agreeing to place DD at this school are the LA allowed to 'subcontract' DD's speech therapy to the school? My LA has (a few) NHS SALTs experienced with SM (DD had a block of sessions with one) - do they need to provide a suitably experienced SALT if the school can't?

[InimitableJeeves]

It depends on what the statement says. If it says DD must have a SALT with specific experience in SM, then it's very clearly the LA's responsibility to ensure she has it. It doesn't matter if they delegated responsibility to the school, that's between them and the school. However, if the specialisation isn't mentioned you could have a very uphill struggle in enforcing this. In any event I suggest you do your best to ensure that the EHCP specifies this very clearly in section F.

[pannetone]

Thanks Jeeves - yes, you're right that the draft EHCP needs to be tightened up to specify a SALT experienced in SM. I'd hope that a SALT meant to be suggesting strategies to help with DD's SM had experience of it but can see there is 'wriggle room'.

In fact the wording is pretty unclear. It says 'regular programmes as advised by SALT and delivered by a TA , with 12 direct sessions from the therapist per year' but then that 'sessions should focus on supporting [DD] indirectly through a TA and her parents' (my italics) so a bit of confusion whether support should be direct or not.

And length of the session should presumably be specified too... Is there guidance or case law which states that the EHCP provision has to be specific and quantified?

[InimitableJeeves]

Look at paragraph 9.69 of the 2015 Code of Practice which sets out what should be in the EHCP - the bit relating to section F makes it clear that it must be specific and detailed.

[pannetone]

Thanks again