If SALT hasn't returned my call in over a week, and Speech therapy manager can't/won't answer my questions....

[TotalChaos]

Does it make you suspicious that the weekly school visits she promised at joint clinic aren't going to happen?

Or am I just a cynical old boot?

[bullet123]

I think you have a right to be suspicious.

[moondog]

Letter always.Note time and date of attempted phone calls
cc to Chief Eeac. and manager's line manager(s).

[TotalChaos]

thanks! Unfortunately I didn't note the time and date of the first call, assuming that I would get a response (not necessarily of a helpful nature, but a response of some sort). Will write in next week if get no further, and cc the letter.

[moondog]

From now on,keep a file.
Log every call and conversation.
Date
Who spoke to
What said

Again, very useful in fruture. Also means you can shame them with letters listing times and dates of phone calls not responded to.
All Trusts live in terror of complaintsa.

[TotalChaos]

will do, thanks for the pointer.

[TotalChaos]

in fact have just noted down the main "promises" (dates and names) and comments about internal referrals just now!

[moondog]

That's good.
From now on, when you talk, be poised with pen and paper to take notes. Get direct quotes down straightaway.

In meetings, have someone sensible dress up smartly and take notes. Doesn't matter if it is just a mate, as long as they look the part. Introduces them as 'one of my team' and have them take notes with a posh pen and nice paper.Have them ask people to repeat or clarify commments occasionally while writing carefully.

Gets them very twitchy again.

I know ALL the tricks.

[TotalChaos]

so you think now might be a good time to throw my legal background into general conversation then

[moondog]

Oh yessssssssssss.

[TotalChaos]

was initially pleased to receive a SALT appointment for DS for next week. On ringing up to confirm and investigate this further - this appointment is to assess whether DS is still eligible for a speech/language group in the summer holidays (s/l group was mentioned at end february). Since DS was in joint clinic six weeks ago where a senior SALT was present, I think quite frankly they are taking the piss. I shall of course be attending the appointment with DS, and grilling the SALT and writing down all that she promises.

[TotalChaos]

is it me, or is this appointment next week a pointless paper exercise? a complete waste of all our time.

[TinySocks]

assess, assess, assess. Why don't they just get on with it and give him the help he needs. What is it with all these assessments.
During the appointment write down all the promises and conclusions, and (thinking back to my business meeting days), summarise with them what you have written down before leaving the meeting!

[PeachyWontLieToYou]

they like assessments- but even those are gold dust now!

child in ds3's class- her mum was refused a referral by the school to salt and told she was not eligible to apply for a statement. she had a private salt assess, 3rd centile all round, salt says needs ed psych- school said no.

found out all this in pta today, set her sytraight and put her in touch with chap at snap who helped us

my first thought was- moondog will cry lol!

senco's reasomn for not applying for statement is 'theyre for kids who should really be in special school not mainstream'

so how come they told us they couldnt have ds without his statement but he didnt need unit?

pmsl though- we were relaying our experiences to a joint friend at pta today, turns out that she's interviewing senco for promotion tomorrow and is now going to recommend againast it. ha.

(our ta has gone cool lol, meetings at celtic manor resort now!)

[PeachyWontLieToYou]

md i love that one of the team trick lol

one for the future!

totalc, is it this september he starts school? it is isn't it, all being left so late now, no wonder you are worried

[TotalChaos]

I count joint clinic as an assessment even if they don't .

Peachy - yes, it's September he starts school. But situation schoolwise is currently not problematic - he will be in the upper half of the exact same class with exact same teachers as he is now at nursery. There are 2 nursery nurses and 2 teachers to 30 pupils, so DS is managing fine there without any 1-1. Head of nursery is very used to picking up the pieces of poor early intervention up here. Apparently there are 2 or 3 kids in the nursery whose language issues are worse than DS.

Peachy - that's why an unnecessary (IMO) assessment seems to me such a complete waste of scarce SALT hours.

[TotalChaos]

well I finally got a call back today. apparently DS has finally been allocated a new SALT who is very experienced with kids with ASD and kids at language units, who should be in touch today to arrange a nursery visit in next few weeks. Apparently this SALT will be able to unpick what's going on with DS (presumably in terms of ASD v language delay/disorder). I am (ridiculously I know) feeling a bit wobbly about the ASD issue being brought back again so soon, having been told two months ago DS was probably not on the spectrum (verbally but not in report . I've asked for a paed review to be scheduled rather than wait for the SALT to decide whether to refer back to joint clinic) Hope I've done the right thing.

[cyberseraphim]

I wouldn't trust a SALT to advise on ASD (not meaning to be nasty about SALTS reading this). The more borderline the case, the more you would need input from an ASD specialist who has the clinical experience.

[getbackinyouryurtjimjams]

weekly????

No chance!

Get it in parts 2 & 3 of the statement.

Would agree with moondog about the smart person. DH is a lawyer, we made sure they knew that. He was on his way to work in a suit and occasionally stopped to check what had been said and throw in some long words. They looked very nervous each time he spoke (and we did get SALT in parts 2 and 3)

[TotalChaos]

thanks very much tc and jimjams. think I will be buying a cheapish suit and throwing in a subtle mention of return to my legal career when I next see SALT!