How to deal with OT report

[inappropriatelyemployed]

I posted earlier in the week about an OT report we had received from the NHS OT who came int school two months ago.

She wants to release it to the LA.

DS's statement requires a programme drawn up by an OT who is supposed to do an assessment of the classroom environment too. The OT has done neither of these things and has left without providing a programme.

Her 2 page report is compiled without having spoken to us or DS.

The OT has been involved for a couple of years and has mainly spent her time assessing DS with formal assessments which identified below average fine motor and gross motor skills.

This is her first visit to see DS in school. She has always just left the school with leaflets!

There are many things I object to in the report. I also think it is now out of date as many things have happened since. I don't see it as any help to DS.

I am instructing our own OT to develop a programme but what do I do about this one?

The LA have to file their appeal response to our Tribunal appeal on hours next week so they will want her report. I don't want to look obstructive but it is a useless report,

If I challenge it and tell the LA they are in breach of the statement, they will get her to cobble together some bit of crap.

I want to apply for direct payments for OT but we can't do that yet.

Suggestions?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Say that when she has finished it, and seen the draft for comments you'll consider her request.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

and YOU havve seen the draft for comments

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Thanks.

Do you mean send her my comments and then ask her to take them into account and redraft for me to look at again before I consider consenting to releasing it?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

No. I mean tell her you don't know yer because you haven't seen the pages on his sensory needs, environment, recommendations and programme. You can also ask if she asked for your views and comments or requested to meet by email as it might have gone into your junk box.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Aaah, I see!

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Although, thinking about it there is good crap and bad crap.

If it is out of date and fails to mention environment when she was supposed to be delivering on this, your independent report will trump it for being in date and providing the recommendations for sensory where she has not.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

If you ask her to comment on sensory she will say I haven't a clue what to look for or how to address the need so he requires an independent person appropriately trained he's cured!

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Yes, you're right. If you ask for a programme she will say 'he doesn't need one'!

[bochead]

That's a road you don't want to go down, if you can avoid it. Better to humour the silly bint and head off any concrete statements like that at the pass. Or you risk being in our situation.

e.g I got called into the HT's office today to discuss DS's uncut toenails. Had to tell him DS has a whole range of issues outside school too & that his sensory/dyspraxic problems are not just confined to the classroom. Hence why I'm asking AGAIN for OT to be put on his statement.

It's the ongoing domino effect of having to deal with nonsense like this once some lazy bint declared a couple of years ago that "OT input is not required", that does my head in. We are currently following a RRT programme at home via private provision, so I can be sure it's implemented properly, and DS is making fantastic progress (that of course school will claim all credit for lol!).

Some days it's REALLY hard not to bite someone's head off in sheer frustration, and I'd like you to be able to avoid that if you can.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Thanks. I agree with what you're saying - I just don't know how to put it into practice.

Do I leave her to circulate her useless report without pointing out it contains no programme and then just get my own OT to develop and deliver a programme?

Do I feed back comments, preferably agreed with school, confirming her report is out of date and doesn't deal with some of the issues which have arisen since the start of term?

Or should I do this and also point out that it doesn't provide a programme and that we will be getting someone else to draw one up?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Can you agree to it's circulation and then use the excuse that it is a pile of poo, out of date and doesn't even refer to what is contained in the statement to justify getting your own done?

The thing is, if you give the parent comments, she won't incorporate them, but simply add them onto the end, which can be acheived in the same way by your written evidence or a letter later.

You have to be careful how you agree to the circulation though. It mustn't look like you endorse the contents.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Perhaps I can say she can circulate it to whomever she wants but that both school and I feel it doesn't accurately reflect current situation or provide the guidance required.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

And make sure your consent is limited to sharing that report and not to be assumed all information sharing is okay for now.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

On that topic - did you see my earlier post about data sharing fao Star? Irwin Mitchell will have a look at this issue and I am going to send stuff to them this weekend hopefully.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

No. I'll go and see if I can find it.

[inappropriatelyemployed]

Or just PM/email me with details of your concerns and whether you would like someone to advise on them