Posting for traffic. SEN referral didn't get sent. What can I do?

[ASatisfyingThump]

9yo son was referred by school for assessment (suspected ADHD). haven't heard anything for over 6 weeks, called the assessment centre today and they said they haven't received anything. So it seems that the school didn't send the referral. Waiting for this assessment has been the only thing keeping me going as his behaviour has been getting less and less manageable, and now we're back to square one. Assessment centre won't do anything without a referral. There's nobody at the school I can talk to, and he's no longer their responsibility anyway as he's moved up to middle school. The GP is completely useless. So what can I do now? Waiting until September and starting the whole process again isn't really an option, but it might be the only one. I'm absolutely furious and have no idea how to navigate this.

Did you have to sign the referral before it was sent? This happens to us at school sometimes as assessment centres say they have not received paperwork and we always keep a copy to resend if needed with the date it was originally sent.

I don't remember having to sign anything, but it was a while ago now. Problem is even if they have a copy to resend he'll be in a new school in September, so they can't. More infuriatingly, his teacher told me it had been sent. Fuck knows what's actually happened. Is there actually anything I can do before September?

In fact, yes, I did sign it. Just after May half term. Should have been sent off then.

Until sept 1st he’s not on the roll at his new school so they can’t do anything until then. You can call the school he’s at now but I’d be surprised if there is anyone there.

Can you be referred by any other means? Health visitor? School nursing team?

It might have been sent off. Them saying they didn’t receive it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been sent. Do you have a copy of what you signed?

You can speak to his original school they should have a copy and will need to resend it really doesn't matter that he has left it was delt with while he was there

Check to see if you can self refer. If not, go to the GP and get them to refer. It an be a long wait for assessment so I would try to get referred rather than wait 5 weeks till school starts back.

Maybe it's different in Northern Ireland but my little boy was referred by GP. School said it had to be referred through GP not school. That was April and he's just had a psychometric test as well as home and school questionnaires done.

derry we originally referred through GP, assessment centre wrote back and told us we had to go through school.
raffle can't check now but will ring tomorrow and see if we can self refer.

Thanks everyone. Feel a bit better now, was massively panicking before.

I think you should go back to the GP. Surely as a medical diagnosis then they can refer during the holidays and then request the info from the school once term restarts, it doesn't matter that he has now left that school they will want to help I'm sure.

Ours got missed too. Get the GP to re-refer and then chase the relevant department to check it's been received.

Once you've been allocated a consultant you can call their secretary and ask to be put on the cancellation list.
This means you may get a call at very short notice to attend, but it may bridge the extra waiting that you've already had.

I would try emailing the sendco and / or teacher that completed the paperwork. If anyone answers the phone you will almost certainly be told there is nothing thst can be done till September. But in my experience, teachers check emails at some point over the holidays.