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SEN

Here you'll find advice from parents and teachers on special needs education.

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Original poster

Arrghh!! What is the point of a SENCO when they have NO educational resources to co-ordinate?????????

23 replies

VeniVidiVickiQV · 30/04/2008 18:26

I'm sooooo frustrated.

We are into the third term at school now and still no news on SALT.

I finally (after weeks, nay months of calling and leaving messages for the SENCO) spoke to SENCO today. She was about as helpful as a chocolate teapot.

Yes, there are lots of other children who need to be seen before DD, but, fuck sake; the SALT only visits 10 times in a school year AND it's a dual intake school. Then, they need teaching assistants to carry out the recommendations of the SALT (which they dont have an awful lot of).

One of the welfare officers asked DD her name a few weeks back and she couldnt understand DD's response, and ended up getting her name wrong.

Her class teacher has said she's not so good at putting her hand up or joining in with group discussions but how the hell can she when a) other children and adults can't understand her fully, and b) she cant hear them very well (has 50-65 decibell hearing loss in the higher end of the scale).

I've got to keep on working on stuff at home (not a problem), but, she spends more of her waking time at school. And they do like their farking "Jolly Phonics".

Oh, and when she gets her hearing aid fitted they'll get a hearing loss someone or other to come in to help advise them, and DD on things. When I asked what, she said "well, to tell DD where the best place to sit in the hall/class is, and what to do if someone is already sitting there".

OP posts:

Original poster

VeniVidiVickiQV · 30/04/2008 18:33

no-one else knows either then?

OP posts:

yurt1 · 30/04/2008 18:40

Can you see a SALT outside of school? (when ds1 was in masintream he saw a SALT about 4 times a year- he was placed first on the 'priority' list for the city - he went months without seeing anyone - we gave up on SALT tbh - well NHS SALT anyway).

TheFallenMadonna · 30/04/2008 18:44

Getting SALT in school is a nightmare.

We were fortunate (if that is the right word ) in my last school because we had a child who was profoundly deaf and so the SALT and the hearing support teacher would come in regularly and cram in as many children as they could. Once that pupil left, they would have been in much less frequently.

Is outside scool any better? DD waited 13 months to be seen after her initial assesment...

yurt1 · 30/04/2008 18:45

Oh I meant privately. Year long waits round here too.

TheFallenMadonna · 30/04/2008 18:47

I mentioned this to Alan Johnson when he was on. No reply though...

Hassled · 30/04/2008 18:48

There are just no SALTs around at the moment. I've had a similar issue with DS3, who has a speech disorder and is Statemented (Yr1), but ended up going an entire term without seeing a SALT recently. We have a quite helpful SENCO, but she advised that I chase the SALTS because "they listen to the parents more than the schools". So I had a bit of a tantrum and a SALT did appear, but she was clearly over-worked and had a huge school cluster to deal with.

Is your DD Statemented? If not - it's worth a try and you at least then have the amount of SALT input you should be getting quantified. Otherwise - go straight to the SALT dept and ring endlessly. It really isn't their fault, but there aren't enough of them and it's not good enough when your DD isn't getting the help she clearly needs.

Hassled · 30/04/2008 18:49

TFM - I tried with Alan Johnson as well - we were both rebuffed .

yurt1 · 30/04/2008 18:51

The Bercow report is due to report soon (preliminary findings may already have been released)

yurt1 · 30/04/2008 18:52

bercow review

TheFallenMadonna · 30/04/2008 18:55

He even had something to talk about then. Tut.

Will read...

Hassled · 30/04/2008 19:05

Sorry - by rebuffed I meant completely ignored. It was like we hadn't posted. Tumbleweed was blowing across the screen.

Hassled · 30/04/2008 19:10

Yurt - many thanks for that link - will read with interest.

TheFallenMadonna · 30/04/2008 19:12

What I meant he could have said "Well, Madonna and Hassled, the Bercow report blah blah..."

A lost opportunity for him...

cazcaz · 30/04/2008 19:58

Thefallenmadonna and hassled, I read the thread after Alan Johnson had gone and was really pleased to see the question regarding SALT and then very disappointed when he didn't respond! AT ALL!

The lack of provision for speech therapists is just outrageous, our son who has a severe speech and language delay, a sub mucus cleft and is moderately deaf, was not seen by a SALT for nine months last year after the previous one left and there were no funds to recruit.

I filled in the questionaire for the bercow review and look forward to reading the full report.

When I spoke to the manager of speech and language services in our area about the lack of provision I was told that 'we have to compete for funds against things like a dialysis machine.' It just shouldn't be a competition.

I feel so strongly about this.

Original poster

VeniVidiVickiQV · 30/04/2008 20:24

She's third on the list at school to see the SALT, apparently. She's the only one with hearing difficulties and who will be wearing a hearing aid.

I dont know where i'd begin to get DD statemented, or, what it's all about really. The SENCO mentioned that statemented children were having just as much difficulty.

We cant afford to do anything privately tbh. Otherwise I would. I know that the clinic was keen to get her seen to, but translating what a HCP thinks is required into what a school can do is apparently almost impossible.

I'm sure you all know this already. I'm hoping that we'll get more support from the hearing support lady (cant remember her official title).

OP posts:

cazcaz · 30/04/2008 20:36

VVV hearing services can be really helpful, they have been for us anyway.

I found a lot of information on the AFASIC website, and they helped with info on statementing etc. You can apply for a statement yourself by writing to your local LEA requesting assesment.

Regarding statemented children, if SALT is written into the correct part of the statement then they are required by law to provide the service, and if there is no-one then they have to pay privately.

I really feel for you going through this.

Original poster

VeniVidiVickiQV · 30/04/2008 20:37

Thanks cazcaz

OP posts:

Heated · 30/04/2008 20:52

Can you go a different route through peripatetic support for the deaf via the LEA e.g like DISCS? In each area they are called something else I think, but in ours, learning support for the deaf are the most proactive outside agency we deal with.

hunkermunker · 30/04/2008 22:17

I am too tired to think of anything useful, but I will think and I'm sorry you've got all this struggle xxx

alfiesbabe · 04/05/2008 10:33

Not much consolation to you, but a SALT visiting 10 times in a school year is a huge improvement on many schools. I'm a SENCO and am having trouble getting hold of our SALT on the phone, never mind visits! Haven't seen her since...erm... about last June. It's a disgrace.

jaanpa · 05/05/2008 13:10

I am a TA in a local primary school and I can fully sympathise with all your comments. Sadly, schools are finding it so difficult to get SALT themselves, in this are we only have a couple and in fact, about twelve of us are currently doing a ten weel SALT training course to enable us to not only deliver the SALT programmes, but to make our own initial diagnosis whilst the children are on the seemingly never ending list waiting to be seen! And yes, for the privilege of training us to do the NHS job for them, the schools are having to pay several hundred pounds for each person they send on the training. This is out of an already tight budget! Our SEN budget for the forthcoming year is the grand total of £400, This has to pay for training and resources.

glinda · 05/05/2008 21:42

Hi,
I am a SENCO in a primary school. Def try to get SALT through your GP or directly. Make a nuisance of yourself. That said get your SENCO to ring and speak to the SALT who works with hearing impaired children directly. I have SALTs working at my school with specialisms in HI, ASC, stammering and mutism as well as a generalist. Speaking to the right person rather than an admin person can really hurry things along. I find that they manage to squeeze them in if I can make the child into a real person rather than a name on a bit of paper IYKWIM.
Also I wouldn't knock the hearing support teacher before she starts. The HST working with children at my school is fab. She sees each of my HI children for about an hour a fortnight and then leaves advice, work and targets for me the class teachers and the parents. She is also available to call in to see parents at home to give advice.

moondog · 05/05/2008 21:48

I'm a SALT.
It's shocking isn't it??
I am so ashamed to be part of such a set up.

May I suggest something? Don't waste your time moaning to school, SENCO or SALT. Ring up the Trust, ask for leaflet on complaints procedure and follow it up.

Most Trusts have full time complaints person. Once it goes through this chammel it is logged and has to be followed up (which it won't be if just a general whinge at a lower level.)

Threaten to take it to Independent Review.
Get a load of parents to sign a group complaint.

Believe me,it is the only way.

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