statement help

[wasuup3000]

I have just recieved (thanks postie for being late today) a proposed amended statement for my daughter to be amended because of new speech and lang input. Can I be a bit sneaky here and oppose the statement becasue we need transport written into it as well? Currently having to appeal for transport at county panel as the LEA are saying no. Thinking if we rejected the amended proposed final statement on transport grounds that we could also appeal to send, maybe?

You don't have to oppose it so much as ask for the transport to be added as well. You are presumably in agreement about the SALT stuff, so send your comment sheet back with the 'I agree to it being amended' box ticked but also add that you want transport bit added.

It makes no difference whether you oppose it or not at this stage cos all you need is the finalised Statement, which you can appeal about whatever you agreed/ didn't agree to during the amendment process.

Brilliant!! Yeah!!

The caseworker hasn't sent me the salt report along with the amended statement and it also says:

In conjunction with the local NHS Trust the floowing therapy will also be provided;
Speech and language therapy advice provided by the treating Health Authority Speech and Language Therpaist.

Is that ok because I think I read somewhere that sppech and lang therapy was an educational need and the LEA were responsible for providing it wether or not the SaLT service could or not?

Ok Thanks Star :)

I think the really key thing with SALT is that the provision is placed in part 3, they often try to put it into part 6 (which basically means they do not have to provide it). I would also be suspicious about the wording. With my dc's the health authority had no speech therapy available and therefore he just didn't get any for ages. The health authority don't have any legal obligation to provide it. It was only when it was put into part 3 that the LEA became legally responsible for providing it.

Just had another thought about this - you might want to make sure the SALT is actually quantified - the statement should really say how often your child will see the SALT and for how long. Otherwise your child could get very little direct SALT.

Thanks cansu all that sounds really useful to look into. I am stepping back from it for a couple of days just done a load of paperwork for a transport appeal and am exhausted!! I will get back into it after the weekend hopefully feeling a bit fresher!

Did I mention that I already had one final statement dated the 25th May with a proviso written into it that they would add the speech therapy into and amend it when they got it. They didn't get the speech therapy advice until the 28th July -outside of my 2 months for appealing the statement. They then sent me an amended proposed statement on the 18th August.
SO can I appeal against the content in the first statement or just the amendments made in the 2nd statement?

Yep, you can oppose any content in the statement, even if it dates from an earlier statement.

Are you sure the statement of the 18th August is an amended proposed statement? I didn't think LAs issued proposed statements except when a first statement was being done. They should have just proposed some amendments but issued a second final statement. You can only appeal against a final statement, not a proposed one. And your two month deadline starts from the date on the (latest) final statement.

Yeah!
Yes we have had a final statement number 1 and this one is named by the LEA as proposed amended statement number 2

This is the only extra Speech therapy provision. They have added some things from another report from the pru she attended as well.

The Speech and Language Therapist will facilitate DD's improved communication in the school environment, through advice to school staff about appropriate strategies and interventions to be used and by overview of daily activities to be carried out by school staff.

"The Speech and Language Therapist will facilitate DD's improved communication in the school environment, through advice to school staff about appropriate strategies and interventions to be used and by overview of daily activities to be carried out by school staff."

Is that the provision in Part 3? It's fluffy as anything. Do you have some specific recommendations in any of your reports? If you want to change the provision to specific hours/frequency then you'll need some professional recommendations to back it up.

You can let them know everything you disagree with now (not just the latest amendments). Sometimes parents manage to get LAs to change the statement before it's finalised, and negotiations finish there. But if they're not budging, just tell them to finalise it and then appeal - you can continue negotiating after that point but at least you'll have the appeal in.

Thanks sugar

Theres this bit in part 3 as well

B3 Therapy

In conjunction with the Local NHS Trust the following therapy will also be provided;

Speech and language therapy advice provided by the treating Health Authority Speech and Language Therapist.

And speech and lang therapy is mentioned in parts 5 and 6 as well