DD did not receive speech therapy as per her statement and I have complained

[Eveiebaby]

to the Director of Education in our area.

DD should receive one contact per half term and this half term she did not receive any.

I found a template letter on IPSEA website and sent it to the LA. I received a reply and to cut a long story short it states that basically the SLT attached to school left at the end of last term and they are struggling to appoint a replacement. They hope to have a replacement by the end of this term and DD will receive her full quota of therapy once the replacement is found.

It also says that the previous SLT left a plan for all the children under her care at the school for the TA's to follow before she left.

I don't feel this is good enough. I intend to contact IPSEA next week and see what they advise. In the meantime has anyone else got any suggestions - thanks

No suggestions sorry but just to say we have had same problem.
Dd has had whole half term without speech therapy too.It was also on her proposed statment that she should have it weekly.
Have had a letter today saying when she goes back it will be every monday.
Dont you get fed up chasing up people all the time to get them to do their job.

That's pretty bad.

SLTs are pretty overworked and seem to be leaving the NHS all over the place.

My area has no school age SLT anymore. The LEA are paying our private guy to provide the statement provision (we paid this SLT ourselves for 2 years previously)

You might like to point out this this can occur and that if the appointment of a new SLT will be delayed that they provide a private alternative at their cost.

Statement is a legal document...

I agree with Spinkle's suggestion. If they don't have a SALT they should pay an independent therapist until they do. My LEA did this for my ds for a long time when the SALT attached to his school left. When they told me they couldn't find one, I found one myself and sent them the details (they were very grateful for my help!)

Thanks everyone - yes happydayyay I do get fed up of chasing

Sprinkle and cansu the letter said that they had been contacting agencies on a daily basis but they still CANNOT find a locum of a high enough calibre to provide cover until a permanent replacement is found. I know this may seem like a fob off but the original SLT did actually say at a school meeting that they were looking for somebody with a lot of experience due to so many children at the school requiring speech therapy.

I did state on my complaint that I would be willing to find a private SALT for daughter to visit her in school and invoice them. Funnily enough they didn't respond to that part of my complaint .