RANT!!!

[Jimjams]

DS1's NHS SALt has just contacted me. She is going on maternity leave and NO COVER IS BEING PROVIDED!!@!!!!!@@ She was disgusted btw.

So this means the terms of his statement are not being met (part 3 talks about contact with a SALT). Apart from which a4 and a half year old with severe language and speech disorders is being left without SALT and the school is being left without SALT support.

I am writing to:
HEAD of SALT
Head of services
LEA- regarding provision in his statement
MP

Friend wants to go to paper. Anyone else we should be contacting.

IN fact we're okish as we have the private SALT. I can't help thinking of those who can't afford it though.

BTW this SALT sees some of the most complex children in the area.

Thanks kyliebump. The councillors are taking it to the director of lifelong learing. As part of a parents group I am about to type up a letter to send to the head of SALT pointing out that the LEA have to meet statements. This letter has been copied to all and sundry (including councillors and MP's). We have asked for a reply within 2 weeks. If we don't get one then we will go to the local press.

I'm waiting to see what they LEA come up with, but if there is no go on the NHS front then I will mention paying for SALT.

I have known cases where private SLT is paid for by the LEA as there is not enough NHS provision. A friend of mine has this in her statement I believe, can find out more.... but I KNOW that private SLT can be paid for this way if the will is there (ha ha). Let us know what happens.

Hi Jimjams

Had a chat with some SEN friends the other evening, and the view was that the thing that you could threaten the LEA with would be a 'Judicial Review'. The Tribunal would not be appropriate in your case, nor would (we think) the Local Government Ombudsman, as (again, we think!) that that deals with cases of the LEA's maladministration of the administrative process, rather maladministration of the statement itself. A Judicial Review would mean taking the LEA to court, over not providing what they have said (in the statement) that they would provide.

Obviously, the best outcome would be for the LEA and the HA to sort this out, and your letters to councillors, MPs papers etc is the first step. Not sure what the Judicial Review process is, but it could also be the case that by the time it gets to court that the maternity leave is over. Also I appreciate the hassle, cost and stress of court action (don't know about legal aid in cases like this), but I imagine that the LEA would feel pretty 'threatened' if you let them know that Judicial Review would be an option.

Faced with the choice between paying for your private SALT to cover the school side in your case, and going to court, I imagine that they would pay for the SALT. Your ds's statement clearly says that there should be SALT involvement at school and there isn't going to be any. I'm not sure if you would be able to do this in advance of the situation happening - ie that in a few months he isn't going to have any SALT, or whether you would have to wait until the SALT had stopped.

If you decide that you do want to take things further with the LEA, then do check out the whole Ombudsman / Judicial Review thing carefully with someone who has more experience - I (fortunately!!) do not have personal experience of being taken to either of these, so definately check it out thoroughly before proceeding!! Just mentioning Judicial Review might give the LEA something to focus their minds in meetings with the HA!!

Hopefully the LEA and HA will manage to sort this out between themselves. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks kyliebump- very useful. I'm being nice to the LEA at the moment as they seem to be trying to be helpful. I'll certainly look into judicial reviews though. Many thanks