Have dovet. Want to hide. I don't know what to do any more.

[FrustratedSycamoresRocks]

Everything is just too much at the moment. S&L are rubbish, or at least they would be if we ever saw them! ms school can't do it without support. They're trying but No-one is supporting them despite them repeatedly requesting help.
No-one is supporting us as parents. But everyone is asking us what we want to do?
i don't know my brain has ceaced to function, and I don't know how to help my child anymore. I don't know how to teach her, or get her to progress, or learn, or communicate, nothing is working.
I'm all out of ideas, and energy. And I'm sick of fighting for nothing. I'm sick of constantly being let down. I'm sick of my child being constantly being failed. And i cant make it any better.
It feels like everything is a constant battle and I don't even know what I'm fighting for anymore.

I'm pretty sure that none of this actually makes sence. But if you got this far, can I have a hug please.

Hi big hug. How old is your lo? I have been through all this despair, my child is five, but we are turning some corners. Tell us a bit more and maybe we can help a bit?

Hi wading Dc is 4.5, yearR. Has a few DXs, main concern at the moment is a severe speech and language delay, (speaking and listening) and ASD. It feels like we have loads of professionals involved, but nothing is actually being done.
Okay, so some are doing more than they need to, but the ones we need (like s&l) seem to be in hiding.

The school are trying to do everything they can with the resources that they have, but they need outside help, which has been repeatedly requested which nobody seems willing to provide. And without it the school are going to get to a point very soon that they won't be able to help/teach DC. They don't want to fail DC but they don't have the s&l specialism. And those with it don't seem to want to help.

Feel like we're all stick in a head:brick wall situation with no visable way out.

We have a full-hours statement. Needs tweaking.

(((((((((((((((sycamore))))))))))))))))); there's your hug.

You as parents are your child's best - and only - advocate.

Can you not call an emergency review of the statement, when was it last looked at?.

Have you talked about this also to one of the charities out there like IPSEA and or SOSSEN?. It is well worth seeking independent advice too.

What does it say in the statement re S & L Provision (this should be in Part 2 as well as 3).

It's in there to be provided, but county wouldn't specify how much. grrr

Emergency review of statement has been called.

Will try ipsea and sossen.

My daughter's initial statement was very vague and access to SALT meant in reality seeing a therapist once a term! A complaint to the chief exec of the PCT eventually changed this to once every half term, still only six times a year at best.

We had other problems with school (in that it was totally shit and they lied that they met my daughter's needs) so obtained independent Salt and Ep reports and had these incorporated into her statement. She now has weekly speech therapy with a Salt at the special school we found that could meet this need which was quantified as this in her statement.

This process took approx 3 years! Good luck, you really have to fight these battles and make sure you direct this in the right direction.

vjd I guess we are lucky in the sence that the school have always been honest with us with what they can/have provided and the lack of S&L isn't through lack of trying on the part of the school

EP is good, as so far has picked up on all the right things so far, and well respected by school and county, and had a hand in getting statement in the first place.

I hope this doesn't take 3 years, dc is already 3 years behind.

I wish I could afford private SALT.

Do Cerebra still do the grant for SALT if your child isn't receiving it. This may be worth looking into.

Was going to say cerebra for private SALT

You can request an early review of the statement or apply for a statutory reassessment on the basis the current statement is not meeting need.

You need SLT quantified and specified in the statement eg how often they come, what they do and how long each time. If NHS then say they can't do whats needed then LA must by law buy it in elsewhere. So you probably need the wording in the statement changed and also provision for training up of school staff.

You can get a private SLT to see your child and write a mini report for £60-120 for 1-2 hours. That might be enough to show you mean business.

If SLT is in the statement but not being implemented then you need to do a formal complaint to LA and go to Local Govt Ombudsman - it is the LA's duty to make sure what is in the statement happens - see IPSEA common problems page on website for a draft letter - or you can consider a judicial review if LA don't sort it.

Also talk to your school - can they afford to fund training themselves eg ICAN courses etc? Most rely on LA courses which are not usually anywhere near enough but there are other options out there if school will pay themselves.

Are you claiming everything eg DLA which might help towards private SLT?

If you suspect that even fighting for SLT is a waste of time as more SLT will just mean more crap SLT (this is the situation we are in) then you should probably look at SS, units, indep SS etc and ask for a change to the type of school. If your LA is an SEN Pathfinder then ask for direct payments for SLT

I know exactly what you mean about not knowing what you are fighting for, if you suspect that something is not going to be worth having then don't waste your time - find something that is worth fighting for.

Is a dual placement a possibility or linking your school with a local SS and staff coming in to work with staff at your school?

You are stuck in the classic roundabout of professionals talking about what they will do / whats needed but not actually doing anything - this is what we had and was why we took the LA to tribunal to get private provision who don't spend £££ looking like they are terribly busy while actually achieving nothing.

'even fighting for SLT is a waste of time as more SLT will just mean more crap SLT (this is the situation we are in'

Not necessarily. We had crap SLT, fought for more of it. Got loads. Used that as a like for like costings argument to get a place in a special school.

Potentially in the future you could argue for direct payments instead of SALT and then spend it on someone who has a clue.

The problem is that although the school may be asking for the SALT to visit as well, until it is quantified in the statement there is no legal obligation to provide this.

My daughter is probably the only child in this LEA that has the SALT she needs exactly quantified in her statement and it was a monster fight to get there.

Have you also started looking at other schools? Talking to other local parents in your situation?

vjg13 how much involvement do you have quantified and how much did you request?

One to one session each werk with a SALT, weekly group session also with a SALT.

This was set out in the report by the independent SALT and then incorporated into the statement. The LEA could not provide this and we found a school in a neighbouring LEA which could.