Fed up with local SALT provision (or lack thereof...)

[mm22bys]

DS2 sees the local SALT provision once in a blue moon, and now I have received an email saying that his next appointment has been put off again.

His regular SALT told us in November that she would be leaving in December to work closer to home. Fair enough...they said though that provision would be for emergencies only till they found a replacement.

HE was supposed to be seen by the other one (who we've met before) on Feb 18 but she's cancelled because she's on school holidays.

So they rescheduled for Feb 25. Now that one's been cancelled because that's when they are doing interviews for the SALT who they knew at least as late as November would be leaving. Why does it take 3 months to organise interviews?

So he will be seen on March 2nd

AIBU to think this is really not acceptable, and that patient / client time should not be taken up with interviewing...

I would lodge a complaint but we are leaving this god-forsaken borough in about six weeks. The way I'm feeling now, I can't get out of here soon enough...

2S, will email you, OK?

eee arr mm22bys - have this nice bombay saphire drink. Phew

Can understand yr frustration on both fronts - you want to come on here and vent, find a little empathy with folk in similar boat... not be lectured on the hows and whys and politics of the nhs. Aye perhaps there's some points of worth in there but like really - who gives a toss when you feel that frustrated?

I get like this when dd's various appointments get put back / cancelled. Of course I can reflect on why this has happened, be grateful for what service there is etc etc but I can also feel cross and aggrieved.. and not actually give a fuck about the bigger picture

Thanks Pixie.

I do acknowledge that in different ways the public system is as frustrating for the staff as for the patients (or parents of them).

My bigger picture is getting DS2 to talk..or at least to not be so frustrated....

of course your top prority is your child, as it should be.

I'm a salt and while I am familiar with all that Mogwai talks of (including the holy bleeding grail of not breaching waiting times for children who often have the most trivial of speech issues and should never have bee referred in the first place, but are because noone has stood up to the parents and said 'Look,the fact that little Johnny can't say 's' properly at the age of 5 doesn't matter and to pass you onto a community clinic and give you an appointment that you probably won't even turn up for is a scandalous waste of public money, so feck off'.) it is not quite as simple as that.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.That is the way it has always been and always will be. Public sector workers are terrifiend of fuss and complaints and will stand to attention when peopel will not put up with crap and make it clear.

I would have defended my profession more had I not had the vile experience of being a parent who needed SALT provision for my own child (specific language impairment) but who was let down in a way that you would not believe even if I told you about it. It was the stuff of nightmares which consumed practically a year of my time and nearlyt drove me to the edge of reason.

I didn't put up with it. I made it clear that my child would have the support that she needed and I got it.

I don't fucking care how much it cost or how inconvenienced other people were by it or who missed out on their bonus as a result.

The sytems will only change (and it could be far more effective than it is without necessarily spending much money)if people speak up and say 'We're not taking this shit'.

SALTs do spend too much time in meetings and wading through paperwork, like most public sector workers.

Contact time with service users, parents or school staff is what matters most and I fight like a tiger to ensure that is where i spend most of my time.It is what gives me the buzz besides, not sitting in a bloody office. If other allied professionals want me, they know where to find me.I won't be sitting in the office drinking bad coffee.

Oh, and there are plenty of lazy ill informed salts who tihnk that filling their online CPD diary with meaningless NHS speak on 'reflecting' and 'disseminating' is an adequate substitute for getting off their arses and doing some work.

One doesn't need to be rude and aggressive to make a point.In my own case i kept on making it and went higher nad higher through the mangement echelons until there was a very serious and seismic change in the way things were done, which benefitted averyone.

I I am always always always on the side of the parent.

And I play by the rule of assuming that if anyone is worked up enough about this issue to complain on an SN forum, they are evidently not a professional whinger, the likes of whom should be swatted away like an irritating fly.

Moondog, I can't post more now but I just wanted to say how much I appreciate you posting this.

Moondog, you are wonderful! It makes all the difference that you have direct experience of what all the parents on here are going through and I bet you are a great SALT because of it.

I should update you on this morning's progress.

I emailed the OT yesterday to express my dissatisfaction, and she contacted the SALT who rang me this morning to talk me through the current situation.

The upshot is that she has agreed to see DS2 at home later this month.

I really don't like complaining as they do do the best they can given what's available to them but at least I do have a favourable outcome for him.

Thanks for your support,

glad you've sorted out his next appointment, hope you are feeling better since last night.

I'm really glad you've got an appointment mm22bys. I also don't like complaining but think if I don't who the bloody hell is going to stand up for him!

Of course most SALTs do their best in a bad situation, it doesn't make it right and will never stop me from ensuring he gets the help he is entitled to.

Well done.

I have done the whole 'complaining to the chief exec of the trust thing' and it did get my daughter's visits increased from 3 times a year to 6.

I too work in the NHS and understand targets and waiting times and funding.

I really feel though at the end of the day that it is so important that SALT is not seen as a medical issue for our children and instead as an educational one. This would partly pass the ball back to the LEAs who would then have to supplement funding. Even the SEN code of practice talks about communication being fundamental to learning.

'I really feel though at the end of the day that it is so important that SALT is not seen as a medical issue for our children and instead as an educational one'

Exactly vjg.
It';s bloody ridiculous.
However, you people with children with statements are probably not aware (of course you aren't! Who bothers to tell parents anything!)of the fact that the Lancashire Judgement (1989 I think-full and easy to read details of its implications on IPSEA website) stipulates that SALT is an educational issue.

What this means in practical terms is that if you have a statement for your child in which SALT provision is quantifies and specified in Part 3, then the buck stops with the Education Authroity, no matter how much the SALT dept. bleats about lack of resources.This, in worst case scenario, they will have to pay one privately.

Also, nothing about SALT should be in Parts 4 (ie Non Educational Needs) of your statement (unless poss. referring to swallowing issues.) If it is there it is illegal and has been put there by Education Authority with full knowledge of this.

Mogwai says

'I've seen replies from other SLTs that just urge more aggression and make statements suggesting most SLTs are crap for one reason or another, suggest writing to the head of SLT services when you know it's far more politcal than that and that's there are different, cleverer ways of goign about these things.

Professionally I think those sorts of comments are distasteful but more importantly, it's easy to come on this board and by sycophantic and agree with everything and everyone but actually sometimes you should stand up and be truthful. To do anything else is a disservice to the parent involved (IMO) and I answer threads on here as I would answer them in real life (thoguh perhaps a more sanitised version!)'

Please elaborate on the 'different cleverer way of going about things' (I am assuming you mean raising objections to the fact that one cannotaccess SALT provision) because I am frankly all ears.

Unfortunately Moondog it takes most parents (if they are lucky enough to get a statement)
a while to get up to speed on the significance of each section.

We had my daughter's statement changed and SALT moved and quantified in it and she does normally get this amount. Still inadequate unfortunately.

I do know of an LEA near us that has had to employ their own SALTs for this reason.

One special school that we looked at was getting additional funding by having specialized status and were going to employ their own SALT who will work with just the children from that school. I think that is a postive way forward

It was the amount of SALT and it being in the correct section that was the main issue when we first recieved the draft statement.

Had I not read about it on mumsnet I would not have known how vital that part of the statement was and probably would have accepted it without hesitation.

Exactly.
And noone bothered explaining that to you did they?
I really get a grim sense of satisfaction pointing out which bits of statements are illegal during statement reviews. The contrast in the expressions of the parents and the residing ed. psych. (usually shifting uncomforatably in her seat) are quite something, I can tell you.

Most aren't worth the paper they are written on.

SALTs atttached to a school are a good idea.I work like this and it is great.

ok question how do we make sure the lsa who be doing the speech program supporting him is up to speed on all stragies needed ,thats my biggest fear since they wont name who the lsa or even teacher wil be to end of june how on earth they get traing in plce woud you recommend adding to paart 3

You can't make sure LSA does anything unless you have specific measurable tragets and decide on what criteria for mastery is. Education and SALTs aren't very good at this sort of thing either (yet another reason for my foray into ABA aka evidence based instruction but I digress).

You can't name an LSA on the statement but you can stipulate what training they receive so make sure you do.

Biggest issue is poorly trained (and paid)LSAs. Do you know there are 24 000 unqualifies LSAs supporting kids with complex needs in UK which is a very big job. Yet nonoe measures their efficacy, noone has any criteria for emplyoment in place, noone works out who is grwat and who is uselss and meanwhile the bill for SEN grows nad grows and grows.

The shit is really gonig to hit the fan soon because the present system is not working.

thank you Moondog

that was I wanted to know ,no point him having a lsa if they know nothing about makton or pecs or how to break things down to simple speech.Guess insisting the ta and teacheri n the class have the same training might be a it to much .

yes i can see where the system fails they did mention trainging few peope in makton but not till after my septeber when my son is ment to start schoo., I think not going be the case lol

Phoenix, Once we got our rather fabulous SALT on board, and the statement was issued she went into school and did a training evening on makaton for all staff that wanted to attend. They all went, including all teaching staff, lsa's, kitchen and office staff. We were so shocked! One of the staff members that I know told me though that they all saw it as another string to their bow iyswim.

His own LSA who was later recruited already knew some makaton, (she's a qualified childrens nurse) but attended another course similar to the one that parents can do.

Maybe this is something you could suggest at future meetings etc.

Phoenix, if a teacher in a m/s school,then it is fair to accept they have a lot on and may not be able to attend more specialist training for 1 child. Some do thoguh and that is fabulous.

If it's a special school or unit, then they should attend. Noone should be allowed near kids with communication needs without them having undergone at least a week's training in things like PECS, Makaton, Hanen or Elklan.

It never fails to astound me how little (if anything) is spent on training staff who are at the core of any good educational establishment. Schools that happily fork out £30K on ball pools and sensory rooms (both of which I would blow up myself-nowt but an excuse for staff to opt out of interacting with children)take on staff that know nothing and then teach them...nothing.

They just muddle on from year to year.

Astounding.

The week's training is what would be great in an ideal world. I don't think anyone would manage to get this writen into Part 3 of a statement but you can try!

Would also add that lots of special schools rely very heavily on SALTs for training and support with matters that should really be addressed by the Education Authority.