SALT - I think I might have to put in a formal complaint about my 12yr old SALT

[MoonlightMcKenzie]

I think I've been patient! I've just got a SECOND report full of factual inaccuracies and this one is going to the SEN officer for the statutory assessment.

In it, she is still banging on about how effective PECS has been for my ds, when her approach has actually confused him and delayed his development.

She has stated AGAIN that he has received several 1:1 sessions (he had one) and has put other things in her report that lay claim for all of his achievements, when my DH and I have banging our heads trying to get some 'proper' support and have busted our guts moving him on OURSELVES.

At ds' CDAC the Senior SALT mentioned that our SALT confirmed that his behaviour at assessment was typical, and I remember thinking 'wow, - how can she possibly know?'

She's a nice girl, but I can't let her take the credit for all our hardwork and let her report cover up for the totally crap service whe have had from her and her team over the last 9 months - can I? It might suggest that DS could manage on their provision, and unless they have some secret supply that they have kept under wraps until now then it ain't gonna happen.

Is it a misunderstanding, - or are these lies deliberate?

Have you tried correcting the mistakes in the report and getting her to change it. It is really importatnt that the number of visits is accurate otherwise the service looks much better than it actually is.

Yes, absolutely. With the first one they said they couldn't change it, but I could put in my own 'corrections' to be read alongside it.

I did this. However, I am now horrified to see the same claims in report no.2. I'm almost certain they won't change the report.

It isn't just visits though. We go to a SN class where a SALT is present. She is claiming that ds gets her support there when in fact she just swans around with no knowledge of the level his is at, suggesting totally inappropriate things and not listening to me say that he could do that 6 months ago. Then, when he does it, she gives me a 'told you so' face, as if he did it becuase of HER, and then, I'm guessing, writes it down for her rubbish reports!!!

It's driving me nuts. I'm so cross.

Probably incompetence. I had a complaint about DS1's SALT report and wrote to her manager. In our case she didn't record his responses accurately whe she was testing him and didn't seem to get him at all. I was watching her write her record the testing and she wasn't watching DS1 half the time and marking him down as a result. Anyhow, the report she produced was completely at odds with everything I had seen and told her and the results of test the other HCP (she had his verbal reasoning as way below average and they had it above - 5 minutes of talking to him should have been enough to see that she was wrong).

The manager phoned me up and we talked through the results. It left me a bit happier and in the next visit, miraculously, the SALT was agreeing with what everybody else said. However, that visit was about 6 mths at least after the first one and so DS wasted those 6 mths doing exercises and therapy he didn't need.

Not quite the same situation as you I know, but I don't think that you can leave it - whether it is a misunderstanding or deliberate lying, it is still wrong and it needs to be put right so your DS gets the best help he can get. It may not have repercusions immediately but my concern is always what happens when either the HCP or DS moves on and new people have to work out what has happened and what DS needs when they won't be assessing from scratch and need to rely on what has been found before.

Go to the unit manager. It may be that they already know that this SALT is not working properly and you might get better results that way.

I despise crap SALTs... Ooo.

I don't have any sound advice for you on this, but can empathise somewhat, our previous SALT filed 3 reports (she also never once properly observed DS or gave us any USEFUL advice/info) She wrote in these reports that DS had a vocabulary of 30 words! HE DOES NOT HAVE EVEN 4 REGULAR WORDS
Thankfully, we've got a FAB lady now who is just brill and she literally scribbled through all the previous reports and said "I'll get these in order."

You're well within your right to complain though, go ahead and make your corrections again and photocopy everything... Have you got a keyworker or anyone like that who can help get it sorted?

Sorry can't be any use really, but I will sit and be mad with you lol.

Grrrrrr, I used to go to a group at the local drop-in where a SALT used to hang around. Before (and during) his time under the 'official' SALT I would take him there and ask small questions. I feel that both that group AND the SALT there have quite a contribution to claim for his progress (although I am responsible for doing the work and seeking the advice - obviously).

I think I'll make an appointment with the manager of that group and see if I can make her angry enough that the SALT is claiming ds' progress is down to her work only. This manager will be able to see quite clearly that many of his achievements that are in the report were present before her involvement. Hopefully she'll be just as annoyed.

In my experience they close ranks - I wouldn't be surprised if the manager doesn't get angry on your behalf. They will try to be 'fair' to both of you.

That doesn't mean to say that it isn't worth doing. He/She might well get the SALT to put things right after your conversation with them but I doubt you would get an admission that the SALT in question is an idiot and had done anything wrong.

I must admit of all the HCP my DS has seen the SALTs have been a bit of a waste of time and I have friends who have found them to be so around here too. I don't have a particularly high opinion but maybe we just have a poor unit. I am sure there are some good ones around - well I hope so!

Good luck.

I am glad someone else is having a problem with thier SALT, I agree with Niecie that they do close ranks and always back each other up.

Our SALT has been absolutely useless, and I am so glad that we are on the More than Words corse which means we dont have to deal with her anymore. She has only seen us twice in 7 months, despite putting on our report that she wanted to see him monthly. She bought him round Pecs pictures but disnt sho me the signs and so I ended up having to come on here for them, and most importantly to me she twisted my words at our first meeting. I said in passing that 'sometimes it feels like there is no point in talking to him as he doesnt understand', she turned that into, 'Mum needs to try and talk to DS more'

When I got this report I did ring her and ask her to change it, which in fairness she did. I would definately try asking your SALT to change it, as otherwise if you complain they will just ask you why you didnt.

Good luck, I hope you get it all sorted.

Mario... i'd be furious with that too.. they do have a tendency to twist everything. I think for every good one, there are a hundred shit ones.

Moonlight, good luck, hope you manage to get a decent SALT soon!

It's vitally important that the SALT report that will be one of the Appendices of the Statement is accurate.

I received a very inaccurate Community Paed's report when son was being Statemented. I wrote a letter to her pointing out the inaccuracies and asking her to resubmit a corrected report. She did.

I would try that approach first and if that failed would move onto a formal complaint.

I also had an inaccurate school report for the Statement which the LEA acknowledged was incorrect but told me that they could not seek a correction, the onus was on me to take up the inaccuracies with school.

Telling you to 'put the record straight' on the SALT inaccuracies when you write your Parental Advise is not good enough. You'll learn that a professionals advice will wiegh more heavily with the LEA than parental advice does - that's why it's so important that their reports are accurate.

Best wishes

Arghh - I typed Advise - I meant Advice

Phew, well I had a conversation with a Senior SALT who was very agressive at the beginning of the phonecall but seemed to soften as the call progressed. She didn't agree to make the changes herself but did agree to put it to our SALT and then email me an updated report, - so I suppose that is a start!?

She also said that she isn't happy herself with the line that stated that now he has had his formal assessment a programme will begin and wants to say that the programme will be updated. I agreed, but will probably tell her that I would like to 'see' said programme to be updated before I can agree that it is accurate, because so far I don't believe one exists.

Another case of an 'edu=professional' not wanting to overtrn the decision of her feloow 'edu-professional'.

They all make me

FFS - do they want the truth in this Statement or a bloody wish-list?

Keep challenging them - that's all you can do.

Hang on in there you're doing great

Aw thanks. I was expecting to see the SALT yesterday morning at the SN class to go through some questions but an hour in she still hadn't turned up. I asked the Leader if she was coming and got a very sharp reply:

'Starlight, she's at an emergency meeting. These things happen. We can't all just be available for you when you want. Your keyworker has 200 on her books, I have 90. We're all very busy'.

I replied that emergency meetings are understandable, but it would have been nice for someone to have told me at some point in the session that she wasn't coming, given that we had a pre-arranged meeting.

She then snapped

'Well I only found out an hour ago!, Emergency meetings take priority I'm afraid'.

She made me cry.

My keyworker doesn't appear to be answering my calls any more either. I've been trying to get hold of her since Thursday. I heard a rumour that she is planning to ditch me hand me over to 'education' now that ds is in preschool.

What a cow! I hope you had a strong cuppa when you got home.

Do you have any professionals you feel you can rely on/turn to?

Sorry they're messing you about Star/Moonlight.

Thanks all. It isn't too bad given the path we are now going. It provides good support for our case.