IPSEA/legal advice?? Help please

[beautifulgirls]

Has anyone actually managed to get through to IPSEA at all? - I really need some advice about accessing speech therapy for DD#1. I have done pretty much everything I think I can do apart from getting a statement (am prepared to go down that route but seriously doubt she would get a statement), or getting lawyers involved which is a route I am very unsure about right now. I tried to call IPSEA all evening but could get no reply.

DD#1 is 5yrs just finishing her reception year. She has been on school action plus (great and helpful school) for speech problems (verbal dyspraxia) and motor skills issues too. School feel she has not made much progress if any in the whole year with her speech but I am fighting a brick wall with the local NHS speech therapy team to actually get her any therapy with them. They are in the middle of a "restructure" and have had no therapists since last August. DD got an "emergency review" in April as a result of me complaining that stated she should be considered a priority for therapy before year 1. Since then nothing, repeated letters from me, phone calls and even a parent/staff liason meeting about the restructure. I contacted the local authority and asked them who is responsible to provide for her legally - they tell me the school is as she does not have a statement. The school are not speech therapists though and all the LA will do is tell me to hassle the NHS team which clearly is not working. The LA do not want to accept any responsibility at all for her given the NHS is currently unable to provide. The school have also asked for help and were told the same. Someone somewhere has to be held accountable here when the system is failing her and I am just SO frustrated with this.

(For those that would suggest it she is seeing a private therapist meanwhile)

Can anyone offer any help or advice at all please.

School feel she has not made much progress if any in the whole year with her speech.....

As she's already on SA+ and has not made any progress in the past year it is definitely time to request an assessment that may lead to the issuing of a Statement.

I contacted the local authority and asked them who is responsible to provide for her legally - they tell me the school is as she does not have a statement

So you can see why its o important that you secure a Statement that would make SLT provision legally binding on the LA to provide.

You don't need IPSEA at this point - you can initiate a request for an assessment yourself. The template is on the IPSEA webiste.

Best wishes

I am not sure about the differences between local authorities but, my ds was referred for SLT through my health visitor and we were seen very irregularly through them in the community. Then, when we got our statement, we had to fight for an SLT to be provided by the LA as they are different budgets. It may be worth going to visit your GP, if you haven't recently, and asking for a referral for SLT through the health people. When I went for my statement the health people discharged us and we came under the LA when my son was of school age. I understand it is very difficult to get SLT as a health thing unless there are significant issues (their terminology not mine) such as electronic speech aids or the child is profoundly deaf. It must depend on the NHS trust locally where that money goes. I contacted IPSEA through a charity for kids with Downs Syndrome, which is what my son has, and they were excellent. They called back and advised me on the wording for my statement struggles and the end result is an SLT for my son and not an assistant who reports back to the SLT once every so often. The person I spoke to said they are incredibly busy and so I would suggest you persevere and try to get a referral/report. If your private SLT would support your statment application, that may be worth a go too if you decide to go that route. Good luck.

You can send a letter of complaint to the School Governors (you can make it plain you are doing so as LA say the school is responsible and you are therefore making a complaint to all parties to try and resolve it) to NHS Trust Chief Exec and the LA Chief Exec.

You can then go to Health Service Ombudsman / Local Government Ombudsman but LGO can't get involved until you apply for a statement and the council are involved.
here

Don't assume you won't get a statement - lack of progress is the main ground for getting a statement and it sounds as though the school will back you if that is the only way of getting the therapy. Apply now - just the basic letter off IPSEA is enough to start the process.

Contact your local MP too not having speech therapists for a year is indefensible.

ICAN or Cerebra will sometimes offer help / vouchers.

If you get it on a statement then the LA have to pay privately even if there are no NHS SALTs.

With the cuts coming I would not want not to have a statement as your child will be the first to lose out because they have to meet the provision on statements so children on action plus will probably be disproportionally affected.

School have just completed a CAF for her and we should hear about what was said at the initial meeting next week. Should I wait for that first before looking at a statement??