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PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THERAPISTS AND EDUCATION

Produced by: Occupational Therapists

      Physiotherapists

      Speech & Language Therapists

      In NHS Trusts in Hampshire

October 1999

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this paper is to establish guidelines for good practice to support collaborative partnerships between Therapists and Education staff.

Good therapy practice has always involved working collaboratively, but has become much more sharply defined and widely practised since the National Curriculum, Code of practice and All Our Children documents were published.

The primary objective for collaborative working is to decrease the impact of any difference between the child's skills and those needed to learn and access the curriculum most effectively.

The impetus on joint working was reinforced by the 1981 and 1993 Education Acts. The revision of the Code of Practice (1999) with its emphasis on meeting needs in an increasingly inclusive culture, has increased the recognition that a child who does not have adequate functional skills will not be able to access the curriculum. It is evident that Therapy Services and Education need to work together to find effective ways of differentiating learning tasks. Working in isolation or in unnatural surroundings can be much less useful than Teacher and Therapist working together.

Collaborative working reflects the evolving needs of the child and will, therefore, take a variety of forms over time. The therapist may work with the Teacher/SENCO, Carer and child to assess skills, monitor progress, or demonstrate programme suggestions. Discussion with school staff will focus on problems arising from the difficulty, joint planning of appropriate IEP targets, and strategies to overcome difficulties with specific targets. The key feature is the joint description of the specific nature of each child's difficulty, and the shared implementation of strategies to develop new skills enabling the child to access the curriculum and function more productively. The overall benefit is that the child's progress will be greater than each professional could achieve by working in isolation.

This is a familiar concept for those parents who have worked with a Therapist in the child's pre-school years. They will have already drawn on opportunities available in the home environment, sharing viewpoints, information, and working towards agreed goals.

By the time the child goes to school, different skills have developed which enable varied, but still age appropriate, learning models to be used. In addition to the home, the school now becomes an active learning environment and it is crucial that this wider community is influenced by those with particular knowledge about a child's strengths and difficulties. It is equally important that the opportunities which arise naturally at school are not lost. This ensures that practice of particular activities can be maintained naturally in the classroom, so that the child learns to generalise skills into everyday learning. Working in a responsive environment will result in greatest progress.

Collaboration is, therefore, a positive venture by both Health and Education to help a child make the most of learning opportunities in school. Regular communication, flexible approaches and commitment over time are required to make collaborative work successful. When it is in place, the rewards are significant because it enables teaching to be highly productive, using the child's skills and overcoming the areas of difficulty. Delivering therapy programmes in school, particularly where there is carry over into the general classroom situation, enables learning to be reinforced all day, every day, during a wide range of learning and social experiences. This finely tuned teaching ensures much greater exposure to a richer learning environment. The next page illustrates a model of collaboration which may be adopted in Hampshire.

Therapy Services

Schools

LEA - Portsmouth City

Paediatric Heads of Services should ensure:

· That schools know how to refer to each service;

· That school has details of their local therapist;

· That staff have time set aside for liaising with school staff;

· That local training is available for Education staff on supporting programmes for children;

· That training on Education issues is provided for all therapy staff;

· A multi-disciplinary approach wherever possible

· Clear and consistent prioritisation is in place

Headteachers should ensure:

· That a policy on how school supports therapists is in place and maintained;

· That there is a named member of staff responsible for liaising with therapists;

· That relevant staff have time set aside to allow uninterrupted liaison with individual therapists

· That suitably furnished quiet accommodation is available for assessment/individual sessions with children;

· That staff are able to attend appropriate training

The LEA should ensure that:

· SEN monitoring inspection visits should keep under review:

    - The amount of time required to allow uninterrupted liaison with individual therapists

    - The provision of suitable furnished quiet accommodation for assessment/individual sessions with children

    - School policies on liaison/support with therapists

· Appropriate training is available for staff

An annual report will be made by the SEN Inspector to the Pupil Services Senior Management Team. This will be the subject of an annual meeting with the Therapy Services Manager (Paediatrics), Child Development Centre

Therapists

Teachers/Assistants

LEA - Hampshire

1. Will prepare a therapy programme for child and demonstrate/trial it as appropriate.

2. Will monitor the programme at agreed and stated intervals.

3. Will keep parents and others informed of aims and progress at agreed intervals.

4. Will provide integrated, multi-disciplinary approach wherever possible

5. Will attend/provide a report for annual reviews on request

6. Will help prepare IEP

7. Will advise how to weave aims into the curriculum

8. Will acknowledge receipt of programme.

9. Will include appropriate therapy aims in IEP.

10. Will encourage therapy aims into all relevant aspects of curriculum

11. Will spend specific time on therapy targets as appropriate.

12. Will provide adequate notice to therapists of any formal review meetings.

13. Will contact therapist if any concerns regarding the child's progress/difficulties with the programme.

14. Will inform therapist of absent pupils.

The LEA will:

    1. Consult and inform schools and voluntary organisations on developments and changes to the protocol through the County Special Needs Group and Head Teachers conferences.

    2. Ensure that the protocol is reflected in the statement of special needs if any statemented pupil requires therapy services.

    3. Arrange opportunities for training in partnership with schools, voluntary organisations and the Health Service.

    4. Monitor the provision made by schools in respect of pupils who require therapy services through procedures set out in the SEN code of practice and through existing inspection arrangements.

    5. Provide advice to schools and parents through the Educational Psychological Service.

    Both school staff and therapist will share information about the child

    Both groups will jointly consider how therapy aims can be met within the curriculum

    Both groups will monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of this approach at agreed intervals