Health professionals

The SEN Code of Practice (DfES, 2001: 7), and SEN Toolkit (DfES, 2001a), Section 12 clearly state that:

The local Health Authority (HA) needs to ensure that there are clear methods for collaboration with the LEA and social services departments in meeting their joint responsibilities under section 322 of the Education Act 1996 and section 27 of the Children Act 1989, and that they are known by the relevant officers.

There is also a need for the Health Authority to ‘designate a medical officer for special educational needs’ (DfES, 2001: 7). The SEN Code of Practice (DfES, 2001), in Section 10.26, lists what a designated medical officer should do in regard to inter-agency working with education and social services.

The health professionals that may be included in inter-agency meetings in schools could include:

■ health visitors (HV)

■ paediatricians

■ school health service

■ speech and language therapists (SLT)

■ physiotherapists

■ occupational therapists (OT)

■ clinical psychologists (CP)

■ audiologists and ophthalmologists

■ child mental health team.

They may provide specialist assessment and diagnosis and it is important here to note that the designated medical officer should: ‘make sure that there are appropriate mechanisms so that health advice is provided for annual review meetings and transition planning when appropriate’ (DfES, 2001: 8).

A health professional will be able to give advice and any relevant training to school staff, in liaison with the parent/carer and the pupil, on the management of a pupil’s medical condition. They may also provide input outside of the school context, for example, in a clinic for speech and language therapy or a hospital. It is in this kind of situation that inter-agency planning is vital if a pupil is going to be able to receive a holistic education plan that considers aspects such as missed schooling and medical needs.