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Hi folks please find NQP minutes from Tuesday 6th May 2014

Tuesday, May 6, 2014:

victoria.robinson joined the conversation – 5:57 PM

Emma joined the conversation – 5:57 PM

Sarah Davis – 5:58 PM
AGENDA

1. Welcome to any new NQPS – please introduce yourself and a quick overview of where you’re working if you haven’t as yet joined an NQP mentoring session

2. Focus on Report writing (which we had hoped to get through at the annual team day)

3. Formal and informal assessment ideas for a range of client groups/ Case
discussion

A.O.B – can you reply all with additional agenda items you would like to cover in the above agenda

We will all join together in this months session

NQP group 1: Karen, Katherine,
Caroline, Sabrina,
Shahzeb, Margaret,
Rebecca G, Neilam,
Amy H, Sai, Rebekah
J,Amy K, Laura O,
Sarah, Huda

NQP group 2; everyone outside of
group 1 list above

REMINDER: VIDEO’s – a deadline was set last month for the Monday 24th March so we can contact with you indivudally to provide 1;1 feedback on your session. Kat, Karen and Sabrina have submitted so far. It is important that we have time together reviewing your practice 1;1 through your video footage. Therefore I am setting a new date of the 30th May (due to Easter beak) please ensure you upload your videos to googel drive and share with Lisa and myself.
Next NQP session:

Monday 2nd June 7th 6.00 – 7.30pm
Hi all – just waiting for everyone to log on…..

Karen joined the conversation – 6:03 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:03 PM
H folks – we seem very thin on the groun tonight …..

victoria.robinson – 6:04 PM
hello

Sarah Davis – 6:04 PM
Hi Victoria – sorry for the slower start we are usually raring to go and kicking off on time.

victoria.robinson – 6:05 PM
no probs 🙂

Karen – 6:05 PM
Are we splitting into 2 groups? Sorry can’t remember!

Sarah Hodgson joined the conversation – 6:05 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:05 PM
I know Rachel is joining but will be late, no Kat, Awurabena, Amy K, Sabrina

Emma – 6:05 PM
Hello

Sarah Davis – 6:06 PM
Nope one group tonight Karen – and two groups on a non team meeting night.
Hi Sai
Ok well lets kick off and I will just send another quick reminder off and then we can share the minutes…

Sarah Hodgson – 6:06 PM
Hi everyone!

Sarah Davis – 6:06 PM
Hi Sarah
Victoria – do you want to start of by giving a quick overview of yourself 🙂

victoria.robinson – 6:08 PM
I joined integrated treatments end of march, graduated last july, also work part time with stroke association. I live in west yorkshire 🙂

Sarah Davis – 6:08 PM
Thanks Victoria
Ok so tonight we are going to pick up on the two areas we were hoping to cover in work shops at the team day…
Report writing and informal/formal assessments
Ok with everyone??

Sarah Hodgson – 6:09 PM
Yup 🙂

Karen – 6:09 PM
Yes 🙂

victoria.robinson – 6:09 PM
sounds good

Sarah Davis – 6:10 PM
Ok so report writing we are really needing to think about when we might need to write a report (ie for which different types of clients)

Work joined the conversation – 6:10 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:10 PM
The main ones being
1) Contracted Settings- school or care settings

Part 2 of NQP mentoring minutes

Tuesday, May 6, 2014:
Emma joined the conversation – 6:15 PM

victoria.robinson joined the conversation – 6:15 PM

rachel.harrison joined the conversation – 6:15 PM

Sarah Hodgson joined the conversation – 6:15 PM

Karen joined the conversation – 6:15 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:16 PM
sorry folks dont know what happened there- but we will continue on this chat
everyone see this ok?
So reports – three types

Emma – 6:16 PM
ok

victoria.robinson – 6:16 PM
yep 🙂

Karen – 6:16 PM
Yep I can 🙂

Sarah Hodgson – 6:16 PM
yup 🙂

Sarah Davis – 6:16 PM
1) contracted settings
2) indivudals – adults and families
3) case managers

Work joined the conversation – 6:17 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:17 PM
So focusing on 2 first – individuals
It’s really impt. for us to consider have we got enough info to put together in a full report- both formal and informal findings
Emily and Lisa will make it clear if a client has comissioned a report after the intial assessment sessions/initial assessment period.
Not all clients will want one – and we dont want to insist they have one and charge for one if actually all they want is verbal feedback to summarise the next steps -make sense
?

victoria.robinson – 6:19 PM
yes

Emma – 6:20 PM
yes

Sarah Davis – 6:20 PM
However it is also really impt. to recognise if your feedback is clearly understood by the client, if there is any chance of confusion you may decide for your own benefit it is worth summarising in a brief email the findings and the next steps (but briefly really as a summary to ensure it is clear what you are recommending)

Karen – 6:20 PM
Yep

Sarah Davis – 6:20 PM
Lisa and I will always guide you through whether to write a formal report or not.
So Typical report headings- I think we all know what we might need to cover here….. agreeed?
Att and list
Social com
Expression of language
Comp of language
Play
Environmental communciation needs
Any ideas to add to these titles?
or does this cover most
Behaviour and interaction

Emma – 6:22 PM
yes it does

Sarah Davis – 6:22 PM
perhaps but consider the wording carefully on that heading

Karen – 6:22 PM
Think that covers the majority

Sarah Davis – 6:23 PM
So you will find on the new therapists area example reports

victoria.robinson – 6:23 PM
i think so

Sarah Davis – 6:23 PM
Karen really has done a great job of summarising a number of formal assessments – eg expalining the section of the CELF and about standardised scores and perectange rankings etc
s use these templates to help you draft your report
Also if you are seeing a client say with ASD, or CP etc again there are plenty of reports across the team – so look on the therapists area and if you cant see what you are loking for – then email the team for a sample/draft report

Karen – 6:24 PM
Thanks Sarah – it makes writing the next ones quicker!

Sarah Davis – 6:25 PM
It really does and it also helps you to perfect your reports so you cover all the main heading and add to the details
Dont forget to cover informal observations as well as informal assessment and then formal assessment
Just because you didnt formally assess speech for example – remember to comment upon it and comment if it was – age appropriate etc
By not commenting on an area , leaves marging for questionning ?
Also ensure that if there is an area which you need to delve into in more detail – note that too – it is fine to say something like
” This is an area that requires more detailed observation and assessment and therefore this will be carried out in future weeks of therapy sessions”

Work left the conversation – 6:27 PM

Work joined the conversation – 6:27 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:28 PM
With statement reports – or what will soon become know as education, health and social care plans

victoria.robinson left the conversation – 6:28 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:28 PM
It’s important to comment on the Speech and Language Therapy Needs and Speech and Language Therapy provision

Isobel joined the conversation – 6:29 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:29 PM
There are examples of SALT needs and SALT provision sections of reports on the therapists area, so familairise yourself with these terms and what you need to comment on
Any comments so far peeps
Hi Isobel

Isobel – 6:31 PM
Hi

Work – 6:31 PM
all makes sense to me 🙂

Sarah Hodgson – 6:31 PM
yea all really good info, and it helps there are examples for us to look at! 🙂

Sarah Davis – 6:32 PM
Case Managers – these really require us to set out the next three months on therapy – ie weekly therapy for 1.5 hours, feedback to X,Y,Z, attendance at MDT meeting, Quarterly report writing

victoria.robinson joined the conversation – 6:33 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:33 PM
Basically a case manager is writing their costings from this report to get the solicitor to sign off the next phase of intervention
If you first see a complex child – say CP – it will not be expected that you can write a full summary report after one assessment session – you might need to see the child in home, at school, in the community etc
The key is keeping the case manager and Lisa and I up to date about the stage you are up to in your assessment. Up to three sessions of assessment would seem reasonable and is fine to do – unless Lisa or I hae advised a shorter length of time
It really is key to comment on all the areas we mentioned above when writing a case manager reprot – even if all areas havent been assessed – so you would comment – if it needs to be asssessed thereafter or if it wasnt
assessed as there was no indication this was an area of difficulty.
Att and list
Social com
Expression of language
Comp of language
Play
Environmental communciation needs
Behaviour and interaction
For your benefit Isobel – headings for a report which we will usually include
Templates of reports all on therapists area and do ask the team if you cant find an example you are looking for

Isobel – 6:37 PM
ok thanks

Sarah Davis – 6:37 PM
Isobel you acutally asked about reporting back to school when you were seeing the client at home
In this case if the parent is the fee payer and you are seeing the client at school – it is always worth highlighting to the parent
a) how effective it will be for their child if you are able to liasie with school and keep them up to date with strategies and specific programme work which they can put into place- as well as strategies
b) But remember if the parent is comissioning the therapist it is their choice as to whether they want you to spend your time (and their money) report writing
Remember that although we talk about formal reports – reporting back can be verbally, or a short written summary, a summary email – so do ensure that you wiegh up the need for each method and decide what you think would be most effective
Also remember that reports can act as a good baseline so there may be times when you want to encourage the family that you wirte a report to then share with others, to summarise his strenghts/needs/ plan of where to go next
So ladies throw me your questions/ comments – lets make sure this is as useful as possible for you all
….

Isobel – 6:41 PM
How often should you keep the SENCo informed of what you are doing?

Shahzeb joined the conversation – 6:42 PM

Sarah Davis – 6:42 PM
Again very similar to report writing Isobel you need to work this out and agree with the Parents

Karen – 6:42 PM
Excellent summary – I agree each case is different. Case Managers tend to need more detailed reports but again it varies between case managers

Isobel – 6:42 PM
ok

Sarah Davis – 6:43 PM
If they are comissioning – you need to check 1) they see the value of you liaising and 2) an agreed method of contact and timescale
I would say a half termly update with a SENCO is good – so you can bring school ideas into the home therapy and feedback also to school – so this is the sellling point to parents.

Isobel – 6:44 PM
just an email update or actual meeting?

Sarah Davis – 6:44 PM
As to how you feedback – a summary email and ccd into the parents could be good, or a phonecall if you want two way converstaion or a school visit once a half term/term might be beneficial here

Isobel – 6:44 PM
thanks

Sarah Davis – 6:44 PM
no worries – anyoe else on reports – before we touch on formal/ informal assessments…

victoria.robinson – 6:45 PM
what if a report hasn’t been commissioned but they request one at the assessment

Sarah Davis – 6:46 PM
Just go back to Lisa and double check what has been agreed – but essentially if at any time the family ask you for a report this is never a problem but you just need to ensure that the family are clear you will be speding a agreed amount of time which will lbe invoiceable.
I usually use the follwoing wordings
I can certainly write a therapy report for you at this stage, outlining what we have assessed/worked on (depending if this is I.A or ongoing therap) I just need to check that you are happy for me to spend 1 hour (or more if it’s indepth) to write up the therapy or assessment findigs to date.

victoria.robinson – 6:48 PM
ok thanks sarah

Sarah Davis – 6:48 PM
i would also add – we dont believe in automatically charging for reports as part of assessment or therapy, as clients often need them at different timescales in their therapy. For some clients it can be better to summarise the therapy findings and therapy sessions to date, once further sessions have taken place so that I can comment on progress with targets etc
Does this make sense Victoria

victoria.robinson – 6:49 PM
yes that does 🙂

Sarah Davis – 6:49 PM
Basically as a service we are very straight up – we wont insist the client ever has a report at set timescales but they can comission one at any time 🙂
Ok so brifely on informal and formal assessments and we might need to pick this up as a topic next time.
We will be looking at the assessment purchase list to see what else we need to add to our assessment reources
I think as always though it is such a careful balance between dipping in and out of informal and formal assessments with any one client and soemtimes using formal assessment informally – so hence just dipping into sections of a CELF to be able to comment on a certain area – sentence comprension for example.
With our more complex needs clients CP, ASD etc we really need to think about what is is we want to assess, how can they access the activity, e.g verbally, non vebally with gesture, pointing, etc (perhaps making only compresension assessment possible and expressive assessments less possible)
Do we need to use low tech AAC to assess – e.g putting the DLS photos on the Etran frame to ey point to