Independent Professionals
Definitions:
- A statutory professional is employed or commissioned by health, education or social care.
- An independent professional (also referred to as ‘private’) is not directly employed or commissioned by these services. They may be funded by individuals, families, charities or by medicolegal settlement. We will use ‘independent professional’ to include Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, AAC Consultants, AAC Teachers, and home school tutors.
At AAC WEST, we value collaborative working to achieve the best possible outcomes for our AAC users. We encourage input from independent professionals, however only statutory Speech Therapists can refer to AAC WEST due to the way that NHS AAC Specialised Services are funded.
Working with independent professionals can work well when:
- The statutory SLT and the independent professionals work together. They can both contribute to the AAC assessment and the AAC WEST referral form.
- Everyone knows their role from the start and respects each other’s work. You can use tools such as ‘Choosing Roles in AAC Decision Making’ to help (can be found on the I-ASC Resources website).
- The team shares the same goals, with the AAC user at the centre.
- There is clear and open communication. Everyone is kept up to date.
- Everyone supporting the AAC user follows the plan made by AAC WEST.
- The AAC user, family, and professionals understand:
- The AAC WEST assessment process
- The criteria for NHS AAC specialised services
- How funding works
- That AAC WEST will:
- Carry out impartial assessments.
- Aim to find the best AAC option for the user, whether it’s low tech (paper based) or high tech (powered).
- Make recommendations that may differ from previous advice, even if devices were already tried or bought. (See also [LINK] privately funded device).
If the AAC user or team want to try something different to AAC WEST’s recommendations, they can choose a private AAC pathway instead of the NHS one.
AAC Suppliers and Assistive Technology Charities
(visits, trials, loans for people not seen by AAC WEST)
Some families or clinicians arrange visits from AAC suppliers. This can help the team to explore potential AAC options, but it may also make things more confusing, as the AAC user and their family will receive advice from multiple people.
We recommend:
- The clinician (statutory and/or independent) maintains responsibility on these visits, and makes the clinical decisions.
- Everyone knows their role:
- AAC suppliers bring technical knowledge of their company’s devices.
- Clinicians bring knowledge about the AAC user.
- The clinician considers arranging visits from multiple suppliers to explore different options.
If the AAC user is referred to AAC WEST, we will:
- Carry out an impartial assessment
- Aim to find the best AAC option for the user, whether it’s low-tech (paper-based) or high-tech (powered).
- Make recommendations that may differ from previous advice, even if devices were already tried or bought. We do not refund money spent on privately bought or hired devices. (See also LINK: privately funded device).