NEWS
Children ’ s minister encourages schools to let in therapists following RCOT meeting
The children ’ s minister is to make a joint call with the Department for Health and Social Care to ensure that all schools in England allow children ’ s therapists to have access to their pupils that need support .
RCOT met with Vicky Ford , the children and families minister , leading a coalition of organisations , including the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and the Disabled Children ’ s Partnership .
The minister has agreed to make a statement alongside a fellow minister from the Department for Health and Social Care to make sure therapists are not kept out of schools .
Ben Powick , RCOT policy and public affairs manager , said : ‘ The details of the vital role of occupational therapists in schools was fairly new to the minister , but she made clear it is now engrained in her mind . When we highlighted to the minister that there were examples of schools not allowing children ’ s therapists and other allied health professionals in , despite the guidance permitting it , the minister was quickly in agreement to support our call .
‘ Following the meeting , RCOT will also be in closer touch with the department team looking at COVID-19 recovery , including discussion with the “ catch-up tsar ”, to ensure the therapist voice is heard .
‘ We have agreed plans for a further meeting with the minister during the summer to check on the recovery plan progress and
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any other challenges which our members face in supporting children and young people .’
Evidence from the partnership shared with the minister shows that only a third of hundreds of surveyed families were receiving the level of therapy support which they received before the pandemic , despite the potential for higher needs during the stress of lockdown .
The meeting followed the minister making a public call for children ’ s therapists to be protected from redeployment during the second wave in October last year , following a joint call led by RCOT and other bodies .
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