Speech and language therapy in specialist provision

Information for Parents and Carers

Who are we?

We are a team of Speech and Language Therapists and Assistants who see children and young people in specialist schools and integrated resources (IRs).

What do we do?

We help children and young people with:

• Speech, language and communication needs
• Eating, drinking and swallowing needs

We work with parents, carers and school staff to give them the skills to help children or young people across all parts of their life.

How do we work?

We work in episodes of care. This means we see children and young people when they need help, but close the referral when their needs are being met through support at school and at home. Staff in specialist schools and IRs are trained in speech, language and communication strategies. This means they can help children’s speech, language and communication as part of their everyday learning in school. Most children and young people do not need an open referral to Speech and Language Therapy, as the support we would offer is already in place.

When to refer?

You can refer when you child:

• Has met their goals and you need help to know what to do next.
• Is showing any of the meal and snack time red flags
• Needs an updated communication profile or mealtime mat due to changes in their communication or eating, drinking and swallowing.
• Has a degenerative condition and there has been a change in their communication or eating, drinking and swallowing.
• Needs help to use other ways of communicating, such as pictures, symbols or signing.
• Needs help with their speech sounds and is motivated to engage in practise.

See Contact Us information below.

Information for Schools

From September 2023, the specialist schools Speech and Language Therapy service will be working in an ‘episodes of care’ model.

Reasons for referral

• The Speech and Language Therapist has recommended a referral back to the service.
• A child or young person is showing any of the meal and snack time red flags
• A child or young person needs an updated communication profile or mealtime mat due to changes in their communication or eating, drinking and swallowing.
• A child or young person has a degenerative condition and there has been a change in their communication or eating, drinking and swallowing.
• A child or young person needs help to use other ways of communicating, such as pictures, symbols or signing.
• A child or young person needs help with their speech sounds and is motivated to engage in practise.

Eating and drinking referrals

Children and young people with eating and drinking difficulties can be referred using the referral form on our website. The referral form should be sent to the Speech and Language Therapy central email address on the form. Referrals can be made by parents or carers, school staff or other professionals with parental permission.

Communication referrals

We will meet with senior leadership team half-termly for a referral meeting. We will encourage parents and carers to speak to their child or young person’s class teacher if they want to refer their child for support with their speech, language and communication. From the information provided, we will agree together which children and young people need to see us and ask school to complete a referral form and gain parent and carer consent. We will be using the attached Communication Support Framework document to support these discussions. We ask that the school come prepared for the referral meeting by discussing the child or young person with their class teacher using this document, so they are clear about their strengths and challenges and what support is in place in the classroom. For children and young people who do not need to see us, we will provide information to school staff or parents and carers about other support that can be put in place.

Levels of support

Children and young people access our service through episodes of care.  This means they will be open to us when they need specific support, but closed during times when their needs can be met by the support in place in school. Sheffield Speech and Language Therapy Service provides support at three levels:

Marie Gascoigne’s © The Balanced System framework

Descriptions taken from the Better Communication website © The Balanced System

What happens when a child or young person is referred to Speech and Language Therapy?

When a child or young person is referred to our service, you can expect:

A first contact

The therapist will contact the parent and carer and class teacher. They will ask questions about the child or young person’s speech, language, communication or eating and drinking and any concerns or questions school or parents might have. They will signpost school and parents and carers to useful resources from our digital resource library. This may be enough at this stage and it may be agreed that the child or young person does not need to access any targeted or specialist support at this time.

Appointments in school

If further support is needed, the therapist will book appointments for the child or young person in school.  The aim of these appointments will be to assess the child or young person or to train school staff or parents in using resources or strategies to support them.  These training sessions will only take place if there is an adult present. Parents and carers are welcome to attend appointments in school, or to meet the therapist or assistant before or after the appointment.

Children and young people will be seen for an ‘episode of care’. We will work collaboratively with the child or young person, their family, school and other key people in their life.  Once support is in place, we end the episode of care. Some children and young people may need another episode of care at another time.  Others will not need to see us again if they are well supported by school at a universal level.

Communication profile or mealtime mat

At the end of an episode of care, the therapist will write either a summary letter, an updated communication profile or a mealtime mat.  These can be used to update the child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), transition information and their Communication and Health Passport.