Services

Children’s Speech and Language Therapy

Our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service is a countywide specialist service for children and young people aged 0 – 18 and their families and carers. We work within a variety of locations including mainstream schools, community clinics, preschool settings, special schools and client’s homes.

About this service

Our speech and language therapists are qualified professionals with an in-depth knowledge of difficulties with communication and eating and drinking disorders. This includes the following areas:

  • language delay and disorder
  • speech sound difficulties
  • profound hearing impairment
  • cleft palate
  • stammering
  • Social communication difficulties with associated language difficulties
  • voice disorders
  • selective mutism

We provide assessment, advice and treatment planned around the individual needs of the child and family. Advice, training and support may also be provided to teaching and support staff or other professionals where appropriate, to help facilitate the development of communication skills.

Drop-in sessions

We are offering 10-minute virtual drop-in sessions for parents and carers of pre-school children, who are not currently known to the service, to discuss any concerns regarding their child’s communication development.

No referral is needed, parents or carers (who have legal parental responsibility) just need to watch this short video, to review this checklist and to then complete this form to request an appointment. If you have any issues, please call our central office on 0300 421 8937.

Children who have been referred to our service by another professional may also be invited to attend a drop-in session.

If you think a longer appointment is needed, then see our ‘Request for support’ section below.

Requesting support

Before you request further support from the service, take a look at our resources section. We would recommend trying some of these ideas consistently for 3 – 6 months ahead of making a referral.
We accept requests for support from anyone supporting the child, however, informed parental consent must have been given before completing these forms:

Useful information

For more information and ideas on how to work on a range of speech and language difficulties, click here.

The following sites provide information, advice and support from a range of regional and national organisations:

Training for professionals

We offer a range of training courses for professionals working with primary aged children including:

Understanding Language Training

Learn how to support children who have difficulties understanding language in school in this online training package which focuses on:

  • When children typically learn to understand concepts, instructions and questions
  • The factors that may affect a child’s understanding of language
  • Strategies and activities for developing children’s understanding of language.

Each place is £50 per person. To find out more about this course and to book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722

Expressive language

Learn how to support children who have difficulties with their expressive language in school. This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:

  • when children typically learn vocabulary, grammar and narrative skills
  • the factors that may affect a child’s expressive language development
  • strategies and activities for developing children’s expressive language.

For more information or to book, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk before 30 May 2023 or call 0300 421 6722

Speech Sound Development

Learn how to support children who have speech difficulties in school. This online training package is £50 per person and covers:

  • typical development of speech sounds
  • when to refer
  • different types of speech difficulties
  • supporting children with speech difficulties
  • delivering Speech and Language Therapy programmes

To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722

Vocabulary Development

This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:

  • The importance of vocabulary
  • Practical strategies that staff can use in the classroom
  • Strategies that can be implemented with immediate effect.

To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722

Contact us

Telephone:

0300 421 8937

E-mail:

SLTchild@ghc.nhs.uk
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday
Accessibility