The Children and Young People’s (CYP) Speech and Language Therapy service will continue to comply with current social distancing measures when delivering appointments by using a virtual first approach. Therapists will deliver face to face intervention where indicated, wearing appropriate PPE for all sessions, both in education setting, clinic or at home. Within HCT all staff have been offered the COVID-19 vaccination and those who are undertaking face to face appointments are regularly self-testing using a Lateral Flow test.
The Children and Young People’s (CYP) Speech and Language Therapy service offers a child- and family-centred approach to support CYP with speech, language, communication needs (SLCN) and those with eating and drinking difficulties in Hertfordshire.
We work in partnership with parents, carers, health and education professionals to promote positive outcomes for CYP. Our service model aims to reduce the gap and inequalities amongst CYP in Hertfordshire who have SLCN.
Our service offer is underpinned by the following aims:
CYP and families are empowered through the provision of information and advice
CYP and families are able to manage their own health and wellbeing by learning new skills
CYP’s participation is maximised through enhanced, communication friendly environments
The wider children’s workforce are confident to support CYP with SLCN
There is early identification of SLCN and impacts minimised through early advice and support
CYP and families can access high-quality, evidence-based, effective intervention in a timely manner
CYP achieve positive outcomes that prepare them for life through a collaborative approach
More detailed information about the Children and Young People’s Therapies Service, including how service is delivered, referrals and how we work with children and their families is available here.
This page contains information and help; however we also have a dedicated telephone number which parents, carers and professional can call to speak to a therapist about a new referral or child’s development. The advice line number is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please leave a message on our Advice Line - 01923 470680 then select option 3, option 1 - and a therapist will contact you. Calls are responded to by a therapist on weekdays.
If your child is already known to the service please contact us on the number below.
Training
We are currently reviewing our training courses and workshop sessions, so that these can be delivered in a new virtual format. Training session dates are currently available on the individual profession pages. New dates and details are added regularly so please come back and check again if you are interested in any of our sessions.
We are now able to offer Virtual Speech and Language Support Elklan Courses for 3-5s, 5-11s and SLD.
More Than Words The Speech & Language Therapy (SLT) Service run ‘More Than Words’ courses on a termly basis and invite families known to the SLT Service.
A ‘More Than Words’ course is a series of workshops for the parents/carers of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Social Communication Difficulties. These workshops are designed to show parents/carers how to turn everyday activities into opportunities for promoting interaction and communication skills.
Each course consists of parent workshop sessions and parent and child home sessions. Attendance at a course is a child’s speech & language therapy intervention. At the end of the course, children are discharged from the Speech & Language Therapy Service and details given about when to re-refer (if a child needs ongoing input).
There is a waiting list for ‘More Than Words’ so there will be a wait before accessing a course. You can find out more about ‘More Than Words’ online at www.hanen.org.
Advice Clinic The Children’s Therapies service is now piloting a therapy advice clinic for preschool children with Down Syndrome living within the East Hertfordshire area. Parents or carers can book into these clinics to access advice and informal assessment from a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech and language therapist. They do not need a referral and do not have to be currently open to the service in order to access it. Booking details can be found HERE.
This is a dedicated telephone number which parents, carers and professionals can call to speak to a therapist about a new referral or a child’s development. Please leave a message on our Advice Line and a therapist will contact you. Calls are responded to by a therapist on weekdays. Virtual Screening Clinics – please see the ‘Making A Referral’ section below
Children and Young People’s Therapies has changed the way we are working due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are continuing to accept new referrals through our usual referral pathways but have reduced service capacity at this time. In order to comply with social distancing the majority of appointments will be offered virtually either with telephone or video appointments via <Attend Anywhere>
Please do not attend a face-to-face appointment if you, your child or anyone in your household is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms or if you or your child are required to self-isolate during the time of the appointment.
Only one parent/guardian is permitted to attend the appointment with a child. Please do not bring any other children to the appointment.
On arrival at the HCT centre, please follow local instructions provided when the appointment was booked. Please arrive at your appointment time as there is limited waiting space in the buildings and car parks. A clinician will collect you and lead you to the clinic room. Clinicians will be wearing personal protective equipment, as per recommended guidelines.
We ask that you maintain social distancing wherever possible and when entering the building, please ensure that both of you are wearing a face covering or mask (very young children or those with additional needs will not be required to wear a face covering or mask).
Strict cleaning procedures are in place.
Along with our Advice Line we are also delivering:
Support for CYP who need to be discharged out of hospital
Support for CYP who may require end of life care or an urgent social care assessment
Support for CYP with dysphagia (eating and drinking difficulties)
Urgent moving/handling and access assessments, and advice/review of equipment needs
Assessments for statutory Education, Health and Care plans
Contacting families of CYP with therapy provision as part of their EHCP to discuss their child’s needs and deliver intervention
Appointments to review a CYP’s needs where they have complex or urgent therapy needs or for those CYP whose needs are as yet unclear
Delivering therapy blocks of intervention with a blended approach of face to face or virtual
Equipment assessments
Delivering virtual training and workshops for parents and setting staff
Delivering Virtual screening clinics for OT and SaLT
We are currently reviewing delivery of face to face groups.
If you have any urgent or new queries please contact the CYPT Advice Line number (01923 470680 option 3, option 1) and a therapist will contact you to discuss your concern.
Please remember to also look on the Website pages under Useful Information for further advice and support.
The Speech and Language Therapy team work with CYP in the most appropriate setting to promote functional communication and/or eating and drinking skills. We work with families and education staff to empower them to be confident agents of change for the individual CYP. We routinely visit early years settings, mainstream schools and specialist schools. Some CYP may be seen at home or in a clinic according to clinical need. For those CYP with an identified need, an episode of care will be recommended. If required, the Speech and Language Therapist will work through an interpreter should a child or family have difficulty communicating in English.
We offer support in different ways:
Universal - something for all children, for example: raising awareness and increasing understanding of SLCN and eating or drinking difficulties
Targeted - something for some children, for example: working with families and settings to help identify and overcome barriers faced by CYP with SLCN or eating and drinking difficulties
Specialist - something for children with a defined clinical need, for example: where our input can make a significant contribution to a CYP’s health and wellbeing
Not all children will require specialist support from the service as advice and support can be accessed through our targeted and universal offer.
The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service supports children and young people from birth to 18 years old. Children and young people should be registered with a Hertfordshire GP or be resident in Hertfordshire, as well as attending a Hertfordshire school, college or early years setting. We also support young people up to the age of 25 years who have a Hertfordshire Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and are attending an educational setting in Hertfordshire.
Most pre-school children will attend a Speech and Language Therapy virtual screening clinic. Most school-aged children will be seen in school for their first assessment. It is important that you respond promptly when invited to make an appointment and that you contact the Speech and Language Therapy Service if you are unable attend. Parents/carers are required to attend a child’s initial appointment.
The Speech and Language Therapist will talk to you about your concerns and ask about your child's speech and language development, or eating and drinking skills. The therapist will observe your child, and may carry out specific activities and assessments.
The therapist will talk to you about your child’s strengths and any difficulties they may have identified. At the end of the appointment the therapist may advise you that no further support from the service is required or they may provide you with some advice and strategies, and guide you to seek further support through your child’s educational setting. If your child does require direct support from the service, the therapist will inform you about what this episode of care will be.
In a virtual appointment you will have an opportunity to discuss your concerns with the therapist and the therapist may want to observe your child during play or activities.
If there is a particular activity you’re concerned about e.g. not being able to pronounce words, it would be helpful to have some toys and activities ready to show the therapist. Being in a room with fewer distractions can also help your child engage in the session.
We appreciate there can be technical difficulties when accessing virtual appointments, please check the link and internet connectivity before your appointment to ensure you can access the virtual clinic at the allocated time; if there is a delay in accessing the appointment it may not be possible to complete the appointment.
At the end of the appointment, the therapist will talk to you about how your child is progressing and provide you with advice and explain any next steps.
The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service has provided some resources for parents and people who work with children. This is both general advice on common concerns, as well as specific advice sheets which a therapist may recommend for you.
Have you heard of the Local Offer? If you are a young person with, or have a child with special educational needs and disabilities(SEND), the Local Offer is Hertfordshire’s central source of information for SEND services and support. Visit www.hertsdirect.org/localoffer for an easily accessible one-stop shop.
Should you have concerns regarding your child’s speech and language development, please speak to your Health Visitor or local Family Centre. They will often be able to provide you with advice on ways to support your child at home. If your child is aged over two years six months, they may advise you to book on to one of our virtual screening clinics.
These clinics offer an opportunity for you to talk with the therapist regarding your child’s development and for us to gather information to understand your child’s needs. You may have been directed to these clinics by a Health Visitor or another professional working with your child but you do not need a referral to attend one. We have two separate clinics running, one by Speech and Language Therapists and one by Occupational Therapists.
The criteria for attending an SLT clinic is as follows:
Screening clinics are for preschool children from aged 2 years 6 months and above, who are not yet in full time school
We are unable to see children with Education, Health and Care plans, or those requiring associated assessment within these clinics. A referral should be made by your child’s Special Education Needs officer
Children already known to the service, or children beyond the given age ranges for each clinic are not able to be seen
We are unable to complete assessments of eating and drinking at screening clinics
If you have contacted our Advice Line and continue to require access to support and advice from the Speech and Language Therapy Team, please follow these steps:
Once your form is received, you will get an email message acknowledging receipt. You will then be contacted via email or text message regarding next steps.
If you have any difficulty completing the form and sending the information, please contact our administration team on 01923 470680 option 3 option 1.
If you would like advice on how to support your child at home whilst waiting for your screening clinic appointment, please follow the links below.
If you have concerns about your child’s attention and listening skills, click HERE
If you have concerns about your child’s understanding, click HERE
If you have concerns that your child is not using many words, click HERE
If you have concerns that your child is dysfluent, click HERE
If you have concerns that your child is unclear when talking, click HERE
If you have concerns about your child’s social interaction, click HERE
You can also access us via our dedicated Advice Line on 01923 470680 option 3 option 2 where you can leave a message and be called back by one of the team.
School-aged Children
If your child is in full-time school you should discuss any concerns you may have with your child’s teacher. Some children can be supported in their school without a referral to the service through advice from the school’s link therapist. SENCos and other educational professionals can refer a child to the service.
Referral information
All referrals sent to the service are triaged by a therapist. The information in the referral will be used to make a decision on whether an assessment appointment will be offered.
We encourage all referrals to HCT Children's Services to be made via this online referral form.
If you are worried about your child’s eating and drinking skills, please speak to your child’s health visitor or GP in the first instance. Referrals for eating and drinking difficulties will only be accepted from a health professional, for example GP, Health Visitor, Paediatrician, Dietician. We would not carry out assessments of eating and drinking at our screening clinics.
This is an example of a patient story in which a parent, client or carer is asked about their journey through an NHS Speech and Language Therapy Service in Hertfordshire. Such information has been collected on behalf of the Hertfordshire Community Trust in order to hear directly from patients about their interactions with a service and the ways in which it could be improved. A student Speech and Language Therapist, Charlotte Fraser, conducted an informal interview with a parent on 1 March 2017 under the supervision of Mhairi Mason, Speech and Language Therapist, to collect such data.
The journey
The parent outlined the child’s journey through the Hertfordshire NHS Speech and Language Service, specifically focusing on her current phase at Tier One provision of SLT at a local severe learning disability school. Though she emphasised that her child’s journey had been long and difficult, she praised the services continuing support and flexibility. She stated that she was extremely pleased with the current level of provision and felt that her child’s needs were being successfully being met and maintained.
Positive aspects of the service
The parent highlighted many positive aspects of the service, stating that though there was never a specific problem previously, the current SLT provision had been above and beyond what she expected.
Firstly, she highlighted that she always felt included in any decisions made concerning her child. She explained that there was always a clear path of communication and she was incredibly appreciative of the time dedicated by the SLT to ensuring she was kept up to date with her child’s progress. The parent expanded upon this, claiming that as a result she feels reassured and confident her child’s needs are sufficiently understood and being met at school.
Secondly, she commented upon the approachable nature of the professionals within the service, explaining that she felt able to contact them whenever she required reassurance or clarification. In addition, she was in no doubt as to their resounding dedication and care to improving the life of her child as well as their family.
Finally, she highlighted the professionals’ pro-active nature as one of best features of the service. She listed a variety of different activities that the SLT had specifically undertaken with her child as well as multiple activities devised and given to the agent of change (the school) to undertake. Furthermore, she was keen to highlight the inclusive nature of the SLT service as the professionals organised events such as Makaton Signing Workshops which provide relevant training for parents. Not only did she think these events were important for parents to attend in order to enhance their ability to communicate with their children, she said they had provided a sense of morale amongst those who attended. It was only during these sessions that she realised she was not alone as other parents were experiencing the same difficulties. Thus she explained that she was extremely grateful to the service for the opportunity to make friends with others in similar positions as it has recently been a great source of support.
Negative aspects of the service
The parent struggled to find a negative aspect of the service, though she stated if she had to provide an answer it would be in the form of a suggestion rather than a criticism of the current provision. As highlighted previously, she thoroughly enjoys attending events provided by the service and would ask for these to increase in frequency. However, she recognised the difficulty of doing this given the time constraints on SLTs as well as the inconsistent and low attendance levels by other parents.
Advice for future users of the service
The parent was pleased that the interviewer asked this question as she wished that she could have received advice from another parent in a similar situation at the start of her child’s journey. The first piece of advice she wished to share was the importance of patience – though she recognised each child’s journey through the service is different, she said that patience is vital to success as pressure on the child to achieve is minimised. Furthermore, she recognised that great change cannot occur overnight and thus it is a necessary, but difficult skill, to develop. She also said that she would encourage parents to be as pro-active as possible – whether this be through maintaining regular contact with the relevant professionals in the service thus feeling involved in the child’s journey or by attending parent meetings and training sessions. In doing so the parent claimed she had reduced her own anxiety and felt like a key part of her child’s progress. Finally, she wanted to encourage parents to develop or seek to find an effective support network as she stressed in order to cope, you must recognise that you are not alone in your struggle.
If you would like to share your story, please contact the Patient Experience team on 01707 388036 or email pals.hchs@nhs.net.
We would also love to hear about your experience on our service, please complete a survey by clicking here.
