Information for Parents/Carers
Coming to Speech and Language Therapy
What is Speech and Language Therapy?
Some children need support with listening, understanding, or communicating. Speech and Language Therapy helps you to know your child’s communication style.
We work in clinics, nurseries, and schools. Helping children communicate helps them to learn and do well later in life
We involve parents and teachers in every step – together we can work out a plan for things to try at home, nursery and school. We also offer free parent workshops so you can learn, understand and support your child’s communication style.
Getting help earlier can support your child to grow into a confident communicator and missed appointments can affect your child’s progress.
You may get discharged if you miss your appointment without letting us know. If you can’t attend an appointment, please call us on 01138 433650 or email us at lcht.cslt@nhs.net. This helps reduce our waiting lists so more families can access our services sooner.
We can support you to make a big difference in your child’s communication journey.
Speech and Language Therapy helps children who find talking and understanding others a bit tricky. It offers fun and helpful ways to build communication skills, making it easier to join in and connect with others.
We also support children and young people with eating, drinking and swallowing problems.
We provide:
- Assessment, goal setting and advice on speech, language, and communication needs and/or swallowing difficulties
- Education and self-management advice for parents/carers
- Individual and group therapy (intervention)
- Parent/carer workshops
Our speech and language therapists and assistants aim to support you to:
- Be more confident in supporting your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.
- Increase your knowledge about how to support your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.
- Develop new skills to use to support your child’s speech, language and communication or swallowing needs.
The location of your first appointment will be different depending on which service your child needs. We will contact you to let you know where we will see your child.
We have ten service areas:
| SLT Service Area | Location of First Appointment | 90% of referrals are seen within (May 25) |
| Pre-school Clinics | Health Centre | 40 weeks |
| Mainstream School | School | 40 weeks |
| Developmental Language Disorder | School or Health Centre in the school holidays | – |
| Stammering Support Service (includes adult referrals) | Phone call or Health Centre | 22 weeks |
| Community Feeding Team (Dysphagia) | Phone Call or home visit | 5 weeks |
| School Age Learning and Dysphagia Team (SILCs and their partnership schools) | School or home visit in the school holidays | 11 weeks |
| Deaf and Hearing Impairment Team | Phone call or school | 19 weeks |
| Complex Developmental Assessment (ICAN) | Child development centre | – |
| Complex Communication and Autism Assessment (ICAN) | Child development centre | – |
| Communication Aid Service (includes adult referrals) | Phone Call or home visit | 39 weeks |
Waiting times for an appointment can be different depending on the type of support you need. We aim to see you within 18 weeks. This is not always possible. While you’re waiting, you can explore our website and toolkit. It’s full of simple, practical ideas to help support speech, language, and communication skills at home.
What happens once the referral has been accepted?
What happens once the referral has been accepted?
The information provided on the referral form will be used to decide what happens next. If your child is pre-school age, we will phone you to arrange an appointment in clinic (or sometimes at home) you will be notified of the agreed date/time by text message. After the first appointment we will provide advice and suggestions for you to try with your child at home. If your child is in a nursery/childcare setting, we will share information with them about how to support your child. Some children are offered a follow up appointment if needed.
Appointments in a school/nursery setting will be arranged directly with them. If your child is being seen in school/ nursery you should confirm with either school or the Childrens Speech and Language team that you wish to attend the appointment. Appointments may last around an hour. The SLT (Speech and Language Therapist) will talk to your child’s teacher about your child’s development as well as their speech, language, and communication needs or swallowing difficulties.
The SLT will assess the speech, language and communication or swallowing needs using a range of resources. The information gathered will be used to create a care plan which will support you to achieve the agreed goal. The service is guided by Neurodivergent affirming principles, you can find more information about this on the Mindmate website: ND-Hub-Affirming-Principles.pdf (mindmate.org.uk)
What happens after the assessment?
What happens after the assessment?
The Speech and Language Therapist will talk to you and/or school staff about further help that the service offers such as:
- Parent workshops
- Training/Practitioner workshops (for nursery/school/education staff)
- 1-2-1 intervention
- Group intervention
- Programme of strategies and activities to carry out regularly
The SLT will write a report including a support plan, giving details about the assessment outcome and recommendations which will be shared with you.
We might send you a text with links to online resources that will help you to support your child’s speech, language, and communication needs and/or swallowing difficulties.
If needed, you will be asked for your consent for onward referral to another service e.g. Audiology for a hearing assessment, Paediatrician assessment or referral to the Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service.
Once you have completed the support plan under the care of the Speech and Language Therapy team, you will receive a plan for you to support your child going forward. This will include strategies, advice, and details of re-entry to the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy service if required.
How can you and others can help?
How can you and others can help?
Make sure to attend all appointments and recommended training workshops in order to get the most from the support available.
Carry out the strategies and activities recommended by the SLT on the support plan regularly.
You and care/school staff may be asked to download advice sheets from the SLT Toolkit, these support the verbal advice you will have been given in the appointment.
Let us know if you change any of your contact details such as address, home / mobile telephone number, or GP practice.
Who will be at the appointment?
Who will be at the appointment?
Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) – Your child’s care will be overseen by a qualified SLT. All our SLT’s are registered with the Health Care Professions Council and Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.
Speech and Language Therapy Assistant – Some parts of your child’s care may be delivered by a SLT Assistant under the guidance of the SLT.
SLT Students – As part of their practical training, SLT students may work with your child under the supervision of the SLT. If you do not want a student to be involved in the appointment, please tell the SLT.
Where will the SLT appointment take place?
Where will the SLT appointment take place?
Pre-school children with speech, language and communication needs are usually seen in health centres and occasionally at home or in early years settings.
School age children with speech, language and communication needs are usually seen in school, although some school-age children are invited to be seen in a health centre (e.g. where the child has a Leeds address/GP but attends a school outside of Leeds).
Children and young people with swallowing difficulties are typically seen at home or in an education setting.
Confidentiality
Confidentiality
Speech and Language therapists keep records about the treatment your child receives from our service. We use the secure electronic system used by all health care professionals working within Leeds Community Healthcare to record and share relevant information with other healthcare professionals. We will only share information with your consent and where it is appropriate to the care we are providing.
What happens if your child is not brought?
What happens if your child is not brought?
Your child will be discharged from the Childrens Speech and Language Therapy service if you do not attend an appointment in clinic without contacting us to let us know in advance. If your child is not in school on the day that he/she has an appointment with the SLT, please notify us as soon as possible. Your child will be discharged if you or school fail to contact the us in advance.
What do we do with feedback?
What do we do with feedback?
If you have a complaint, concern, comment, or compliment, please let us know by speaking to a member of staff. We learn from your feedback and use the information you provide to improve and develop our services.
