West Essex Speech and Language Therapy

We are the provider for the NHS children’s Speech and Language Service in West Essex which includes Harlow, Epping and Uttlesford District.

The West Essex Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service provides support and assistance to children and young people who are experiencing difficulties with speech, language, understanding, talking, communication and with feeding & swallowing.

We do this through a child and family centred approach to the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of speech, language, communication and feeding & swallowing difficulties in children and young people.

We offer support for children aged 2 years 6 months to 18 years where communication difficulties are impacting their ability to fully participate in daily life. Children with complex communication difficulties associated with multiple and complex medical needs may access earlier support.

We offer support to children with swallowing and complex feeding difficulties at any age following referral by a health professional.

More Information

The Balanced System® For Speech Language & Communication Needs (SLCN)

The Balanced System®, developed by Marie Gascoigne and provided through Better Communication CIC, has been adopted by us and the Local Authority in Essex. This framework facilitates children and young people with speech, language, and communication needs (SLCN) to receive the right support from the right people at the right time, helping them achieve the outcomes that matter to them. It is a ‘whole system’ approach to supporting children’s speech, language, and communication which recognises that everybody involved with children and young people has a role to play in supporting speech, language and communication e.g. parents, setting staff, education teams, therapists, other health professionals

Five outcome strands

The Balanced System® framework has 5 outcome strands:

Family support: parents have the confidence, knowledge and skills to support their role as a key communication partner for their child, and young people can make proactive choices about how they are supported.
Environment: the places where children and young people spend their time are set up to help them to understand and express themselves effectively.
Workforce development: everyone working with children and young people know how to support them with their speech, language and communication.
Identification: SLCN are identified early and effectively.
Intervention: children and young people get the help they need to make progress with their speech, language and communication.

Within each strand, there are 3 levels of support. Children can access all levels of support as appropriate. For a number of children with SLCN, universal and targeted support will be enough to meet their needs.

Universal support is available to all children and young people to develop their speech, language and communication skills. In schools this is via the Ordinarily Available provision. In Early Years this is via partnerships with family hubs and settings.

Targeted support is used when there is a concern about a child’s speech, language and communication or a need has been identified.

Specialist or individualised support is used where a child has more complicated speech, language and communication needs, or may require more specialist information and help.

The West Essex Speech and Language Therapy Service will now be working in a ‘link therapy’ model, whereby every school will be allocated a link therapist. These link therapists will provide a range of support to the school, dependent on the school’s needs and agreed priorities. The link therapist will meet regularly with the SENCo and provide training and resources so that everyone in the school can feel confident to support children’s communication needs. The link therapist will be able to discuss specific children with SLCN (both with and without an EHCP) and agree with school how they can be supported. They can also work with individual pupils or groups as appropriate.

How can we help?

We work together with parents, carers and the team around the child, seeing children in a variety of community settings, for example in our family hubs, clinics, pre-school and schools, or at home for some children with additional needs.

We recognise the importance of helping you to help your child, and working alongside those who spend the most time with your child.

Our work includes training and supporting parents, teachers and health professionals to meet each child’s communication or feeding and swallowing needs within their everyday life.

Guidance and helpful information

If you think your child has difficulties with speech, language or communication, please use the advice sheets below and suggested weblinks. These advice sheets will give you ideas to support and encourage your child’s development.

Useful Videos

Here, you will find some useful Youtube videos that cover various topics from visual supports through to understanding words.

Information for referrals

Please read the information below before submitting a referral.

Referrals for Pre-school children with speech, language or communication difficulties

We offer a telephone drop-in for parents and Carers of Pre-School children age 2 years 6 months and over who have a West Essex GP (West Essex is Harlow, Epping Forest and Uttlesford districts). This provides easy access to our Speech and Language Therapy service without the need for a formal referral.

The telephone drop-in is held on Tuesday mornings between 9am and 11am. You are welcome to contact us at the drop-in on 01279 342170 if you, a Health Visitor, Family Support Worker or another professional, have concerns about your child’s speech and language development and you need to speak to a Speech and Language Therapist.

When you call, one of our Speech and Language Therapy Assistants will ask you some questions. A Therapist will then call you back to discuss your concerns. We will give you some ideas to help you to support your child’s speech, language and communication at home.

Please note, these drop-in clinics are for parents of children with speech, language and communication issues, not feeding difficulties. They are only for parents and legal guardians – not professionals.

Drop in Flyer

Where a child has profound or complex communication difficulties associated with multiple and complex medical needs support may be available from Speech and Language Therapy at an earlier age. For these children a referral from a health professional will be required. Please complete the referral form and email it to the administration centre.

Preschool Age Referral Form

School age children

School staff are very skilled at supporting children with speech, language or communication difficulties. If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication development please first discuss these with your child’s teacher or SENCo. There may be additional support they can offer your child in school. School staff may be able to give you ideas of how you can also help your child at home.

If your child is not already on our Speech and Language Therapy caseload a referral to us may be appropriate. In most cases we require information about what support your child’s school has already put in place. Your child’s class teacher or the school SENCo is therefore often the best person to make a referral.

The main purpose of our assessment is to provide guidance on achieving next steps when targeted intervention is not resulting in the expected progress. We do not undertake assessment where there are appropriate targeted interventions yet to be implemented or where the targeted interventions are achieving the expected positive outcomes for the child. Referrals that do not include Assess, Plan, Do, Review documentation will therefore not be accepted. School staff should refer to the ‘Ordinarily Available Targeted Support’ on the Essex County Council website SEND – Ordinarily Available (essex.gov.uk) and to our ‘Guidance and helpful information’ section on our website for suggested interventions and strategies to implement.

School staff are also encouraged to visit Essex County Council’s Speech and Language Portal Essex Speech and Language Portal – Essex Speech and Language Portal to access a range of information and support.

School-Age-Referral-Form

Referral of a child with a stammer or suspected Selective Mutism does not require background information from school. These referrals could be made by school/other professionals or parents.

Referral of a child with a voice problem must be via the GP and include an ENT assessment.

If your child is already on our Speech and Language Therapy caseload and you want to update us on your child’s progress or share any concerns about their progress with speech, language or communication, you are welcome to contact us on 0300 247 0122, option 3.

Community referrals for children with feeding difficulties

Referral to our feeding and swallowing specialist Therapists must be made by a health professional. Please complete the referral form and email it to the administration centre. We aim to see all urgent feeding referrals within 10 working days and non-urgent referrals within one month.