Speech and language support

Support for schools

We offer direct support to children and young people, their parents and carers and school staff to understand how the speech, language and communication needs impact on a child or young person's presentation in school. We offer advice on support and strategies that can minimise the difficulties experienced and maximise progress and we deliver an extensive range of interventions.

Our team is a highly experienced, multidisciplinary team comprising specialist Educational Psychologist (EP), registered Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) speech and language therapist, advisory inclusion teachers, senior support workers and assistant psychologists. 

Our team relate closely to national and regional organisations and partners, including delivery of national programmes in partnership with the Department for Education (DfE) and EEF, such as the Early Years Professional Development Programme and the evidence-based Nuffield Early Language Intervention. We also follow guidelines from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapy, The Communication Trust, I Can, Afasic and Raising Awareness of DLD as well as partners in our local paediatric therapy department. Educational Psychologists (EPs) and specialist teaching staff also contribute to strategic developments within the council for example policies, commissioning arrangements and wider workforce development.

Schools can request involvement from our team either directly or through their Communities of Learning (CoL) arrangements. Whilst we always offer support, which is individualised to the children and young people and setting, our work usually falls under the following areas:

Consultation and assessment for individual children

The degree of involvement ranges from a single consultation to more detailed individual assessment and discussion with staff and parents relating to outcomes and interventions.

Costs

• Individual pupil assessment - £415. Individual assessments typically include an initial meeting with staff and parents and carers to identify concerns; assessment and one to one work with the pupil; an outcomes planning session and a written report. A review visit is also included in this package.
• Consultation - £205.  Individual consultation typically includes: up to one hour observation and/or working with the child/young person; up to one hour consultation or solution focused meeting with school staff and parents/carers together; a brief written report with outcomes and suggestions for strategies and approaches.

Training

Training is available from introductory to more advanced levels across a range of topics including awareness raising; more detailed understanding of speech and language and related difficulties; narrative; communication friendly settings; and developing vocabulary.

We also offer level 2 and 3 accredited speech and language training through ELKLAN programmes.

Training and capacity building events are held centrally or in your school, and can be organised for your COL.

In school training costs for up to 20 members of staff:

• Twilight - £290
• Half day - £580
• Full day - £865

Bespoke support

Bespoke support can be purchased from the team at a cost of £195 per half day of time. Schools can choose how they would like this time to be used, for example:

• 'Surgeries' or drop in sessions for staff to consult about individual and groups of pupils.
• Workshops for staff development on a range of topics, such as: communication in the early years, language and play, use of communication aids such as PECs and Communication boards, developing inference.
• 'Hands-on' support alongside school staff.
• Coaching for individual members of staff.

Interventions

We offer a wide range of intervention programmes for individuals and groups, including pupils with speech difficulties, language and social communication difficulties. All programmes are bespoke. An assessment of a child/young person's speech and language needs is the starting point of this support. If speech and language therapy information is already available this will be used as a basis for the intervention support. Should information be required our qualified speech therapist or advisory teacher can undertake assessment so that we can plan the intervention.

Costs

Interventions will be delivered by the most appropriate member of the team, often a specialist senior support worker, assistant psychologist or advisory teacher. Our standard intervention package costs £550 which typically includes: an initial planning meeting; planning and preparation; eight hours for delivery; a feedback session at the end with suggestions for next steps. If assessment is required before starting an intervention, our team can provide this at an additional charge of £195.

Schools can request intervention packages of differing lengths; please contact the team to discuss your requirements.

Minimum time in school is one hour per visit, but this can be split into shorter sessions for different groups or individuals e.g. one x speech intervention and one x group.

Schools can also request a mentoring model at the same cost, whereby a member of your staff can join our team member who will model the intervention, offer your staff opportunities to lead activities, and support your staff with planning and resources. This is a good way to develop staff skills and create sustainability for the child or young person.