Getting more help
Parents/Carers
For parents/carers.
If you would like advice and strategies about your child’s communication development please call our Advice line for support.
Setting staff can also access the advice line with parental consent.
Advice line number: 01743 450 800 (option 4)
If parents/carers would like a referral to Speech and Language Therapy, please speak to your child's education setting or health visitor.
Speech and Language UK also offer an advice line service for parents or carers and practitioners. Click on this link for more information.
Practitioners
For practitioners.
Please consult the flowchart if you are thinking about a referral to speech and language therapy.
Once you have completed a screening tool and the appropriate intervention, and would like further support for a child or young person then please complete a referral form.
We only accept electronic referrals. Referrals should be emailed to:
| What could be offered if required: | What this involves: |
|---|---|
| Assessment | We assess the child and young person's speech, language and communication or eating, drinking, swallowing skills. This may happen at home, in a clinic, at School or Early Years setting. |
| Treatment | The treatment depends on the child or young person's needs. Part of our offer may be to provide assessment and joint planning to help parents, carers and others to support the child's communication. Direct treatment, when needed, is usually in a group and occasionally individually. We offer these interventions in clinics, Schools, Early Years settings and sometimes at home, based on the child's needs.
|
| Specialist Treatment | Specialist treatment in Telford and Wrekin is provided at the two Language Classes for children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) previously known as Specific Speech or Language Impairment. In Shropshire this Specialist service for school-aged children is provided by outreach support to schools.
We have specialist teams who work with children in the areas of Dysfluency (stammering), Cleft Lip/Palate, Voice, Dysphagia (Swallowing), Learning and Physical Disabilities and ASD (Autism). Some of these specialists are based at the Child Development Centres or at Special Schools across the county. Other teams provide Specialist services in the community and Therapists will often arrange sessions at local clinics. |
Screening tools and Interventions
Screens help settings to find out what level the child or young person's speech, language and communication skills are. The information from the screen can be used to plan the intervention, if it is required. Once the intervention is completed you can measure the progress using the same screen. If a referral to the Speech and Language Therapy Service is required then all of this information is beneficial to add to the referral.
Following referral
When a referral is received, a decision is made about if we have been given enough information to decide whether we accept the referral and which pathway they may be allocated to. Interventions will depend on the child or young person’s needs. They may move between our various interventions which can vary in format. Please see our handbook (in the link below) for more information about the interventions we offer.
What to expect when you come for a Speech and Language Therapy appointment.
We have created a video to show what it is like when you come for a Speech and Language Therapy appointment. Click on this link to watch the video.
Training
We have training workshops for parents and education settings.
For information about the training workshops that we offer please follow this link Our Training
Handbook
For more information about our service, please see our handbook
External Resources
Speech and Language UK (SLUK)
The Speech and Language UK (SLUK) website has a variety of information for parents/carers and education settings.
Speech and Language UK have free 'talking with your toddler' webinars for parents of children aged 12 months to 4 years who are concerned about their child’s talking and understanding of words. There are seven different webinars, and one webinar takes place each week. Please see the SLUK Talking with your toddler website for more information.
Resource library for families - Speech and Language UK's team of speech and language advisors have written information pages, based on their most frequently asked questions from families.
Resource library for educators - Speech and Language UK have a range of free resources for educators and professionals, designed to help you support children facing challenges with talking and understanding words.
Free Training from Speech and Language UK as part of their EYSEND partnership. The training is for Family Hub teams, family support workers, family engagement workers, parenting support teams, early help teams, play development workers, creche workers, adult and family learning teams, 0-19 health teams, social care, voluntary sector providers. Click on this link for further details and to book a place Free training - EYSEND partnership - Speech and Language UK
Screen time information
Screen time guidance for under 5s.
Library Services
Libraries love babies and children! They are warm welcoming places and love seeing children exploring books and activities whatever age they are.
There are no fines on children’s books or any fines at Telford libraries.
Libraries are not quiet places! Join in at Rhyme Time (Shropshire) or Bounce and Rhyme (Telford and Wrekin) to see how true this is!
Click on the following links for the dates and times, of Rhyme Time and Bounce and Rhyme, for your local library:
Rhyme Time Shropshire
Bounce and Rhyme Telford and Wrekin
Telford and Wrekin Libraries website