School age speech and language service

We offer a range of services for school age children and young people who have speech language and communication needs. We work in partnership with parents, families, schools and other professionals.

Speech and language therapists are the lead professionals for children who have speech language and communication needs and or difficulties with eating and drinking. Speech and language therapists must be members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists to ensure that they have completed an appropriate degree programme of academic learning and practical clinical placements. They are registered with the Health and Care Professional Council to ensure that their skills are updated regularly.

What we currently offer (Academic Year 2022-23)

Please note that the service is currently under review.

We offer:

• Specialist assessments to determine the communication strengths and areas of need for children and young people who fit the criteria for the service.
• Highly specialist intervention of for children and young people to develop eating and drinking skills.
• Highly specialist intervention for children and young people who stammer.
• Highly specialist intervention for children who have speech sound difficulties.
• Highly specialist intervention for children with selective mutism.
• Support for children and young people, on a speech and language care pathway, to contribute their views and opinions about their care (free resources and information are available here).
• Reports which summarise difficulties and the impacts on learning and interacting with others, suggested targets/outcomes and strategies and activities to support outcomes.
• Training to school staff.
• Modelling of strategies and activities to school staff and parents.
• Workshops for parents of children who stammer.
• Intervention and therapy programmes involving parents and schools

Who is the service for

The service is for children and young people (from reception to school leaving age) who attend mainstream schools in Enfield or who have an Enfield GP, who have difficulties in the following areas:

Health needs

For children who have difficulties with:

• speech sounds
• stammering
• eating and drinking
• communication difficulties resulting from severe hearing impairment
• communication difficulties resulting from an injury or illness
• selective mutism
• voice difficulties.

These areas are designated as health needs. Once a referral is received a speech and language therapist will aim to see the child and parents within 13 weeks for assessment.

Educational needs

We offer a service to children who have difficulties with understanding or using language in school for learning and whose school have applied for a statutory assessment leading to an education, health and care plan (click here for the local offer which explains the support for children with special educational needs).

Schools can access advice and support for children without EHCPs through discussion with a Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist (see Clinical Lead input flow-chart).

For those children and young people who attend special schools and additional resource provisions in Enfield including speech and language resource bases, speech and language therapists work closely with classroom staff to determine the communication, eating, drinking needs of children and find the best way to support their communication or feeding.

Where we work

We work in Enfield mainstream primary and secondary schools, in additionally resourced provisions based in these schools. We work in special schools across Enfield and we deliver some clinic-based interventions.

How you can access our service

Discuss your concerns with the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) in your child’s school who can talk you through what can be put in place to support your child and discuss possible referral. If you would like to discuss your concerns you may call the service manager, Judy Sleat on 020 8702 4284.