Support for Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)
When children and young people have needs related to communication, they may require support from a range of services. The information below sets out the range of support available in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
Where a support offer is not available in both council areas this is indicated with either Shropshire or Telford in brackets after the organisation name.
Scroll down to find more information about each organisation and links to their websites.
Coming soon
Both Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire local authorities have asked training providers to offer the Good Autism Practice training to schools and early years settings.
For more information about these principles see: Good Autism Practice Guidance | Autism Education Trust
If you would like to know more about whether your child’s school has accessed this training or has plans to please talk with the school SENCo
Baby Buddy app is for pregnant parents and for the first year of your baby’s life. It contains lots of information for parents including communication.
The Baby Buddy app is compatible on both iOS and Android phones. To download, click the link below.
Best Start for Life is a new national initiative that offers families information and advice about the first two years of their babies’ lives. The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
In Telford this is delivered through a new network of Family Hubs which will support new parents with infant feeding, emotional wellbeing, healthy lifestyles and many other services. Best start for life - Best start for life - Family Hubs - Telford & Wrekin Council
In Shropshire it is delivered through existing services and Community and Family hub across the County. Community and Family hubs offer a range of services and activities to support children and families. Information can be found at Early help family hubs | Shropshire Council
Contact for families with disabled children exist to help families feel valued, supported, confident and informed Contact: the charity for families with disabled children
The Family Fund is the largest charity in UK providing grants for low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children/ young people. For further details on how to apply, visit the website: https://www.familyfund.org.uk/
The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Website also has links to charities supporting specific Speech, Language and Communication Needs Speech & language therapy (shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk)
Visit also the Neurodiversity pages of this website that list useful national and regional websites for a range of needs Neurodiversity national organisations and useful websites (stw-healthiertogether.nhs.uk)
This service is provided by Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust and provides support for children, their parent carers, and educators with a wide range of Speech, Language and Communication needs across the iThrive map. The service is provided through three clinical teams:
- Community/ Mainstream Education
- Early Years Complex Needs
- Specialist Schools and Outreach to Mainstream Education
The website provides information and support. Speech & language therapy (shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk) and there is info on their Facebook page Shropcom Children's Speech and Language Service | Facebook
Advice is available for parent carers and practitioners through the SLT Advice line 01743 450800 Option 4
The following training workshops are now freely available via links on the website.
- Attention and Listening
- Vocabulary and concepts - for early years and school aged children
- Supporting children with selective mutism
The team offers targeted support through.
- Screening tools findings analysed by Speech and Language Therapists and referrals triaged to the most appropriate pathway.
- An offer of training for parent carers and educators to meet the needs identified. The training offer is updated frequently. Please check the website for details of new workshops
Follow up care may include
- First Assessments where children have met the threshold.
- Further training and/or coaching for parent- carers or education settings.
- Direct Speech and Language Therapy where the clinical evidence indicates this will specifically add value to the child’s progress.
There are specialist services crossing the three teams for children with the following needs:
- Augmentative and Alternative Communication
- Cleft and Nasality
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Selective Mutism
- Specific Speech Sound Disorder (SSD)
- Stammering
- Voice
Specialist Speech and Language Therapy/Teacher Services are commissioned for children with DLD and SSD including Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) to the end of Key Stage 1
Shropshire
The Severe Speech and Language Impaired Children's (SSLIC) Team is a school-based service which works with schools and parents to support children (in reception and up to key stage 1) who have a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) or a severe speech disorder. The SSLIC Team is made up of Specialist Speech and Language Therapists and Specialist Language Teachers. Children are referred to SSLIC by their local speech and language therapist or by a speech and language therapist based at the Child Development Centre.
Telford and Wrekin
Language Classes- Key Stage-1 education provision at John Fletcher Primary School and Wrekin View Primary School for children with specific speech, language, and communication needs.
Language Class – John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School
SALTIS- The Speech and Language Therapy Inclusion Service is an enhanced speech and language therapy offer for children up to Key Stage-2 in mainstream local authority schools.
Text from listing on Support for neurodivergent children 0-5 years (stw-healthiertogether.nhs.uk)
There are whole setting approaches to supporting children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs
- Early Years Foundation Stage Early Years settings: Two-year-old progress checker
- Early Years Professional Development Programme
- Early Child Practitioner
- Early Talk
- Stoke Speaks Out universal offer
- Teacher/Teaching Assistant
- Autism Education Trust training for education settings – Good Autism Practice
Shropshire:
- Communication friendly spaces
- The Shropshire Inclusive Practice in early years (the new name for Ordinarily Available Provision) will be coming soon on the Local Offer The SEND local offer | Shropshire Council
Telford and Wrekin:
- Elklan Communication friendly setting status
Staff have completed Elklan's Communication Friendly Settings programme (CFS), to further support the communication and language development of children thus achieving a Communication Friendly Setting status. - The Telford Inclusive Practice in early years (the new name for Ordinarily Available Provision) will be coming soon on the Local Offer . SEND - Local offer (telfordsend.org.uk)
Please speak with the Early Years SENCo to find out more about Targeted Support for children with identified Speech, Language and Communication Needs
Social care covers a range of services that help people with day-to-day living. For children and young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including autistic and neurodiverse children, this starts with an assessment of both their needs and the parent/carer’s needs and then the provision of appropriate support. Social care also means support for children with SEND who are looked after (in foster care or residential care) and those in need of protection (safeguarding).
Shropshire and Telford councils have their own social care teams and different ways to access them. The links include information about
- Free childcare places- including lists of providers
- Activities and clubs
- Parenting support
- Support Groups
Family Hubs are one-stop centres where families are able to access information, guidance and support on a range of services, including infant feeding, mental health, healthy lifestyles and parenting classes.
Parenting support covers the pre-birth period, through the infant and toddler stage, and up to late teens, or the age of 25 for young adults with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
Family Hubs provide a range of speech and language support for all ages such as:
For 3- and 4-year-olds, Home Learning Environment programme enhances
- The support for Early Years Talk Boost in settings and school for under 5s. For more information see: Home - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Making It Real supporting the development of early literacy in the home learning environment. For more information see: National Children's Bureau (ncb.org.uk)
For Babies and Toddlers Home Learning Environment Project with Speech and Language UK. For more information see: Home - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Tots Talking
- Talking with Toddlers
- How Babies Learn to Talk
https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20087/healthy_telford/6640/best_start_for_life_-_family_hubs
Telford’s Healthy Lifestyle Advisors offer free and confidential support, to enable you to make healthier changes, using their expertise and knowledge of local services.
Inclusive Practice is the new name for Ordinarily Available Provision in schools and early years settings. It is the good quality, inclusive teaching and resources which should be available for all children and young people with special education needs or disabilities. Information about Inclusive Practice is coming soon to Shropshire and Telford’s Local Offers.
The Learning Support Advisory Team works with children and young people aged 4 to 18, senior leadership staff, teachers, teaching assistants and school support workers. They offer learning assessments and advice, access arrangements, observations, advice and support for children and young people with a special educational need. Learning Support Advisory Team (LSAT) - SEND - Local offer (telfordsend.org.uk)
Libraries provide services for children and young people to support their early development and their engagement and interest in reading. To gain more information about the Shropshire services, see website below:
https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/groups-and-support/children-and-young-people/
Rhyme time is a session for rhymes, stories and songs for children up to 5 years in Shropshire. Further details at your local library.
https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/search/?start=0&s=rhyme+time#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=rhyme%20time&gsc.page=1
For more information about the Telford and Wrekin services, see the website below:
https://www.telford.gov.uk/info/20412/children_and_young_people/673/bookstart_and_early_years
Bookstart is a national programme aimed to encourage parents and carers to enjoy books with their children at an early age as possible. There are packs of free books available aimed at age range 1-5 years, which are delivered via the early years settings. For more information see: About Bookstart: free books for your child | BookTrust
Bounce and Rhyme is an interactive session based at Southwater Library in Telford for children aged under 5 years. Nursery rhymes, fun action songs are shared, and parents have an opportunity to socialise. It is completely free of charge; however, you must book a place. You will find more information and booking details on the link below: https://livewell.telford.gov.uk/Services/2115
The Local Offer is an information resource for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities hosted by Councils across England
The Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) collects and collates feedback from Service Users to drive service improvements and improve the quality of maternity services.
Parent and baby/toddler groups locally support children’s development, parent- child interaction and children’s listening, understanding and talking
To find your local toddler group in Shropshire, you would need to enter your postcode on the website below:
https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/local/shropshire/clubs-and-classes/baby-toddler
Parent and toddler groups are available in the Telford and Wrekin Borough. You can find your local group by searching here Childcare | Live Well Telford
Also see Best start for life - Best start for life - Family Hubs - Telford & Wrekin Council and the Family Hubs offer booklet on their website
The Parenting Team offers a variety of services to parent carers with children, including those with SEND, such as advice and parenting courses. You can contact their helpline or book on their courses, there are no specific access criteria. They offer a range of courses and support services for parents of children of all ages. The team is made up of experienced children and family practitioners who have had additional training and experience in Early Talk, Early Talk Boost and SEND.
There are whole school approaches to supporting children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs. Speak with the SENCo for your child’s school to find out more about how these approaches support children with SLCN
- Reception Baseline
- Teacher/Teaching Assistant
- Primary Talk
- Communication friendly setting status (Telford)
Staff have completed Elklan's Communication Friendly Settings programme (CFS), to further support the communication and language development of children thus achieving a Communication Friendly Setting status.
Targeted Support for children with identified Speech, Language and Communication Needs in school includes:
- Person Centred Planning
- Early Talk Boost - Early Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Talk Boost – KS1/2 - Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- NELI - The Nuffield Early Language Intervention is an intervention for children aged 4-5 years which has been proven to improve children’s early language skills. Home | Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) (teachneli.org)
- Stoke Speaks Out - set up to train and support parents, carers, practitioners and anyone in contact with families. Speech and Language Therapy | Stoke Speaks Out | United Kingdom
- Wellcome - WellComm Early Years (6 months – 6 years) and WellComm Primary (6 – 11 years) are speech and language toolkits that offer the complete solution from screening to intervention. Identify and address speech and language problems early on - GL Assessment (gl-assessment.co.uk)
- Talk for Work - A programme for students aged 14-18 with speech and language challenges Talk for Work - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
Text from listing on Support for neurodivergent children 0-5 years (stw-healthiertogether.nhs.uk)
Supporting children and young people from birth to 25, who have a hearing and/or visual impairment, or a multi-sensory impairment.
We aim to provide a wide range of support to ensure children and young people have:
· a good quality of life
· achieve their academic potential
· are included in their local community
Early Language Facilitation Programme (ELF)-
The service objective is to support families of children who have undergone neonatal hearing screening and who are referred to the ELF service by an ENT consultant. Support is focused on children who are not considered to require hearing aid intervention at the conclusion of the Newborn Hearing Screening Process but where there are ongoing concerns regarding hearing levels. This includes children with conductive hearing loss, mild sensori-neural hearing loss and unilateral sensori-neural hearing loss. The service objective is to monitor the communication development of this group of children and make recommendations on management of hearing loss.
Telford Family Support Groups (at Stepping Stones):
Little Stars for Visually Impaired pre -school children and their families.
Tuesdays 9.30 am -11.30am in Term Time.
Family Group for Hearing Impaired pre -school children and their families.
Thursdays 9.30 am -11.30am in Term Time.
For Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin
Website: Sensory Inclusion Service - SEND - Local offer (telfordsend.org.uk)
Speech and Language UK give advice and guidance to families to help them support their child's skills.
Their free resources and services can help with understanding what to look out for, child’s speech, language and communication milestones, how to get support and even some simple ways you can help your child at home.
Talk Boost has been developed by Speech and Language UK. These are evidenced based time limited interventions for children who need a boost to help them develop their listening, understanding and talking and to catch up.
- Early Talk Boost and Talk Boost Key Stages-1 and 2 are targeted intervention programmes, to enhance young children’s communication they have been launched in settings and schools.
Early Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Talk for Work - A programme for students aged 14-18 with speech and language challenges Talk for Work - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
Text from listing on Support for neurodivergent children 0-5 years (stw-healthiertogether.nhs.uk)
Text from listing on Support for neurodivergent children 0-5 years (stw-healthiertogether.nhs.uk)
General resources:
- Early Talk Boost and Talk Boost Key Stages 1 and 2 are targeted intervention programmes, to enhance young children’s communication they have been launched in settings and schools - Early Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives - Talk Boost - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Stoke Speaks Out - set up to train and support parents, carers, practitioners and anyone in contact with families. Speech and Language Therapy | Stoke Speaks Out | United Kingdom
- The Early Years Professional Development Programme is aimed at early years practitioners, to improve their understanding and skills.
- Early Talk is a training and development programme that supports the communication development of all children in early years
- Primary Talk is a training and development programme that supports the communication development of all children aged 4-11.
- Wellcome - WellComm Early Years (6 months – 6 years) and WellComm Primary (6 – 11 years) are speech and language toolkits that offer the complete solution from screening to intervention. Identify and address speech and language problems early on - GL Assessment (gl-assessment.co.uk)
- Talk for Work - A programme for students aged 14-18 with speech and language challenges Talk for Work - Speech and Language UK: Changing young lives
- Neli - The Nuffield Early Language Intervention is an intervention for children aged 4-5 years which has been proven to improve children’s early language skills. https://www.teachneli.org/
- Autism Education Trust training for education settings – For more information about these principles see: Good Autism Practice Guidance | Autism Education Trust
- The Children’s SLT team provide training for parents and education settings. For more information see: Speech & language therapy (shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk)
If you would like specific support for your child parent carers and education staff can call the Children’s SLT Advice line on 01743 450 800 and choose Option 4
More information about local services that support children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities can be found on the Local Offer website for your area.