Services
Children’s Speech and Language Therapy
Our Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service is a countywide specialist service for children and young people aged 0 – 18 and their families and carers. We work within a variety of locations including mainstream schools, community clinics, preschool settings, special schools and client’s homes.
About this service
Our speech and language therapists are qualified professionals with an in-depth knowledge of difficulties with communication and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). This includes the following areas:
- language delay and disorder
- speech sound difficulties
- profound hearing impairment
- cleft palate
- stammering
- Social communication difficulties with associated language difficulties
- voice disorders
- selective mutism
We provide assessment, advice and treatment planned around the individual needs of the child and family. Advice, training and support may also be provided to teaching and support staff or other professionals where appropriate, to help facilitate the development of communication skills.
Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)
Speech and Language Therapists are trained to support children who have eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) to eat and drink safely. We can work with children from birth to 18 years of age.
We can support children where there are concerns about:
- Feeding, eating and/or drinking safety
- When there is a physical difficulty causing problems with eating and drinking.
- For example: We often see children who have the following: genetic syndromes, cerebral palsy, brain injury, developmental delay, heard defects, cleft palate or other issues with the structures involved.
We are not able to help children with:
- Sensory difficulties with eating and drinking e.g. rejecting foods of certain colour or flavour, refusing to eat
- Difficulties with weaning with no physical cause
- ARFID(Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder)
Please see below for useful links and information
Children’s Occupational Therapy > CYPS Glos Health & Care NHS (ghc.nhs.uk)
CAMHS Parent Support Team > CYPS Glos Health & Care NHS (ghc.nhs.uk)
Drop-in sessions
Our drop in service is currently unavailable. Please look at the advice on this page to support your child and if you are still concerned about their speech and language, please see our Request for Support section below.
Requesting support
Before you request further support from the service, take a look at our resources section. We would recommend trying some of these ideas consistently for 3 – 6 months ahead of making a referral.
We accept requests for support from anyone supporting the child, however, informed parental consent must have been given before completing these forms:
- For any new referral, new concern or for a child who has not been seen in last 12 months, click here to make a request for support>
- For any child who has been seen within the last 12 months and needs more support with the same difficulty, click here for the returners form>
- For support for children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia), click here>
Useful information
For more information and ideas on how to work on a range of speech and language difficulties, click here.
The following sites provide information, advice and support from a range of regional and national organisations:
- I CAN Children’s communication charity
- Glosfamilies directory Information, support and advice for families, children and young people
- Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists The professional body for Speech & Language Therapists
- The Communication Trust A coalition of 50 not-for-profit organisations supporting children and young people with speech, language and communication
- The National Autistic Society Information, support and services for people on the autism spectrum and their families
- Talking Point A resource database, library of local services and progress checker, developed by I CAN
- Gloucestershire Domestic Abuse Support Service A countywide service which aims to reduce domestic abuse and ensure the safety of victims and families
- Gloucestershire Safeguarding Children Board co-ordinates safeguarding and welfare of children in Gloucestershire
- National Literacy Trust An independent charity helping children develop literacy skills
- Gloucestershire Total Communication
- National Deaf Children’s Society A charity dedicated to creating a world without barriers for deaf children and young people
- British Stammering Association Information, inspiration, support and advice for people who stammer
- Afasic England A parent-led organisation helping children and young people with speech and language impairments
- The Speech Language and Communication Framework A free online development tool provided by The Communication Trust
- Down’s Syndrome Association A charity providing information and support for people with Down’s Syndrome
Training for professionals
We offer a range of training courses for professionals working with primary aged children including:
Understanding Language Training
Learn how to support children who have difficulties understanding language in school in this online training package which focuses on:
- When children typically learn to understand concepts, instructions and questions
- The factors that may affect a child’s understanding of language
- Strategies and activities for developing children’s understanding of language.
The next available date is Thursday 25 January 2024, 1-4pm at Dowty’s Sports & Social Club, Gloucester
Each place is £50 per person. To find out more about this course and to book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Expressive language
Learn how to support children who have difficulties with their expressive language in school. This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- when children typically learn vocabulary, grammar and narrative skills
- the factors that may affect a child’s expressive language development
- strategies and activities for developing children’s expressive language.
The next available date is Thursday 25 January 2024, 9.30am – 12pm at Dowty’s Sports & Social Club, Gloucester
For more information or to book, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk before 30 May 2023 or call 0300 421 6722
Speech Sound Development
Learn how to support children who have speech difficulties in school. This online training package is £50 per person and covers:
- typical development of speech sounds
- when to refer
- different types of speech difficulties
- supporting children with speech difficulties
- delivering Speech and Language Therapy programmes.
The next available date is Friday 26 January 2024, 9.30am-12pm at Dowty’s Sports & Social Club, Gloucester
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Vocabulary Development
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- The importance of vocabulary
- Practical strategies that staff can use in the classroom
- Strategies that can be implemented with immediate effect.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Developing Narrative Skills
Learn how to support children who have difficulties retelling stories and events.
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- When children typically learn narrative skills
- The factors that may affect a child’s development of narrative skills
- Strategies and activities for developing children’s narrative skills
The session will consist of some theory as well as practical activities.
The next available date is Wednesday 6 December 2023, 9.30-11am.
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
Vocabulary in the Classroom
Learn how to support children who have difficulties retelling stories and events.
This online training package is £50 per person and focuses on:
- The importance of vocabulary
- Practical strategies that staff can use in the classroom
- Strategies that can be implemented with immediate effect
The session will consist of some theory as well as practical activities.
The next available date is Tuesday 28 November 2023, 9.30-11am
To find out more about dates for this course and book your place, email: childrensSLTtraining@ghc.nhs.uk or call 0300 421 6722
