How to refer

Parents

Parents and carers can refer a child to the Speech and Language Therapy service. Please phone our admin team on 01274 221166. We will arrange a time for you to talk through your concerns with a therapist. You will be provided with some strategies to support your child at home. After three months you can access a review phone call and a referral will be made if this is appropriate.

There have been some changes to how children are referred to speech and language therapy. If you would like to find out about these changes, please watch this short video:

Professionals

If you are a professional considering referring a child to the Speech and Language Therapy service, please use the resources further down the page. You will find:

1. Links to the new referral criteria and a video explaining the criteria
2. Links to the new referral forms and a video explaining the forms
3. Links to the new screening tools and a video explaining the tools

If you are looking for resources to support a child in your care, please go back to the Children’s service page and select the relevant age of the child. You will then be guided through a range of useful resources to support them in day-to-day activities. You can also scroll to the bottom of each age range to find a dedicated ‘professionals’ page with further advice and support.

Referral criteria

• 18 months-three years old
• Three-five years old
• Five-seven years old
• Seven-eleven years old
• Over 11 years old
• Eating and drinking (dysphagia)
• Voice
• Stammering

Please watch this short video to find out more about our referral criteria and how to use them:

Referral forms

• Eating and drinking (dysphagia)
• Stammering
• Communication referral form
• Voice

Please note, if you are referring a child for communication needs and they also require a referral for eating and drinking, stammering or voice please use the multiple needs referral from below.

• Multiple needs referral form

Please watch this short video to find out more about our referral forms and how to fill them in:

Screening tools

• Early years screening tool (18 months-three years)
• Early years screening tool (three-five year-olds)
• Key Stage One screening tool (five-seven year-olds)
• Key Stage Two screening tool (seven-11 year-olds)
• Key Stage Three and Four screening tool (11 year-olds and over)

You can also view the speech sounds screening tool and pictures you’ll need to use it.

The forms can be printed off, completed by hand, and then scanned or downloaded from the website as a word document. It is recommended that you do not complete the form directly on the website as your work may be lost.

Please look at the screening tool for the relevant age range above. These link in with the service’s referral criteria. The tools must be used to help you to understand whether a referral to our service is appropriate. They will also help you to know where to focus your universal or targeted support. Please visit the professionals page under the relevant age for the child you are supporting to find more information about targeted support.

Please watch this short video for further information on screening tools:

If your setting is supporting children using an alternative screening and intervention tool, we will also accept these as supporting evidence for your referral. Please ensure you make it clear on your referral how the child meets the red referral criteria for their age.

Alternative screening tools may include:

• Products from the speechandlanguage.org.uk shop for educators
• The NELI programme
• The GL assessment toolkit