We recognise that the people who know a child best play a vital role in supporting their development. We therefore work closely with:

· Parents and carers

· Nurseries and early years settings

· Mainstream schools

· Special schools

· Social care teams

· Health professionals and other partner agencies

By working together, we can create supportive environments that help children and young people achieve the best possible outcomes.

We support children and young people with a wide range of speech, language, communication and feeding needs, including:

• Attention and listening difficulties
• Social communication and interaction difficulties
• Understanding language (receptive language)
• Using language (expressive language)
• Speech sound difficulties (articulation and phonology)
• Stammering (fluency difficulties)
• Voice difficulties
• Cleft-related speech and language difficulties
• Selective mutism
•  Eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties (dysphagia)

Our Speech and Language Therapists use a range of assessment methods to understand a child's strengths and needs, including:

• Standardised assessments
• Observation in everyday environments
• Informal assessments and clinical discussion
• Information provided by parents, carers and education staff

Following assessment, we will discuss the outcomes with you and agree the most appropriate next steps. Support is tailored to each child's individual needs and may include:

• Advice and strategies for home or school
• Parent or carer training
• Group intervention
• Individual therapy
• Review and monitoring appointments
• Joint working with other professionals

Children under statutory school age are usually offered appointments:

• At a community clinic
• In their nursery or early years setting
• Virtually, where appropriate

Parents and carers are often invited to attend a Parent Empowerment Workshop before their child's assessment. These workshops provide practical strategies and information to help support communication development at home.

Following assessment, children may be offered advice, a period of therapy, group intervention, or review appointments depending on their identified needs.

Evidence shows that parents and carers play one of the most important roles in supporting young children's communication development. Our workshops are designed to help families feel confident in supporting their child's progress as part of everyday activities and routines.

School-aged children may be seen:

• At a community clinic
• Through virtual appointments where appropriate

Children and young people with speech sound difficulties, stammering or voice difficulties may be offered:

• Assessment
• Individual therapy
• Review appointments
• Advice and support programmes

For children with language or social communication needs, we:

• Carry out assessments to understand their communication strengths and difficulties
• Work collaboratively with school staff and other adults supporting the child
• Provide recommendations and strategies to support communication and learning

Advise on adaptations to the learning environment

Our role is to support the adults around the child to develop communication-friendly environments and approaches that enable children and young people to access learning and participate successfully.

If Speech and Language Therapy provision is specified within your child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), ongoing delivery of that provision is provided through commissioned Speech and Language Therapy services within the London Borough of Redbridge.

Children and young people experiencing eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties are typically seen at The Grove Clinic.

Depending on individual needs, appointments may also take place:

• At home
• In school
• In other community settings

Care is often provided as part of a multidisciplinary team, working closely with medical, education and other health professionals to ensure that children receive safe, effective and coordinated support.