Updates from the Norfolk & Waveney Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) service up to January 2025
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The Norfolk & Waveney Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) service recognises and values the inclusive communication environment you provide and the expertise and experience of your staff. For many pupils, their speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) will be well-met by the integrated and skilled level of communication support they receive at your school, such as a Total Communication approach, embedded visual strategies and interventions including Attention Autism, Blanks Levels and Colourful Semantics. The SaLT service recognises our role in supporting your schools by providing training and demonstration to maintain the high skill level of your staff and delivering more specialist assessments and interventions for the pupils who need it.
Complex Needs Schools
You can download a PDF of the Complex Needs Schools update (PDF, 201 KB). It is also available as accessible content below.
Named Link Therapist and Link Planning meetings
All schools have a named link Speech and Language Therapist. Your named link therapist will organise termly meetings with a relevant member of school staff to discuss:
- Children already known to our service
- Requests for support from our service
- How to support all children in your setting
- Any training needs
- How to make your setting communication-friendly
Request for Support form
We have a new Request for Support form that is available on our website.
All new requests for support will be received via this form and discussed at a Link Planning Meeting to decide the support needed for individual children and young people.
Episodes of Care
Pupils seen by SaLT will receive episodes of care. This may include assessment & advice, training & demonstration to school staff and/or direct therapy. An episode of care is determined by what is needed by a child or young person at a specific time in their life. A child may have multiple episodes of care throughout their education. The support provided by SaLT to individual pupils is determined on a needs-led basis, rather than on their overall level of SLCN. For example, some pupils may be well-supported by the communication environment their school provides, whilst others may need a more specialist approach.
EHCP provision
For pupils who have a SaLT episode of care specified in their EHCP, their care will be transferred following the provision of the episode of care unless otherwise specified. Any changes to provision will be updated when clinically-indicated and this may not coincide with the annual EHCP schedule. The provision outlined in a pupil's most recent report should be considered the most up-to-date provision and should be added at the next Annual Review.
Training packages
We have developed an offer of training packages to support you to refresh staff knowledge and develop new members of staff. These can be delivered to the whole school or to smaller groups of staff. Bitesize courses will also be available in the Spring. These are shorter, pre-recorded videos that can be accessed by school staff at a time convenient for them.
- Alternative access to ACC
- Attention Autism
- Classroom- based strategies to support communication
- Introduction to ACC
- Paper-based AAC
- Powered communication aids
We also have bitesize courses:
- Attention Autism
- Curiosity Programme
- Intensive Interaction
- Moving with AAC
- Multi-sensory activities for language learning
- Objects of Reference
- Social Stories
- Visual Timetables
Just One Number
Please continue to use Just One Number for queries about supporting children attending your setting. A Speech and Language Therapist will be able to answer your questions, signpost and give advice. Just One Number can be reached on 0300 300 0123.
Just One Norfolk website
A pre-school and school-age Speech and Language Therapy toolkit has been developed for settings and is available within the professional area of Just One Norfolk. The toolkits have lots of practical advice on how to identify and support children with SLCN. These can be used in conjunction with the bitesize and training courses.
To access the toolkits, you will need to create a professional log in.
Please watch this short video for further information or visit www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk and click on 'Register' in the top right. If you are using a mobile phone, click on the link and select 'Menu' and then 'Register'.
We will be developing more resources for additional needs and secondary schools in 2025.
Useful links
Access to Speech and Language support for pre-school children
You can download a PDF of the Access to Speech and Language Support for Pre-school Children update (PDF, 214 KB). It is also available as accessible content below.
Request for Support Form and Early Advice sessions
Our online request for support for pre-school children has been successfully up and running for several months, and we have had some very positive feedback from families (see below). Families can choose and book a virtual Early Advice Session within 8-10 weeks of requesting support. Please see attached the communication you received in May last year on how you can support families to access this service.
Just One Number
Please continue to use Just One Number for queries about supporting children in your setting (including childminders). A Speech and Language Therapist will be able to answer your questions, signpost and give advice. Just One Number can be reached on 0300 300 0123.
Named Link Therapist
All settings have a named link Speech and Language Therapist whom you can contact to discuss:
- Children already known to our service
- How to support all children in your setting
- Any training needs
- How to make your setting communication-friendly
If you are unsure who your link therapist is, you can contact Just One Number for this information or alternatively we have shared this with the Early Years SEND service.
Just One Norfolk website
The pre-school settings toolkit has been developed for early years professionals (including childminders) and is available within the professional area of Just One Norfolk. The toolkit has lots of practical advice on how to identify and support children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs. To access the toolkit, you will need to create a professional log in.
Please watch this short video for further information or visit www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk and click on 'Register' in the top right. If you are using a mobile phone, click on the link and select 'Menu' and then 'Register'.
Useful links
Primary schools
You can download a PDF of the Primary Schools update (PDF, 275 KB). It is also available as accessible content below.
Each school in Norfolk and Waveney has a link therapist who offers a Link Planning Meeting every term. This model of working together to support children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) has been very well-received.
New Speech and Language Therapy training packages
In response to training requests from schools made via the Link Planning Meetings, we have developed a suite of training packages:
- Early Communication Training
- Spoken Language and Narrative
- Super Sounds
- Understanding Language
- Vocabulary
Each training package aims to give staff the knowledge and skills to support children with SLCN. The training packages are no more than an hour long, concentrate on a particular area of speech, language and communication, and will equip you with practical strategies and activities which you can apply immediately with individual children.
Your link therapist will help identify and prioritise any training needs during Link Planning Meetings to ensure that all children benefit from strategies to support their speech, language and communication development. These strategies can be used to inform the care of children with SLCN in school.
Together we can arrange the most suitable date and time for your school. The training can be delivered to a small staff group and linked to identified children in your setting or be delivered to a larger staff group such as at an inset day.
Physical handbook
We have developed a handbook which will be delivered to you by your link therapist. This handbook complements the digital Primary settings toolkit and has links to extended advice available on Just One Norfolk.
To access the digital version of the toolkit, you will need to create a professional log in.
Please watch this short video for further information or visit www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk and click on 'Register' in the top right. If you are using a mobile phone, click on the link and select 'Menu' and then 'Register'.
Secondary Schools
You can download a PDF of the Secondary Schools update (PDF, 296 KB). It is also available as accessible content below.
We have recently adapted how the Norfolk & Waveney Speech and Language Therapy service operates. We continue to be able to discuss requests for support for any child up to the age of 18 (25 if they have an EHCP). Please see below the key changes on how the Speech and Language Therapy service offers support and advice to children and young people attending secondary schools in Norfolk and Waveney, as well as how to access our newly-developed Secondary Settings Toolkit.
Named Link Therapist
All settings have a named link Speech and Language Therapist whom you can contact to discuss:
- Children already known to our service
- New children you have identified as needing support
- How to support all children in your setting
- Any training needs
- How to make your setting communication-friendly
If you are unsure who your link therapist is, you can contact Just One Number for this information.
Just One Number
Please continue to use Just One Number for queries about supporting children attending your school. A Speech and Language Therapist will be able to answer your questions, signpost and give advice. Just One Number can be reached on 0300 300 0123.
Just One Norfolk website
A secondary-aged Speech and Language Therapy toolkit has just been launched for secondary school settings and is available within the professional area of Just One Norfolk. This contains lots of practical advice on how to identify and support children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
To access the toolkit, you will need to create a professional log in.
Please watch this short video for further information or visit www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk and click on 'Register' in the top right. If you are using a mobile phone, click on the link and select 'Menu' and then 'Register'.
There are also resources available on Just One Norfolk for young people to access independently. Using interactive content, downloadable resources and real-life experiences, FYI aims to empower young people to take control of their health and wellbeing.
Speech and Language Therapy training packages
In response to training requests from schools, we have developed a suite of training packages:
- Spoken Language and Narrative
- Understanding Language
- Vocabulary
Each training package aims to give staff the knowledge and skills to support children with SLCN. The training packages are no more than an hour long, concentrate on a particular area of speech, language and communication, and will equip you with practical strategies and activities which you can apply immediately to support children with SLCN in school.
Together we can arrange the most suitable date and time for your school. The training can be delivered to a small staff group and linked to identified children in your setting or be delivered to a larger staff group such as at an inset day.
In addition, there is a recorded session on Supporting Speech, Language and Communication Needs at Secondary School at: www.justonenorfolk.nhs.uk/speech-language/slcn-training/
Request for Support form
We have a new Request for Support form that is available on our website.
All new requests for support will be received via this form and discussed with you to decide the support needed for individual children and young people.
Episodes of Care
Pupils seen by Speech and Language Therapy (SaLT) will receive episodes of care. This may include assessment & advice, training & demonstration to school staff and/or direct therapy. An episode of care is determined by what is needed by a child or young person at a specific time in their life. A child may have several episodes of care throughout their education. The support provided by SaLT to individual pupils is determined on a needs-led basis, rather than on their overall level of SLCN. For example, some pupils may be well-supported by the communication environment their school provides whilst others may need a more specialist approach.
EHCP provision
For pupils who have a SaLT episode of care specified in their EHCP, their care will be transferred following the provision of the episode of care unless otherwise specified. Any changes to provision will be updated when clinically indicated and this may not coincide with the annual EHCP schedule. The provision outlined in a pupil's most recent report should be considered the most up-to-date provision and should be added at the next Annual Review.
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