• Support staff/parents/carers to identify need:
  • enable parents/carers and staff to understand typical speech, language and communication development
  • provide access to recommended screening tools to enable professionals to identify need and plan provision
• Plan and implement targeted support, seeking advice from external services as necessary (e.g., Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Early Language Consultants and/or Advisory Teachers)
• Ensure that appropriate targeted interventions are explicitly planned for and delivered on a rolling programme
  • These should be a minimum of twice a week and measure impact, prior to considering a referral to external specialists. Not all children/young people with speech, language and communication needs will require a referral to Speech and Language Therapy for a specialist assessment.
• Monitor the impact of intervention using a recommended screening tool and recording system: Speech, Language and Communication intervention record
• Identify training requirements and provide training for all relevant members of staff to ensure interventions and approaches are effectively delivered
  • Use an evidenced-based audit the key skills and knowledge needed to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people
• Continue the cycle of support (assess, plan, do, review)
• Consider the link with wider agencies supporting the child/young person/family (e.g., Children’s Centres)
• Consider referral to Early Help/Family Hubs: www.torbay.gov.uk/early-help
• Consider outreach advisory support (e.g. Mayfield)
• Signpost parents/carers to the Local Offer
• Signpost parents/carers to SENDIASS
• Seek advice on specialist arrangements for examinations and assessments
• Use resources to aid transition, such as those mentioned above

View and/or download the full Speech, Language and Communication Needs Toolkit