Children’s Therapy Services

The Speech and Language Therapy Service will take referrals to assess children’s speech, language, communication and swallowing. The NHS service is funded by Stockport NHS Clinical Commissioning group to provide to children who

  • Are registered with a Stockport GP,
  • are aged between 0 to end of school year 11

And

  • havea speech, language, communication and/or swallowing difficulty that is having a moderate to severe impact on their development and strategies are not already in place to deal with these difficulties.

Referrals will be screened to check for appropriateness – i.e. that targeted interventions have been followed by early years providers/schools prior to referral.

Pre-school children should have accompanying information such as WellCom results, Ages and Stages information.

School age children referred by school should have accompanying information such as Language Link assessments, interventions already tried, access plans and Educational Psychology reports if appropriate.

School aged children in a mainstream setting referred into the service with:

  • speech sound disorder/delay
  • language delay / disorder
  • complex social communication needs including Autism Spectrum Conditions.

will be seen for an assessment and will be given a report including advice / a programme for school to follow and this will be reviewed once by the NHS therapist. Recommendations will then be made to the school for any further needs to be met by education. This is known as the Foundation offer.

Schools have their own arrangements for providing speech and language therapy for children’s speech, language and communication needs under an educational need. They may fund an NHS therapist for this provision or employ their own SLTs or provide this through a private SLT practice.

Children that will be seen for treatment following assessment under the NHS includes the following:

  • Pre-school children with speech sound or language delay of over 12 months. (see when to refer guidance)
  • Children who are stammering of any age should be referred immediately.
  • Children showing signs of being selective mute. These children should be referred immediately.
  • Children with long standing complex speech disorders
  • Children with severe / complex disabilities will be offered follow up treatment alongside school provision.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion at referral stage:

  • Children over the age of 16 and not in year 11.
  • Children without Stockport GP.

Exclusion post assessment:

  • School age children who have received the foundation offer (an assessment report/programme of intervention and a follow up review).
  • Pre-school children with language difficulties of less than 12 months delay.
  • Pre-school difficulties with 2 or less speech sounds confused compared to that expected for their age

These children will be given a programme of advice for parents/ school staff to follow if required.

Patients and Customer Services/Complaints Manager

Head of Patient & Customer Services, Stepping Hill Hospital, Poplar Grove, Hazel Grove, Stockport. Telephone number: 0161 419 5367.

The email address is