
For eating and drinking only or urgent requests for help, such as inpatients, call 01208 834 488 or send a referral form by email to the speech and language enquiries team.
To get general communication advice, email the request for help team with your contact details and a brief message. We will not be able to discuss a specific child or young person and will only be able to give you advice, unless you have parental consent to share information.
If parental consent has been given to discuss concerns about a child's speech, language and communication needs (except those concerning eating and drinking difficulties), you will need to complete our request for help form to request a telephone consultation with our specialist speech and language request for help team.
For more information on how we process your information, read our privacy notice for patients.
All requests for help require a telephone consultation with our specialist speech and language request for help team. To request a call, complete the request for help referral form.
Please read the guidance below before completing the form to make sure you have all the information required.
Please read the request for help prompts (DOCX, 1 MB), so you can prepare the information required before completing the form.
Once the electronic form has been received, your request will enter our waiting list for a call back. There is no need to submit another request for the same child or contact us again whilst waiting for a call back. The specialist request for help team will review the information and arrange a time to call you back for a consultation.
If your concern is around a child or young person’s speech sound development you will need to complete the speech sound screening checklist (DOCX, 1 MB) with the child or young person before completing the form. You will need to enter this information in the form to be able to submit it.
If you have concerns around a child’s speech sounds and their language skills (understanding and/or use of language) please select speech sound difficulties (articulation) as the main communication need from the drop-down, to populate the speech sound screening checklist.
We are unable to give any advice or support around a child’s speech sounds unless this information has been received which may delay your telephone consultation.
You will need to complete the speech sound screening checklist in full and submit it. You will be able to save a copy of the form for your own records once submitted.
The speech and language request for help team will discuss your child’s presentation and undertake an initial assessment of their needs. The most appropriate next steps will be provided depending on your child and the support they require.
During the call we will discuss the information you have already given us. We may ask you follow-up questions so we can find out more information. This will allow us to offer the most appropriate help to support the child or young person’s communication skills.
After the telephone consultation we will email you a copy of the consultation form. This will include any recommendations we have made and whether the child or young person will be seen for a further assessment session with the speech and language therapy service. If you are not the parent or guardian, this information may be shared with the child or young person’s parent or guardian following our call back.
Sometimes we send work packs for you to complete with the child or young person, and advice for when to request for more help. Sometimes we advise that at the present time, other services can support the child or young person’s speech, language, and communication needs.