Camden Speech and Language Therapy Service

Offers a service to children from birth to 19 years with speech and language delays and disorders in Camden.

The service operates from a range of settings, including a child’s own home, children’s centres, nurseries, health centres, mainstream and special schools, and specialist units.

They work directly with children and families to assess children’s needs within 6 weeks of referral and to provide ongoing help or support as needed. They contribute to the assessment of children’s special educational needs, in partnership with parents and in collaboration with colleagues in health and education. In schools they work alongside teaching staff to ensure that the child has a programme which will help him/her take part in education and make progress. They work with children in different ways, for example providing therapy in the form of one-to-one sessions or small group work, training and working alongside others in the children’s workforce to support child/children.

They work collaboratively with other health and education colleagues. Children remain in the care of the service for as long as they need to, depending on whether their needs are short or longer term. They have clear criteria for when a child should be discharged from the direct care of the Speech and Language Therapist.

Contact details

Contact Name: Helen Unsworth
Contact Position: Clinical Manager for Speech and Language Therapy
Telephone: 020 3317 2366
E-mail: helen.unsworth2@nhs.net

Address

Address: Whittington Health
Hunter St Health Centre
8
Hunter Street
London
Postcode: WC1N 1BN

Further details

Ward: Kings Cross Ward
Last checked date: 11/12/2015
Record ID: 807

Local Offer

Local Offer Age Bands: Preparing for Adult Life 14-25
Children under 5
School Age Children & Young People 5-18
SEN Provision Type: Targeted; Specialist

Where is the service located and what areas does it cover?: We work in 4 Health Centres, all Children’s Centres and all mainstream and special schools and units in Camden. The Health Centres we work in are: Belsize Priory Health Centre Gospel Oak Health Centre Hunter Street Health Centre MOSAIC - integrated Service for disabled children and young people Kentish Town Health Centre
Who does your service provide for?: The service is for babies, children and young people from birth to 19 years who have: • Difficulties with eating, drinking and swallowing • Understanding or using spoken language and communication. The service is arranged in clinical teams according to children’s needs and the access guidelines vary for different teams.
How can a child or young person start using the service?: Children are referred to the Single Point of Referral (SPOR) by professionals working with them. Children and young people can be referred if there is any concern about their speech, language and communication. Children are usually seen within 6 weeks for initial assessment and within a school half term if already in a maintained school or nursery. There is no charge for the service
How are decisions made about eligibility for your service?: Children must be resident in Camden and/or have a Camden GP to access the service. Children of school age must be attending a maintained or special school in the borough in order to access the service. Children and young people can be referred if there is any concern about their speech, language and communication, and the Speech and Language Therapist assessing their needs will make recommendations about interventions to achieve the best outcomes. We work in collaboration with children, young people and parents, giving choices about types of support where appropriate.
How do you communicate with service users and how are they involved in decision making/planning?: Parents are encouraged to be involved in their child’s assessment and ongoing care, and we use interpreters to support families where needed. We ask children, young people and families to comment on their experience of the service, so that we can make improvements to the service to make it better. We provide parents written reports after assessment, and annually if appropriate, which details their child’s strengths and needs and outlines the plan of care that has been agreed for the child. In addition the Speech and Language Therapist will agree with the child/young person and the team around them (family, teacher, support staff) what the expected outcomes of the therapy are, and will set targets to monitor progress on meeting those outcomes. This care plan will be shared with the family and where appropriate written in collaboration with other agencies involved in the child’s care. There is also information about our service at [Whittington Hospital](http://www.whittington.nhs.uk)
Is your service fully accessible?: Most services are delivered in community settings and schools, which are child friendly, wheelchair accessible and have disabled changing and toilet facilities.
What training have the staff supporting children and young people with SEND had/or will be they be getting?: Speech and Language Therapists have a broad range of training in many aspects of special educational needs and update their knowledge and skills on an ongoing basis. Examples of service-wide or team-specific training include training in techniques such as Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), and Talk Boost.
Who should a service user contact if they want to raise a concern or complain about something?: We are always happy to speak to families who wish to raise a concern or make a comment. Families can telephone the department directly on 020 3317 2366, or contact the Clinical Manager, Helen Unsworth email: helen.unsworth2@nhs.net or the Assistant Director, Sarah Hulme email: sarahhulme@nhs.net Alternatively, families can contact Whittington PALS on 020 7288 5551.
Who can a parent carer/young person contact for further information?: A parent/carer or young person who would like further information can contact: Sarah Hulme or Helen Unsworth Speech and Language Therapy Hunter Street Health Centre 8 Hunter Street London WC1N 1BN 020 3317 2366 www.whittington.nhs.uk For further information, please also contact the Single Point of Referral (SPOR) administrator on 020 3317 2250

The Local Offer is a free and impartial service provided by Camden Local Authority. Any service or provider mentioned in this Local Offer, does not represent a recommendation or endorsement of the service or quality of the service provided. You are responsible for undertaking your own checks to determine suitability of the service and provider.