Pre-referral advice line
Do you have concerns about a child’s speech, language or communication skills? Are you unsure about making a referral?
We are now offering a monthly telephone advice line for parents, teaching staff and other health professionals.
We will advise whether you need to refer to us and can give some recommendations to try before referring to us or whilst waiting for an appointment.
Please find the dates, times and contact details for our monthly pre-referral advice line below:
- Wednesday 11 September 2024 from 9am to 12pm on 01925 946 599 (Claudette)
- Wednesday 2 October 2024 from 9am to 12pm on 07385 414184 (Lizzie)
- Wednesday 6 November 2024 from 9am to 12pm on 01925 946 759 (Shaista)
- Wednesday 4 December 2024 from 9am to 12pm on 01925 946 760 (Claire)
Please note: this advice line is to discuss children that are not known to our service.
If you have any queries or concerns regarding a child that is known to us, please contact their therapist directly, or our admin team on 01925 946 686.
How to refer
We have an open referral process, this means that anyone can refer to the Speech and Language Therapy service including parent /carers, education and healthcare professionals.
Please obtain parent/carer permission first and enclose a signed consent form:
- Referral Guidelines – Please read before completing a referral form.
- Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Warrington Referral Form
Who can I refer?
Children from 0-16 years (0-19 years if attending special schools) who have difficulties in the following areas:
Any difficulty with communication can impact social interaction and academic development.
Many children will not naturally grow out of their difficulties without some level of Speech and Language Therapy intervention ranging from:
- Detailed assessment
- Advice and coaching to parents/carers, nurseries or school
- A programme of therapy.
Therapy involves closely working with parents, health visitors, schools and many others.
Speech and Language Therapists work primarily with children to assist their communication, language and speech development. Some therapists have specialised training to assist children with eating and drinking skills.
This may be because:
- They have a problem with their swallowing (dysphagia)
- They are over-sensitive to food / touch in and around their mouths
- They need help to learn to eat and drink independently
What happens after referral?
Referrals are triaged by our Speech and Language Therapists (SLT) and will be either accepted or rejected.
The referrer and parents/carers will be informed of the outcome of triage via an acceptance or rejection letter.
If a child’s referral is accepted, we will contact parents/carers via letter once the child reaches the top of our waiting list to arrange an initial appointment.
Parents/carers must reply to this letter in order to be given an appointment.
If parents/carers do not respond to the letter, the child will not be given an initial appointment and will be discharged.
An initial appointment will be offered at one of our clinics in Warrington or at the child’s school.
During the initial appointment, the SLT may assess a child using formal and/or informal assessments using toys and pictures.
The Speech and Language Therapist will ask what parents/carers feel about their child’s language and communication skills.
They will also ask if there is any impact on their child’s day to day functioning due to their current language and communication skills.
The Speech and Language Therapist will explain the findings and what happens next.
Parents/carers will also be provided with advice and strategies that they can use at home to support their child.
In order to offer integrated, high quality services for children, we share information about the outcomes of assessment and recommendations with a child’s educational setting (e.g. Nursery, Pre-school, School).
This is to ensure everyone involved knows how to support the child.
We feel this will greatly help your child, but if you do not wish for information to be shared, you can withdraw your consent at any time.
If you are concerned about your child’s social communication skills, you may want to discuss this with your child’s nursery/school, or Health Visitor.
Further information can be found on our Referrals to the Warrington Neurodevelopment Assessment Pathway Service page.