Cambridgeshire Children's Speech and Language Therapy Service

Welcome to our service

Our speech and language team aim to provide advice, help and support for children and young people aged 0 to 19 years old who have difficulties with speech, language, communication and swallowing.

• How we work

  Our Speech and Language Therapy Service supports children and young people who have difficulties with speech, language, communication and/or swallowing. 

  The service provides individualised packages of support which can include specialist assessment, advice, direct intervention, training and demonstration of activities.  

  There are many children who have speech, language and communication needs. Not all need to have direct intervention from a speech and language therapist so we also work with parents, schools, early years settings, other professionals and other organisations, to best meet these needs.  

  For further information about accessing our service you can read our information on speech and language therapy for pre-school children and speech and language therapy for school age children.

• 0 to 5 years old

  Our early advice sessions are to enable you to discuss your child’s speech and language concerns with a specialist. These sessions are a brief 1 to 1 video consultation with a speech and language therapist.  

  The early advice sessions are only available for children who have not started school yet. 

  Things that can be discussed during the early advice session:

  • • stammering or stuttering 
    • if your child is over 2 years old and not saying many words
    • if your child is over 2 years old and not able to say words correctly
    • if your child is over 2 years old, in a household where more than 1 language is spoken at home and is not speaking in any of the languages spoken at home

  You will need to complete the Early Advice Welcome Questionnaire and send it to ccs-tr.slt@nhs.net. If speech and language is not your only concern for your child, discuss the referral with your health visitor first.  

  If you require an interpreter, please discuss this when booking your appointment. 

  Read more about what to expect during a early advice session.

• 5 to 19 years old

  If you are worried about your child’s speech, language and communication skills and your child has started school, please speak to the school directly about your concerns.  They will be able to discuss any support already in place.

  If needed your child's school will also be able to complete a Request for Involvement form, to raise any concerns with the link speech and language therapist who visits.  

• Our core offer

  The Speech and Language Therapy Service in Cambridgeshire provides evidence-based support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). The service also provides evidence-based support for children with dysphagia (difficulties with swallowing and/or chewing.) 

  Visit our Speech and Language Core Offer page

• Who you will see and speak to

  • Administrators are very skilled NHS professionals that provide all the organisational support for the clinical teams. They are also the friendly voices at the other end of the phone when contacting the service.
  • Speech and language therapy assistants are trained internally for their specific roles. They work under the direction of a speech and language therapist. They provide speech and language therapy to individuals and small groups, deliver training, make resources and much more. 
  • Speech and language therapist are specialists who assess speech, language and communication skills. They investigate any possible reasons for difficulties and provide advice on programmes and strategies to help children with speech, language and communication skills. 

• Where we work

  We work in the community across the Cambridgeshire. As our team are integrated in the local community and schools they will be in lots of locations in the local areas offering support.