Speech and language therapy virtual advice sessions
These sessions enable parents, carers and those working in educational settings to get speech and language therapy advice when it’s needed.
How can I attend?
You can access virtual advice sessions via Microsoft Teams or by phone appointment. State your preference when booking. Microsoft Teams works best when more than 2 people attend the advice session.
For Microsoft Teams calls, we’ll email you a link to join the advice session. You don’t need to download any software and you can access the session via a computer or smart phone.
Do I need a referral?
If we think your child needs access to specialist support from within the service, we’ll request a standard referral form.
Can I access your advice lines?
Yes. You can access our advice lines as frequently as you need to support ongoing goal setting and progression of therapy programmes/support.
Our virtual advice sessions for early years and school age
For parents
We offer 30-minute online or telephone sessions with one of our therapists to:
- discuss your concerns
- get information around development and support
- advice and next steps tailored to your child’s needs.
Please do not include your child in this session.
Call 01296 838000 or email buc-tr.cyptherapies@nhs.net for an appointment.
For settings, pre-schools and nurseries
For staff wanting to discuss a specific child
We offer 30-minute online sessions with one of our therapists to:
- discuss your concerns
- get information around development and support
- advice and next steps tailored to the child’s needs.
Our therapist will explain how to write the advice directly into the child’s SEND support plan. Where possible, we highly recommend that parents and staff from the preschool or nursery setting join the same virtual call to share information.
We’ll send an email for the same meeting to anyone wanting to attend.
Parental consent
If you want to discuss a specific child without parents present, you must get consent from the parents prior to the session.
Universal strategy advice
If you’re a staff member and want to discuss child-specific or universal strategies to implement within your setting complete our early years advice session form
Email the form to us at Buc-tr.cyptherapies@nhs.net with the title ‘SALT Early Years Advice Session’ in the subject of your email.
These sessions are for educational settings. Our therapist will explain how to write advice directly into the child’s SEND support plan.
You can discuss up to 4 children during a 45-minute session which takes places online through Microsoft Teams.
For staff wishing to discuss a specific child
We offer 30-minute online sessions. We highly recommended that parents attend, as well as somone from the the educational setting to share information.
We’ll send an email for the same meeting all anyone who wants to attend. Tell us on the request form if parents want to attend.
Parental consent
If you want to discuss a specific child without parents present,
you must get the parents’ consent before the session.
Universal strategy advice
If you’re a staff member and want to discuss child specific or universal strategies to implement in the classroom complete our schools advice session form .
Email the form to us at Buc-tr.cyptherapies@nhs.net with the title ‘SALT School Advice Session’ in the subject of your email.
Additional advice
You can also access advice and assessments which run alongside our speech and language therapy school advice sessions.
Infant Language Link helps to raise the attainment of all children with speech, language and communication needs across Reception and Key Stage 1.
Infant Language Link and Speech Link assessments are available in all Key Stage 1 settings. They run alongside speech and language therapy school advice sessions to tailor advice specifically to individual children.
Based on data from September 2020 to July 2021 Infant Language link interventions used in Buckinghamshire schools was effective to partially effective for 83% of children who took part.
Accessing Speech Link
Call 0333 577 0784 or email helpdesk@speechlink.co.uk for more information.