Speech and Language Therapy for Children and Young People
Telephone:
01387 244530
Contact email:
Website:
Speech And Language Therapy – Dumfries & Galloway Health & Social Care
Address:
The Willows, Bankend Road, Dumfries, DG1 4TG
Who the service is aimed at:
We support children and young people from birth to school leaving age (16 / 18years old) who require support with speech and language.
Support provided:
Speech and language therapists provide treatment, support and care for CYPs who have difficulties with speech, language, communication, eating, drinking and swallowing.
Using specialist skills, SLTs work directly with CYPs and their carers to assess, treat and provide them with tailored support. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) are allied health professionals. We work with parents, carers and other professionals, such as teachers, nurses, occupational therapists and doctors to support CYPs.
We support CYPs with a range of reasons for communication difficulties including but not limited to
- Autism/social interaction difficulties
- Cleft palate
- Deafness
- Dysfluency (stammering)
- Language disorders including Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Learning difficulties and Learning Disability
- Selective mutism
- Speech Sound Disorders
- Voice disorders
We work all kinds of settings including the Neonatal Unit and Children’s Ward at DGRI, Health Centres and clinics across the region, playgroups, nurseries, primary and secondary schools and with visits to see children at home when needed and we are employed by the NHS.
Therapy may include:
- Assessment
- Advice
- Parental / Carer support
- Individual or group therapy
- Training
- Assessment and access to communication equipment and resources
Age range:
UNDER SCHOOL AGE;PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE;SECONDARY SCHOOL AGE;16-18;
Area covered:
All Dumfries and Galloway
Can an individual access the service directly, or do they need to be referred to it by another service – like a school, social worker, health practitioner for example?
Self-referrals can be made (by children/young people or their parents/carers). Referrals can also be made by other services.
How to make a referral:
To make a request for assistance you can:
- speak to a therapist when she is visiting your setting
- speak to a therapist through our Advice Line – this option is available 2-4pm every Wednesday afternoon
- contact us on our main department email dg.sltkids@nhs.scot
- phone us to make a request for assistance on 01387 244530
- contact our Advice Line Telephone: 01387 220013 or email the Advice Line at dg.talk-adviceline@nhs.scot
Top tips for making a ‘good’ referral (if applicable):
You do not need to make a Request for Assistance (RFA) or to be added to the waiting list to access support from us – lots of support is available through our targeted services. Before you make a RFA it is always best to speak to a therapist by contacting the team or speaking to a therapist you see in nursery or school. We also offer consultation advice to professionals, even if the family do not opt in to see us. We would do this in confidence to support professionals to support the child or young person.
For professionals, where you have specific or significant concerns it is helpful if you add the following information to your RFA:
- day to day difficulties the child is experiencing as a result of a communication or eating / drinking / swallowing issue
- any steps you are already taking to support the child or family
- any other referrals made to support the child or family
- any underlying difficulties which contribute to your concerns
- any difficulties the family / carers may have in accessing our service, e.g. personal circumstances, working patterns, social issues, need for an interpreter, literacy issues etc.
What needs to be in place before a referral is accepted (for example a Child’s Plan)?
Nothing
Is there a charge/fee for this service?
No
If there is a charge/fee, is there funding available for this?
N/A
