Here at Wittersham, we work closely with our NHS link speech & language therapist Andrea Hedges as well as specialist teachers who all support speech, language, and communication (SLCN) needs.

The Inclusion Leader, Stella Coulson, will have regular meetings with the link therapist to ensure strength in the provision, identification, intervention, and relevant reviews of SLCN across the school. Relevant staff training, meetings, and target setting will arise as a result of these regular meetings. 

If we have discussed a specific concern with you about your child’s speech, language, or communication needs, or you have raised a concern, we will work as a team to ascertain a relevant assessment or support program. You will be kept informed of any plans to support your child accordingly. 

Having a link therapist is a newly commissioned Kent County Council (KCC) service that was rolled out in September 2023 and is called The Balanced System®.

This new initiative is a whole system approach to improving outcomes for children and young people across the range of speech, language, and communication needs. The scheme has been created in response to demand from schools, settings, and FE for a strategic approach to understanding their role in commissioning and providing support for speech, language, and communication needs.

The scheme provides an overarching set of outcomes, processes, and outcome measures across the core five strands of the Balanced System®: supporting parents, young people, and families; enhancing and adapting the environment; developing the workforce; identifying need; and providing appropriate intervention.

The Balanced System® for Schools and Settings provides a school or cluster of schools with the tools, mentor support, and peer support to ensure that they are making the best of resources to support speech, language, and communication across the school or setting for all children as well as those with specific needs. Good speech, language, and communication skills underpin development in the early years and attainment across the curriculum.

If you have any questions regarding this new system or any SLCN needs or concerns you may have, please do not hesitate to get in contact with Stella Coulson. 

Have a look at the link below for any further information.

https://www.thebalancedsystem.org/schools/what-is-scheme-for-schools/

Have a look at these sites that will further support your SLCN understanding and support. 

https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/childrens-therapies-the-pod/speech-and-language-therapy/

https://www-archive.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/services/therapies/therapy-services-children-young-people/children-and-young-people-therapy/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people

https://wordsforlife.org.uk/

https://speechandlanguage.org.uk/

https://speechandlanguage.info/parents