Individual specialist support for early years settings and childminders

Do you have concerns about a child’s speech, language or communication development? Or is there an aspect of communication practice in your setting that you would value the opportunity to talk through with a specialist?

Through the Pen Green Early Years Stronger Practice Hub, early years settings and childminders across our Hub area can access a fully funded one-to-one consultation with a Speech and Language Therapist.

These sessions provide dedicated time to discuss a specific child, group of children or area of practice, explore your concerns and think together about practical approaches that could support communication and language development.

You might want support around areas such as:

• children who are late to talk or have limited spoken language
• speech sounds and intelligibility
• stammering
• social communication
• selective or situational mutism
• supporting children with SEND
• children learning more than one language
• alternative and augmentative communication (AAC)
• Gestalt Language Processing
• developing communication-friendly environments
• strategies for supporting communication and interaction in everyday practice.

You do not need to have a diagnosis or referral already in place to access a consultation. If something is concerning you, or you simply want to think more deeply about how best to support a child, you can request a session.

The consultation is an opportunity to talk through what you are noticing, what you have already tried and what you would like support with. The Speech and Language Therapist can help you consider possible next steps, practical strategies and useful resources that can be embedded into everyday practice.

The consultation is designed to support and build practitioner knowledge and confidence. It does not replace a formal Speech and Language Therapy assessment or your local referral pathways where these are required.

The consultations are fully funded for early years settings and childminders within the Pen Green Early Years Stronger Practice Hub area: North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire, Rutland, Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire.