Speech and Language Therapy Service - Link Planning Meetings and Early Advice Sessions

Link Planning Meetings

In the Autumn Term 2023, mainstream primary schools under local authority control in Norfolk and Waveney will be sent an invitation for a link planning meeting with a Speech and Language Therapist. Link planning meetings will take place via video call. They will be arranged for the week beginning 30th October or 4th November. Therapists will contact the school SENCo to arrange the meeting.

Link planning meetings will provide an opportunity for the school SENCo (and additional relevant staff e.g. speech and language teaching assistant) to discuss with a therapist:

• Children known to SaLT
• Children not already known to SaLT, but school has concerns/queries about their communication
• Speech and language support already in place at the school (e.g. screening and intervention tools used)
• Signposting to training/resources

Early Advice Sessions

We're very keen to have knowledge of the children in your school who have previously been referred to us, before the link planning meetings. We're also keen to engage the parents in supporting their child at home.

During October, we're going to be offering parent/carers the opportunity to have an Early Advice Session - a video call appointment for their child, with a speech and language therapist. This 15 minute consultation will be an opportunity to hear from the parent about current concerns, meet the child, give advice/support and plan any subsequent intervention.

School staff will not need to attend these sessions, they will typically be accessed from home with the parent, so the child will be out of school for this, but we will discuss the outcome with you at the link planning meeting.

We'd value your support in encouraging any parents/carers to call in to book a slot, once they receive the text message prompt from our service. If parent's do not contact us to arrange an appointment, we will transfer care back to school, and any concerns you have can still be raised at the link planning meeting. There will be no additional delay to them being seen if needed.