Speech and language therapy information hub
The Dorset HealthCare Children and Young People’s speech and language therapy information hub is a central place designed to support settings in understanding and responding to the speech, language, communication, and swallowing needs of pupils.
This service works collaboratively with children, families, and education professionals to identify needs early, provide targeted advice, and ensure that effective strategies can be embedded throughout the school day.
Practical guidance
The support offered is personalised and delivered across a variety of settings, including schools, nurseries, clinics, family hubs, and virtual sessions, ensuring flexibility and accessibility for education teams.
The site provides practical guidance across the following keys areas.
Understanding speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
Information about how the service supports children and young people with communication difficulties, including speech sound disorders, language delays, and communication challenges.
Supporting students with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties
Guidance on identifying concerns and understanding the specialist support offered for pupils with dysphagia or related needs.
How to access the service
Clear information for professionals on referral pathways and how to work in partnership with the speech and language therapy team.
Available resources
The information hub also links to a wide range of helpful resources tailored for schools which include:
- general advice and information on supporting communication in everyday classroom routines
- a professionals section with guidance specifically for education staff
- downloadable resources for use in classrooms and intervention sessions
- training materials, including support related to autism and communication development
- eating and drinking resources for staff supporting children with swallowing or feeding needs
The Balanced System
Through co‑production with communities, NHS Dorset and both Dorset and BCP Councils are developing a new, integrated pathway of support based on The Balanced System® Framework.
This framework ensures that schools, early years settings and local services have the right tools, knowledge and provision in place to help children and young people develop essential communication skills.
The children’s speech, language and communication page introduces:
- a new countywide SLCN pathway, created collaboratively to improve outcomes for children and young people
- The Balanced System Framework, explaining how it supports commissioning, service delivery and the development of communication‑supportive environments across education settings
- the 5 key areas of the framework, including:
- providing families with appropriate information
- creating communication‑supportive environments
- developing the workforce
- strengthening systems for early identification
- ensuring appropriate intervention at every level (universal, targeted and specialist)
- definitions and examples of universal, targeted and specialist interventions to help professionals understand what support is available and how it aligns with pupil needs
Available resources
Visitors will find:
- an online SLCN education and information resource, freely available to all schools, parents and practitioners across Dorset
- tools, templates and guidance from The Balanced System to support workforce development, planning and practice
- supporting documents and examples, including presentations and detailed explanations of intervention levels
Communication champions
To learn more about speech, language and communication to support all children, sign up to become a communication champion with the children and young people speech and language therapy service.
The communication champions for early years section on the Dorset Health Care University NHS Foundation Trust website has more information.
You can also book on this term's workshops at Queens Park Learning Centre or Rossmore Family Hub.
Talk to your link speech and language therapist for more support and information.