How do I get an appointment?
Our service is open to everyone living in Lambeth or Southwark, or with a Lambeth or Southwark GP.
If you have concerns about your child’s speech, language or communication development, you can access our service in the following ways:
- talk to your health visitor, or your child’s teacher or nursery teacher. Your child’s health visitor or teacher can make a referral
- via GP referral
- refer your child yourself.
Find out more about how to refer.
Changing or cancelling your appointment
Please contact us by calling 020 3049 8181.
Before your appointment
If your child is under five years old, please bring their red book with you to your first appointment.
Your first appointment
Your first appointment may last up to an hour. You may be seen individually or in a group. The therapist will ask you questions that we ask all parents, for example about birth history, early development, how your child plays, what your child understands, how they communicate, and any eating or drinking difficulties they might have.
We will listen to your concerns and questions, and give you advice, strategies and activities that you can do with your child at home to help them develop their communication skills.
After your appointment
There are a number of possible outcomes at the end of your first appointment.
We often find that we need to see children over a number of sessions in order to gain a clearer picture of his/her strengths and needs. If we feel that your child needs further input from our service following assessment, we will discuss next steps with you and give you a date for your next appointment.
If your child is being seen in our school-based service, please discuss the next steps for speech and language therapy with the appropriate member of staff. This is usually a class teacher or special educational needs coordinator.