About The Service
The Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) Service aims to maximise the communication potential of children and young people aged 0-19 years with speech, language and communication needs.
The team also provides assessment and support to families to ensure their child can maintain safe and effective eating, drinking and swallowing to ensure healthy growth and wellbeing.
Who Do We See?
The service sees children and young people aged 0-19 years who are registered with a Gateshead GP, whose needs fit into one or more of the following categories:
- Paediatric eating and drinking difficulties
- Early communication difficulties
- Problems understanding and using spoken language
- Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- Children who would benefit from Augmentative and Altertnative Communication (AAC)
- Unclear speech sounds
- Hearing impairment (where it has impacted on the child’s speech, language and communication skills)
- Stammering
- Selective mutism
- Voice disorders
- English as an additional language
How To Be Seen by This Service
Referrals into the service can be made by health / social care professionals (e.g. GPs / social workers), staff from educational or nursery settings, or the parent / guardian of children with speech, language and communication problems.
It is essential that all referrals into the service must be made with the prior consent of the child’s parent / guardian.
Access our referral form by clicking here.
What To Expect At Your Appointment
Once your referral has been triaged you will receive an assessment appointment. This will take place in a clinic. The service runs its clinics, training sessions* and groups from the following venues:
The service runs its clinics and groups from the following venues:
- Bensham Hospital, Fontwell Dr, Gateshead, NE8 4YL
- Blaydon Primary Care Centre, Shibdon Road, Blaydon, Gateshead, NE21 5NW
- Dunston Health Centre, Dunston Bank, Dunston, Gateshead, NE11 9PY
- Low Fell Clinic, Beacon Lough Rd, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 6TD
- Felling Health Centre, Stephenson Terrace, Felling, Gateshead, NE10 9QG
- Gateshead Health Centre, Prince Consort Rd, Gateshead, NE8 1NB
Subsequent appointments may be offered depending on the child’s needs, and these may take place in one of the following:
- A home visit
- A nursery or school visit
- A clinic appointment
- A group therapy appointment**
*Parent training sessions:
Parents/carers attend a training session where therapists share information about communication development and the power parents have when supporting early communication skills by using child led and routine based interventions at home. If you are asked to attend a training session, please do not bring your child, or you may be sent away.
**Group therapy appointments:
You may be asked to attend a group therapy appointment with your child, for either their speech sounds or language needs. Our groups are set up so that you work directly with your child, and our trained Speech and Language Therapist facilitates. It’s a chance for you to have a go at therapy activities which you will then get a copy of in your homework packs to continue practising at home.
At the end of a block of group therapy, your child will have an individual appointment with the therapist who ran your group, who will assess your child’s speech and language needs, and talk to you about the next steps.
What You Can Expect from Us
The service will provide individualised plans, advice and strategies developed specifically with the individual and their needs in mind.
What We Expect from You
In order for the child / young person to get the maximum benefit and the best possible outcomes, it is essential that the plans, advice and strategies provided are followed. The key to success is following the plans beyond the appointment, and into everyday life to ensure that the child reaches their maximum potential.
Where else might you see a Speech and Language Therapist?
Child Development Team
The Child Development Team (CDT) assesses and supports children with developmental differences. We have Speech Therapists that link up with and work directly within this team to support your child’s communication as part of these developmental differences.
Autism Assessment Clinic
If your child is waiting to be assessed for a diagnosis of ASD, it is likely that one of our Speech Therapists will be at your appointment to support and assess your child’s communication as part of this diagnosis.
Gateshead Feeding Clinic
This consists of a Paediatrician, Dietician and a Speech and Language Therapist. We help babies, children and their families with feeding difficulties, where a multidisciplinary approach is beneficial.
Joint Training Clinics with Portage
Portage is a primarily home-based teaching service for children from the ages of 0-3, with special educational needs and disabilities.
We have a team of therapists that work directly with Portage, who you may see if your child is involved with Portage.
Linked working with HINT
The High Incidence Needs Team (HINT) is a team of specialist Educators who support children and young people with complex social communication needs; speech, language and communication needs; cognition and learning (for specific learning difficulties), and social, emotional and mental health needs. The team provides guidance and support to nurseries or pre-school settings, as well as primary and secondary schools all across Gateshead.
We work alongside HINT for many of the children that we work with.
Waiting Well
Sometimes you may have to wait longer to be seen by our service than we would like. Where possible, we may direct you to resources and interventions which you can try at home before your appointment. In some cases, this advice can help to maintain your well-being, reduce symptoms or provide ideas on things you can safely try yourself to overcome your problems.
Current Expected Waiting Times
We strive to see everyone who is referred to us in a timely manner. We prioritise our appointments based on clinical need and risk, so some people will wait longer than others.
Waiting times for this service are updated here on a regular basis.
Currently you can expect to wait no longer than 22 weeks for an initial appointment [updated 26.02.2025].
Our Team
Our team consists of qualified speech and language therapists, speech and language assistant staff and administration staff.
What People Say About This Service
“The therapist was very good. The way they got (my child) to stay focused on the tasks during the appointment was amazing.”
“My daughter loved coming to speech therapy – the therapist made the learning into a great game and she was so sad when she no longer needed sessions.”
“The experience was so amazing and the therapist had a lovely interaction with my child – it was wonderful to see!”
Child A said… “I feel much more confident using my sounds now”
“Resources are useful and easy to understand.”
Cancelling an appointment
- If you need to cancel or rearrange a child’s appointment, please call the service as soon as possible on 0191 445 6667 between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Please note, cancelling two appointments in a row can lead to the service following the ‘was not brought‘ procedure outlined below
Child ‘was not brought’ to their health appointment
- Children often do not have a choice about whether or not they are brought to health care appointments; the decisions are usually made by those caring for them. There is evidence to suggest that failure to attend health appointments in the acute and primary care settings can be linked to child neglect in some cases.
- Therefore, this service follows the Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust’s Safeguarding Children Policy, which includes a reporting pathway to our Safeguarding Children Team when a child ‘was not brought‘ to their appointment. Sometimes when a child is not brought, we may also escalate our concerns to Children’s Social Care
Useful Links – Service Information Leaflets
- Simplifying Language
- Pre-Verbal Communication – Anticipation
- Pre-Verbal – Attention and Listening
- Pre-Verbal Communication – Eye Contact
- Pre-verbal – Imitation
- Pre-Verbal – Turn Talking
- Speech and Language Therapy in Special Schools
- Child Language – Following Your Child’s Lead
- Parent Language Match + 1
- Parent Language Pausing
- Parent Language – Polite Language
- Parent Language – Asking Questions
- Parents Language – Making comments
Useful Links – Websites
- BBC Tiny Happy People
- Speech and Language UK
- Words for Life
- Stamma.org
- Action for Stammering
- SEND activities directory – Gateshead Council
- Selective Mutism Information & Research Association (SMIRA)
- https://educationgateshead.org/lint/
Transition to Adult Services
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trusts services for children and young provide care until a child is around 19 years old (this age can vary and sometimes depends upon educational status and whether the young person has a health and care plan). For those who have long-term health needs, and where ongoing support is required, then this will sometimes be provided by adult services.
In healthcare, we use the word “transition” to describe the process of preparing, planning, and moving from childrens to adult services. Transition is a gradual process that gives a young person, and everyone involved in their care, time to get ready to move to adult services and discuss what their healthcare needs as an adult are likely to be. This includes deciding which services are best for you and where you will receive that care.
Transition is about making plans with the young person. Moving away from a team of health professionals that have been known for many years can be scary but hopefully, by getting involved in the transition process, the young person will feel more confident and happier about the move. Transition will vary from service to service but may involve attending a special appointment where health professionals from the current services ‘introduce’ the young person to health professionals from the services they will attend once they are an adult.
Other Local Children’s Services
The 0-19 Service is an integrated service for families, expectant mothers, children and young people that offers interventions from the pre-natal stage up to the age of 19. Harrogate and District Foundation Trust leads on the delivery of this service, with a focus on working across services and organisational boundaries to improve public health outcomes. The universal reach of the HCP provides an invaluable opportunity from early in a child’s life to identify families that need additional support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes.
Support Us!
At Gateshead Health Charity, we go beyond NHS funding to improve care and create a better healthcare environment. Right now, we need your help to support the amazing Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (CSLT) Team.
The Children’s Speech and Language Therapy (CSLT) Team, are based at Bensham Hospital and out in the community.
This specialist team works with children aged 0-19 who need help with speech, language, communication, or eating and drinking. By partnering with families, health professionals, and schools, they make a real difference in improving lives across Gateshead.
You can help too!
Toys and Games: Have you got toys or games in good condition which you no longer need? Email us at [email protected] to arrange a donation.
Please support us by donating using this QR code, or you can click here to use this link.
When donating, please quote ‘Children’s SALT Fund 2271’ to ensure 100% of your gift goes to supporting children and families.
Your generosity will help with:
- Building a library of electronic communication devices for families to try
- Funding advanced staff training beyond the basics
- Updating essential communication resources and assessments
- Replenishing our toy collection for therapy and play
…and so much more!
Thank you for helping us make a lasting impact.
About Your Medical Records
This service shares information with GP’s and other health care professionals to ensure that you receive appropriate care. If you do not wish to have your clinical information shared then please inform the clinician at your appointment. Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust is a part of the Great North Care Record. This means we make information we record about you available electronically on the Great North Care Record. Health and care staff from other organisations in the North East and North Cumbria who are involved in your care can then access this information. It helps us make your care better and safer. If you want to find out more about the Great North Care Record, or have any concerns; visit the website www.greatnorthcarerecord.org.uk, email [email protected] or call the helpline on 0344 811 9587 (open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm).