Referrals for Early Years Speech and Language Therapy are accepted from parents / carers, GPs, nurseries / schools and other healthcare professionals. We have a standard referral form which will provide us with the information we need to decide how it is best to help the child. 

These referrals can be posted or emailed directly to our service. Please complete the Universal Referral Form below.

Universal Referral Form

We also have a helpline for those not known to the service, or waiting for an appointment.  Further information can be found on the flyer below.

SLT Parent Advice Line flyer

You can phone us on 020 8586 6380 or email children.slt@nhs.net

Please return your completed form or relevant reports by email using the address above, or by post to:

Intake Team
West Ham Lane Health Centre
84 West Ham Lane
Stratford
E15 4PT

• Once we have received your referral you will be sent a letter acknowledging the receipt of your referral. Your child will be placed on a waiting list and you will be contacted by a member of the SLT team to book an appointment. An acknowledgement letter will indicate the approximate wait time.

• You and your child will usually be invited to a block of therapy which includes assessment and intervention. During the individual therapy sessions, we will spend some time asking you about your child’s development and then ask you about your concerns. We will either observe your child playing or ask you to play with them. This is to enable your child to feel as relaxed as possible so that we can assess their understanding and communication skills. Sometimes we may assess your child using a more direct assessment depending on their age and abilities. The Speech and Language Therapist will then advise you on ways you can help your child at home and discuss the next steps. At the end of the therapy block, a report will be written and sent to you as well as to any other professionals involved in your child’s care.

• If your child has social communication needs and/or language delay, parents/ carers will be invited to a parent-only group session (in person or online) with a Speech and Language Therapist as part of their first appointment. This session is for sharing information about what SLT is and how adult-child interaction strategies can support childrens' communication and language development every day. Once parents/carers have attended this session, their child will be seen for an assessment and intervention block with a Speech and Language Therapist in clinic.