At the moment in the UK, Speech and Language Therapy is available to adults and children on the NHS. This service is entirely free of charge.
The new coalition government has pledged to reduce the UK’s budget deficit, and therefore plans to make large cuts to public sector bodies: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_187927. While they have stated that the NHS’ core budget is protected, it is possible that speech and language therapy – a service deemed to be non-essential – will be affected. This may subsequently have an impact on the kind of service that NHS clients will receive, as recruitment of new therapists is frozen and funding is reduced.
For many families, costs are the primary factor in the type of care that they can access and for this reason the NHS will be the best choice for them. For families wishing to explore other avenues and who are able to provide extra financial support, there is an alternative option: hiring a private speech and language therapist. There are a number of factors worth noting when deciding whether this is appropriate for your child, including:
Waiting lists
With large NHS caseloads come large waiting lists. Although there are government targets in place to ensure that new clients are assessed and offered therapy within a certain timeframe, it is not always possible to achieve. This is particularly the case in mainstream schools and/or rural areas, when often one speech and language therapist is responsible for an enormous number of clients. In private practice, clients can often be seen immediately or within a short period of time, which is particularly beneficial for high-anxiety communication difficulties such as stammering.
Flexibility
Similarly, therapists within the NHS nearly always work within a Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm timeframe and are unable to see clients outside of these times. Private practice therapists are often available to work evenings and weekends if need be. This can be particularly beneficial as it can be adapted to suit daily schedules/routines and can prevent having to take children out of lessons in the daytime. It is also possible to locate private therapists working locally who specialise in particular fields, such as social communication; or who have expertise in specific resources like Talk Tools or Colourful Semantics.
Sessions
In many NHS trusts, once a child has been assessed they may only be offered a set period of 6 weekly therapy sessions due to funding restrictions. Different communication difficulties require different types of treatment – some are best suited to a weekly approach, whereas others are only helpful if provided intensively on a daily basis. In private practice, therapists can have the flexibility to provide an intensive service if necessary, and if it fits with the client’s lifestyle/routine.
As a private practice, I.T.S can offer a personalised, comprehensive and integrated approach to speech and language therapy. For more information about the types of services I.T.S. can offer, see the Therapy page at https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/therapy/. The downloadable Parent’s Leaflet also has lots of information about how I.T.S may be able to help and can also be found on the Therapy page.
I.T.S. also has strong links with Cerebra, an organisation that can provide £500 grants towards speech and language therapy for young people under the age of 16. Cerebra have already provided grants to many families wishing to utilise I.T.S. These grants have usually been able to cover the cost of initial assessment and some follow-up therapy sessions, so are an excellent way of seeing what the service can provide. For more information and criteria about being accepted onto the scheme, see the I.T.S page at https://integratedtreatmentservices.co.uk/announcements/item/2/accessing-free-therapy/?a=nh or visit Cerebra’s web site at http://www.cerebra.org.uk/parent_support/support/speech_therapy.htm
For adults?
I.T.S. also provide therapy for teenagers and adults. Our team of therapist are skilled in the areas of Road Traffic Injuries, aquired and neurological impairments. We can see you within the convenience of your own home or clinic. Our therapists offer clear therapy choices and can set out a therapy plan to meet both your clinical needs and your budget.
Sarah Bennington – June 2010
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services. I.T.S is a private Speech and Language Therapy service based in Leicestershire and the East Midlands . It specialises in providing highly-skilled speech and language therapists, but also associates with other therapeutic professionals, including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychologists and Creative Expressive Therapists.
