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 http://www.integratedtreatments.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 http://www.integratedtreatments.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
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 http://www.integratedtreatments.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.
