Speech and Language

Lead Officer

Dr Lisa Perkins, Head of Speech & Language Therapy Services

Location

The Speech and Language Therapy Service is based at the William Knott Centre, Overdale, Westmount Road, St Helier and services are delivered at various locations throughout the Island.

What we do

Speech and Language Therapists are specialists in communication disorders and work to assess, diagnose and develop a programme of care to maximise the communication potential of people referred to the service. Speech and Language Therapists also work to support people with swallowing, eating and drinking difficulties.

We work in close partnership with the client and their family as well as Education and other Health and Social Care professionals in order to best meet the individual’s needs. We have an open referral system, accepting referrals from the client themselves, parents, carers and other professionals.

We work with all ages, from newborn babies with feeding and swallowing difficulties to adults who have suffered strokes, head and neck cancers or progressive neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease or multiple sclerosis.

What services we provide

Children’s Service

Most of the service is provided at community clinics (William Knott Centre at Overdale, Communicare Centre at St Brelade, The Bridge in St Saviour and the Pathways Centre in St Clement) although therapists may visit a child’s nursery or school to undertake some assessment and to liaise with nursery or school staff. An initial appointment is offered within eight weeks of receipt of referral.

Children referred to the service may have:

• Delayed or disordered language development
• Difficulty with producing and using speech sounds
• Difficulty in understanding
• Difficulty in the use of language for social interaction
• A Stammer
• Hearing impairment
• A voice disorder
• Eating, drinking or swallowing difficulties

Following an initial assessment, the therapist will plan a management programme. This may involve review to monitor the child’s development, a course of group or individual therapy delivered by a therapist or a therapy programme to be undertaken by the parents, nursery or school staff. Parents of pre-school children may be offered a six week training course which teaches how to promote language learning opportunities for children with communication difficulties or language delay. The service to school-aged children is delivered in close collaboration with the Education Department.

For pre-school children with complex needs, Speech and Language Therapy is offered as part of the multi-disciplinary Child Development Team based at the Child Development Centre at Overdale. An assessment, review and therapy service is offered to address communication and eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. The therapist works closely with other members of the team running joint sessions when appropriate.

Pre-school children with severe language disorder may be referred by their therapists to the Pre-School Language Group at Rouge Bouillon School. This is a joint Education – Speech and Language Therapy provision with a teacher and a speech and language therapist running sessions each morning for eight children.

For school-aged children, Speech and Language Therapy input is also provided in a school setting in the following of the Education Department’s Resourced Provisions:

• Communication Disorder Provisions at Rouge Bouillon, Grainville and Haute Vallee Schools
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Provisions at St Clement and Le Rocquier Schools
• Physically Impaired Provision at Bel Royal School
• The School Language Group at Rouge Bouillon School
• Mont a L’Abbe School
• St James School

A joint Speech and Language Therapy – ENT clinic is also held weekly at Jersey General Hospital. A therapist also contributes to the monthly multi-disciplinary Feeding Clinic at Jersey General Hospital.

Adult Service

Adults referred to the service may have:

• Speech, language or swallowing difficulties resulting from brain injury or stroke
• Speech, language or swallowing difficulties resulting from a progressive neurological condition (e.g. Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, dementia)
• A voice disorder
• A stammer
• Speech, language or swallowing difficulties associated with learning difficulties

The Adult Service delivers input for in-patients at Jersey General Hospital and Samares Assessment and Rehabilitation Unit. Clients are seen within two working days of receipt of referral.

Out-patient appointments are offered within two weeks of receipt of referral. Out-patients clinics run at Westmount Assessment and Rehabilitation Centre and William Knott Centre, both at Overdale. Clients are also seen in Day Centres, Residential and Nursing Home settings. When appropriate, clients may also be visited in their own homes.

Following assessment, a management plan will be agreed with the client. This may involve review or the setting of therapy goals. Goals of therapy may include restoration of function towards pre-morbid levels of performance and compensation to assist the client and carer to adjust to persisting disabilities and to capitalise on existing skills. Intervention may employ a combination of individual therapy, group therapy, self-directed work and practise with carers or rehabilitation assistants.

In order for management to be as effective as possible, Speech and Language Therapists work collaboratively with other Health and Social Care professionals also involved with the client. Clients with voice disorders are managed in collaboration with the ENT Department. Speech and Language Therapy also deliver services as part of the multi-disciplinary Community Stroke Team, the Memory Clinic, the Neurocare Team and the Community Network Team.