Resources and links
About us
*Please note that following the formation of our new trust - Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust, our website is being updated. We will make sure that resources and links are updated as soon as possible.*
Speech and language therapy provides services for children and young people (aged 0 – 19 years) in the borough of Richmond who are having difficulties with the development of their speech, language, communication and feeding.
We work closely with parents and relevant professionals to enhance and assist the development of all areas of the child/young person’s speech, language and communication and feeding. We will also suggest and explain strategies that can be reinforced throughout the day.
We have a Resources and links page, with lots of support materials for families.
We provide expert advice and support in the areas of:
- Attention and listening
- Understanding spoken/signed language
- Communicating using sentences and vocabulary appropriate for the person’s age
- Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC)
- Using speech sounds appropriate for the person’s age
- Social interaction and play
- Stammering
- Voice production
- Feeding and swallowing, including sensory behavioural difficulties
Advice, early help and prevention
Telephone advice line
Our telephone advice line is a quick way to access our service for advice/information on speech, language and communication development for parents of children ages 0 to 19 who are registered with a Richmond GP.
Parents can ask a qualified speech and language therapist questions about their child’s communication or feeding.
You do not need a referral to use the advice line.
Advice line: 020 8614 5333
Leave a message for a therapist to call you back.
Current wait times to expect a call back are approximately 2 weeks.
Professionals can also use the advice line after obtaining parental consent to discuss the child or you may ring for general advice.
Support for Children and Young People in our community
Training for professionals who work with children and young people with communication needs. These are delivered in a variety of settings including schools, early year’s settings, and children’s centres. We also contribute to the local council’s workforce development training programme
Training and support for families and other people involved in the care of children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
Our service also participates in research and development and student therapist training.
Supported stay and play sessions for under 5s
A member of the speech and language therapy team attends weekly Stay and Play sessions in local children’s centres in Richmond.
If you attend, the speech and language therapy team will be able to answer your questions about your child’s speech, language and communication skills development. They will also work closely with the stay and play team to give you tips on how to support your child’s communication during play and everyday activities.
Click here for all the activities at your local children’s centres:
Or drop into or call your nearest children’s centre.
Speech and language therapists from the Early Years Team work with children with a range of speech, language and communication difficulties.
Parents/carers of Early Years children who are eligible for our service (i.e. have a Richmond GP) will be offered an initial telephone consultation with a speech and language therapist who will gather further information about their child’s needs and offer advice and strategies to use with their child. We often signpost parent/carers to resources/information available on our website including parent/carer information videos about speech, language and communication development.
Children who need face to face appointments will then be allocated a speech and language therapist and will be invited to clinic or a local children’s centre for 1:1 and/or group sessions. Intervention always includes bespoke training to parents/carers.
In addition, the team offers a consultation service to early years setting practitioners.
Parents who have concerns about their school-aged child's speech, language and communication needs should discuss this with the school's Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCo) in the first instance.
All parents/carers can access advice from a speech and language therapist via our advice line on 0208 614 5333 or email slta.
School-aged children and young people who present with a stammer or speech sound disorder should be referred to our service via the usual referral form below or via our advice line.
We may offer advice, 1:1 or group sessions working with the key adults around the child to give them strategies to support the child.. If needed, we will provide follow-up sessions in clinic.
Children aged 0 – 19 years with dysphagia (chewing or swallowing difficulties) or sensory behavioural feeding difficulties should be referral via our advice line or the referral form below. Our 0 – 19 feeding team provides assessment, advice and monitoring according to each child/young person’s individual needs in collaboration with parents.
We also work closely with key adults and other health professionals as part of the multi-disciplinary team caring for the child or young person.
Referrals for specialist assessment in clinic
Referrals will be accepted for pre-school and school aged children according to the following criteria.
- Referrals to our clinic service will be accepted for pre-school children if the child has a Richmond GP.
- School-aged children whose primary difficulty is stammering and/or significant persisting speech sound difficulties, and who have a Richmond GP
- Children 0 – 19 with chewing or swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) who have a Richmond GP.
Referrals will be reviewed to decide which pathway is best for your child.
All referrals should be made using the Richmond Speech and Language Therapy referral form.
Please return the referral form to: hrch.
See where we work
We've made a short video about visiting Ham Clinic, which you can watch with your child:
Frequently Asked Questions
At Teddington Health and Social Care Centre there is free parking for visitors for up to 4 hours. Visitors must get a free ticket from the machine and display in car. Free road parking is also available on Queen’s Road just outside Teddington Health and Social Care Centre.
At Sheen Lane Health Centre, there is Pay & Display parking.
At Centre House, there is Pay & Display parking.
At Ham Clinic, there is free parking available on site for visitors and free road parking nearby.
At Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre, there is free parking available on site for visitors and free road parking nearby.
Siblings are welcome to attend appointments. However, if it is possible to arrange childcare this can make the session easier for parents to talk to the therapist without distractions.
Yes, email communication is possible. Parental consent for sharing programmes and documents via email is required.