Speech and Language Centre and Educational Outreach Team

• The Speech and Language Centre provides a specialist part-time provision for pupils from Reception and Key Stage One who present with severe and complex speech and expressive language needs. The two-day placement serves as a specialised intervention, providing pupils with an intensive immersion in speech and language therapy along with a highly differentiated curriculum in a communication friendly environment.
• The Education Outreach Team (ECHO) work with schools and settings to provide universal and targeted support to pupils and class teachers. They strive to help reduce barriers to learning by assessing the impact of speech and language difficulties on access to teaching and learning; access to the environment; engagement with peers and the community and social and emotional development. 

• The Speech and Language Centre works with pupils from Reception and Key Stage One who present with severe and complex speech and expressive language needs and have been referred by the highly specialist Speech and Language Therapists working across the borough
• The ECHO team, work with schools and settings to provide 1:1 support to pupils identified by the highly specialist Speech and Language Therapists. They are also able to work with settings at a universal level, recommending and modelling resources and effective teaching and learning strategies to support SLCN within the mainstream classroom. 

• Following the referral and admissions process, pupils who are offered a place at the Speech and Language Centre attend the two-day placement at the SLC, which is based within Quarry Bank Primary School.
• The ECHO team provide advice and support in school.

• Referrals to the Speech and Language Centre are made by the Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapists working within Dudley Borough.
• Referrals to the ECHO team for 1:1 work with pupils are made through the Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapists. SENCO’s can contact the team directly for universal support. 

• Upon receipt of a referral and signed parental consent, school will be contacted in order for the SLC to start the initial assessment process.
• Upon receipt of a referral and signed parental consent, the ECHO team will contact the school and will arrange for an initial visit to take place. 

 Speech and language therapy

Access to the Speech and Language Therapy Service—School Age Team flowchart

Speech and Language Centre,

Quarry Bank Primary School,

High Street,

Quarry Bank,

DY5 2AD

For further information please contact:

SLC Acting Centre Manager: Emily Hodges – emily.hodges@dudley.gov.uk

ECHO Specialist Lead Teacher: Leanne Forsyth – leanne.forsyth@dudley.gov.uk

Telephone: 01384 818074