Talk Together Speech & Language Therapy Services

24/06/2025

Love this! Wondering how we can get this stuck on the wall of every school staff room? 🤔

20/06/2025

29/05/2025

I've been reading, learning and completing training on Gestalt Language Processing for a couple of years now. If you're looking for clinicians who have completed the training by Meaningful Speech, they have an online registry, here (Be sure to filter by "UK" rather than England) and you'll find a few therapists based in the South West!

A registry dedicated to connecting clients with skilled and educated Speech-Language Pathologists and Speech-Language Pathology Assistants in the Natural Language Acquisition framework and gestalt language processing

22/05/2025

If you have been kind enough to recommend me to anyone, please advise them to contact me via this page or direct email. The contact page on my website is still broken and the chap who made my website has vanished!!
I'm not ignoring new enquiries, I'm just not receiving them! Sorry!!

21/05/2025

💜 2025 Theme: You Can't See DLD. What are some of the hidden signs of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) you have observed?

Join us to raise awareness of DLD on Friday 17th October 2025!

21/05/2025

We still have places for our 2025 residential course. Please get in touch if you have a young person aged 10-17 years who would like to attend. Funding options are available. Please get in touch Alexandra.ford@hcrgcaregroup.com

06/05/2025

Love this 😍

SENCOs: We Are Not the Gatekeepers of EHCP Applications

There’s a persistent and harmful myth in some schools that SENCOs or senior leaders are the gatekeepers of EHCP applications. Let’s be absolutely clear: we are not.

If a child or young person has or may have Special Educational Needs and may require support beyond what a mainstream setting can reasonably provide through its ordinarily available provision, they are legally entitled to a statutory needs assessment.

It is not up to us to decide whether that child “deserves” a plan, or whether they’re “bad enough,” or whether they’re “coping well enough for now.” If the threshold is met, we must act.

The Children and Families Act 2014 makes it clear: a request for an EHC needs assessment must be considered by the Local Authority when it is thought that the child may need provision beyond that ordinarily available in school. This means it’s not just about current support levels or progress data—it’s about what the child may need, based on a holistic view of their difficulties.

We must never use EHCPs as a reward for compliance or progress, nor deny them as a consequence of a child appearing “too quiet,” “too clever,” or “too anxious to show their needs.” School avoidance, extreme fatigue, behavioural distress, or apparent withdrawal are often signs that current provision is not enough.

If you, as a SENCO, believe that a child’s needs are not being fully met through SEN Support alone—despite appropriate interventions, adaptations, and support—then you have a duty to consider and, where appropriate, initiate a request for an EHC needs assessment.

Families also have the legal right to apply for an assessment themselves, but we must never leave them to fight that battle alone because we are “waiting for a bit more evidence” or are “not sure they’ll get it.” That’s not our call to make. The LA makes that decision—and they must apply the law.

Being a SENCO is not about gatekeeping resources. It’s about advocacy, evidence, and equity. It’s about knowing the law, applying it fairly, and ensuring every child gets the support they need to access and enjoy their education.

Let’s stop rationing support based on perception, budget, or culture. Let’s stop telling families to “wait and see.” If you believe an EHCP might be needed—start the process.

You’re not the gatekeeper. You’re the key.

06/05/2025

If you're thinking about a bit of a speech and language boost for your child before starting school in September, I have a couple of slots available over the summer holidays. If you're interested, please get in touch directly via email (The contact page on my website still has gremlins!)

05/05/2025

We’re holding a FREE face to face appointments for parents and carers living in North Somerset

Date: Monday 12th May 2025
Location: The Firs Resource Centre, 89a Drove Road Weston-Super-Mare BS23 3NX

This is an opportunity to speak to one of our trained North Somerset SENDIAS practitioners on a confidential, one-to-one basis and receive help and support with your query about your child’s special educational needs or disability. We’re happy to discuss paperwork, processes, give you guidance about filling in forms and talk through next steps with you.

To book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/north-somerset-in-person-appointments-for-send-advice-12th-may-2025-tickets-1297182791649?aff=oddtdtcreator

16/04/2025

Looks fab!

MONDAY 7th APRIL
Come and join us down at the orchard between 11am and 1pm.
This is an opportunity for you and your family to come and meet Jaz and Leah who run all of the sessions (and created SENDsesnes), it’s also a chance to come and see the space, the orchard, the land, where our sessions take place!
Please book online to let us know you’re coming - IT’S FREE!
https://www.sendsenses.com/booking-calendar/sendsenses-open-day?referral=service_list_widget

We can’t wait to see you all soon 🌳🌳🌳🌳

16/04/2025

We’re holding a FREE face to face appointments for parents and carers living in North Somerset who have children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and do not have an EHCP.

Date: Thursday 24th April 2025
Time: 30-minute appointments available to book between 10am – 12pm
Location: The Firs Resource Centre, 89a Drove Road Weston-Super-Mare BS23 3NX

Possible topics include:
-Suspensions
-EBSA
-Discussing concerns with a SENCo
-How to obtain support at an educational setting without an EHCP
-How does SEN support work without an EHCP

Use this link to book: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/1244982027759?aff=oddtdtcreator