The first contact for eating and drinking referrals

Your first contact will be a telephone call with a speech and language therapist which will take around 30 minutes .  They usually call from a mobile number.  If they cannot get hold of you, they will:

• Leave a message
• Send you a text message asking you when they can call.   Please respond to this message within 2 working days.  If you do not reply, we will discharge your child.

What happens in the telephone call?

We will ask you about:

• Your child’s eating and drinking skills
• What your child eats and drinks in a typical day
• Chewing, coughing, gagging or choking
• Your child’s medical history, any allergies and any professionals involved in their care.
• Your child’s weight and growth
• How your child reacts around food and drink

The speech and language therapist will also ask you:

• Who lives at home so our records are up to date.
• The name of your child’s school/nursery.
• For consent to share relevant information with other professionals  e.g. school, health visitors.

At the end of the call

The speech and language therapist will tell you what happens next. We may:

• Discharge your child if we are not worried about their skills
• Give you some general advice to help your child with eating and drinking, such as watching our YouTube channel or visiting our website
• Ask you to take some videos of your child eating and drinking.  This is an important part of our assessment. The therapist will advise you what to include in the video. Please send them by the agreed date as we will discharge your child if we do not receive them.
• Offer a further appointment by phone, video call  or  face to face. Your therapist will arrange this with you.

Getting ready for your next appointment

If you are offered a further telephone or video appointment:

• Your child needs to be present and alert. If your child is unwell or has fallen asleep, please cancel the appointment
• It will take around 30-45 minutes, so make sure that you are available for the full length of the call.
• Try to be somewhere quiet.
• Consider who else may be able to hear you talking, as you will be giving us confidential information.
• Make sure your device is charged.
• Provide the foods or drinks that the therapist needs to observe your child having.

If you are offered a face to face appointment:

• Your child needs to be present and alert. If your child is unwell or has fallen asleep, please cancel the appointment
• It will usually be at your home.  It will take around 30-45 minutes, so make sure that you are available for the full length of the visit.
• Consider who else may be able to hear you talking, as you will be giving us confidential information.
• Provide the foods or drinks that the therapist needs to observe your child having.
• In line with our trust policies, we ask you to refrain from smoking or vaping in your home for 30 minutes before our arrival and for the duration of the appointment.   We also ask for pets to be placed in another room.

Remember

Phone and video appointments are also NHS appointments.  Please answer at your booked appointment time. If we can’t get hold of you, we will discharge your child. If you can’t keep your appointment, cancel by ringing 01226 644331 or by email on: barnsley.speechtherapy@swyt.nhs.uk.   If you cancel an appointment, we usually offer a further appointment but there may be a short delay. If there is a pattern of frequent cancellations, we may discharge your child.