Provision of Speech and Language Therapy Support Services

Tender description

Glasgow City Council’s Education Services seek a provider to deliver a Speech and Language Therapy support (SLT) service for children and young people in nursery and primary schools. This service will complement NHS core Speech and Language therapy provision and focus on capacity building, early intervention, and targeted support within educational settings. The service will operate across Glasgow’s nursery and primary schools with a significant proportion of pupils may experience delayed speech, language, and communication development, impacting literacy and learning. NHS SLT services provide specialist clinical care, but schools require additional educationally-focused support to: Build staff capacity. Implement preventative strategies. Support vulnerable groups at risk of communication difficulties. Provide specific individual assessment, intervention and feedback around all areas of speech, language and communication support. The service will complement NHS SLT provision by focusing on educational environments and universal/targeted & specialist approaches. Lot 1: Glasgow City Council’s Education Services seek a provider to deliver a Speech and Language Therapy support (SLT) service for children and young people in nursery and primary schools. This service will complement NHS core Speech and Language therapy provision and focus on capacity building, early intervention, and targeted support within educational settings. The service will operate across Glasgow’s nursery and primary schools with a significant proportion of pupils may experience delayed speech, language, and communication development, impacting literacy and learning. NHS SLT services provide specialist clinical care, but schools require additional educationally-focused support to: - Build staff capacity. - Implement preventative strategies. - Support vulnerable groups at risk of communication difficulties. - Provide specific individual assessment, intervention and feedback around all areas of speech, language and communication support. The service will complement NHS SLT provision by focusing on educational environments and universal/targeted & specialist approaches. It will include: Universal Role – All Children Training and Professional Learning for teachers and support staff on: - Speech and language development milestones. - Classroom strategies to support communication. Development of resources for schools to promote speech, language, and communication skills. Awareness sessions for parents/carers on supporting communication at home. Advice on identification of children who may require specialist SLT referral. ---------------------------------------------------------- Targeted Role – Vulnerable Groups: -Support for groups at risk of language delay (e.g., SIMD 1 & 2, EAL learners). -Environmental adaptations in classrooms to promote communication. -Group interventions for children with mild/moderate delays (non-clinical). -Joint planning and co-working with school staff and NHS SLT teams. -Parent workshops to build capacity for home support. --------------------------------------------------------- Specialist Liaison:- -Specialist assessment & interventions for children with speech, language & communication concerns. -Collaboration with NHS SLT for children with formal SLT involvement. -Integration of SLT strategies into school routines. -Support for implementation of SLT programmes by school staff. ---------------------------------------------------------- Service Delivery:- -Delivered in-school during term time, with flexibility for holiday programmes if required. Providers must: -Conduct needs analysis with schools. -Agree referral and access protocols. -Maintain GDPR-compliant records. -Provide bi-annual reports to the local authority. --------------------------------------------------------- Staff Requirements Providers must have: -Qualified Speech and Language Therapists registered with HCPC. -Education-focused SLT Assistants or Communication Support Workers. -An Operational Manager for governance and quality assurance. All staff must: -Hold PVG clearance. -Complete continuous professional development. -Comply with local authority child protection policies -Comply with all data protection legislation ----------------------------------------------------------- The service will: -Align with Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) principles. -Support inclusive education and closing the attainment gap. -Be flexible, culturally appropriate, and inequalities-sensitive, addressing barriers faced by families in areas of deprivation.