Test of Change Pilot explores speech and language support in children’s mental health

Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD) has completed a Test of Change Pilot to explore how Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) can be better integrated into children’s mental health services.

The pilot placed a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist within CFHD’s Mood, Emotions and Relationships (MERs) team. They worked alongside mental health professionals to support children and young people whose speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) were making it harder for them to take part in assessments and therapy.

Between September 2025 and April 2026, the pilot received 33 referrals from MERs practitioners. In the previous 12 months, there had been no referrals from MERs to the community Speech and Language Therapy team. This showed growing awareness of how important communication is in supporting children’s mental health.

The pilot supported children and young people with a range of complex needs, including those linked to autism, ADHD, trauma and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD).

During the pilot, the Speech and Language Therapist worked with families and professionals to identify communication needs early. They carried out assessments, provided advice, joined appointments with other professionals and helped develop support that met each child’s communication needs.

The evaluation found that embedding Speech and Language Therapy within the team improved access to specialist communication support, helped staff recognise communication needs earlier and encouraged more joined-up working across pathways of care.

Sue Digby, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist at CFHD, said: “Communication and mental health are closely linked. When children and young people find it difficult to understand or express themselves, it can affect every part of their care. This Test of Change Pilot has shown how working together across different professional teams can help us recognise communication needs earlier and adapt support to meet them. The learning from this pilot provides a strong foundation for future discussions about how communication support could be incorporated into children’s mental health services.”

As part of the project, CFHD also used the NHS Quality Improvement Sustainability Model to explore how this way of working could be maintained and developed in the future. The pilot has demonstrated the value of closer links between Speech and Language Therapy and children’s mental health services, and the learning will help inform future service planning and discussions about how communication needs can continue to be recognised and supported within children’s mental health pathways.