The Balanced System ® Transformation
Speech, Language and Communication Pathway and The Balanced System ® Transformation
Something exciting is happening to how we provide CFHD Speech and Language Therapy Services across Torbay and Devon.
To help meet the needs of the children and young people of Devon, we are using a framework called The Balanced System®. This system is designed to make sure that everyone, including children and young people along with their support networks, including parents and carers and health and education professionals, have the right support, at the right time to develop and improve speech, language and communication skills.
About The Balanced System® framework
We want to make it as easy as possible for children, young people and their families to access support in the functionally most relevant place. Easy access means families can access support that enables:
- Early identification: Children and young people’s needs are identified early throughout the age ranges not only early in life, also early in emergence of need at any age. Parents, carers and professionals are supported to identify when their child needs support and how to access services in a timely manner
- Appropriate assessment: Assessment through an enquiry-based process rather than through delivering a battery of assessments in isolation and out of context only. The child or young person is assessed in the context where the need arises and is carried out in consultation with the child or young person; their family and school.
Therapists are in the places where children learn and interact. This means that all support has a functional focus, so that there is a real-life focus for children and their families through:
- Link therapist: Therapists are linked to schools, settings or a cluster of settings. They work with the school team and consult with them regularly to identify and support the broad range of needs across universal, targeted and specialist levels. So that all children access the right support at the right time in their learning environment.
- Families access support and information from the speech and language therapist in the place that the child learns and accesses on a regular basis
The Balanced System® has at its core the continuum of support, this includes approaches that promote speech, language and communication skills of all children and young people, as well as strong targeted level of support for those that need extra support, right up to specialist or individualised offer for a relatively small number of children and young people for a time limited part of their overall support. This range of support will include:
- training, coaching and support for colleagues in the wider workforce, such as early years staff, teachers and teaching assistants
- direct delivery by therapists of interventions, support and adaptations
- specialist interventions which are in addition to universal and targeted support that is in place
Through a single information resource for families and wider services, support will be holistic for families, this will include:
- a ‘one stop shop’ for families and practitioners wanting to understand what support is available in a given area for the children and young people they support
- Information will be accessible, linked to needs or enquiries. The integrated offer will ensure all information is on one place
- A focus on meaningful outcomes for children and young people by capturing the impact of the support. Children and young people, as well as families share the ‘so what?’ of support accessed.
- An increased confidence in the multi-agency support through shared outcomes
- Drive a shift in practice from siloed approaches to one of collaboration with an emphasis on effective family support, enabling environments, workforce development, early identification, effective intervention and support to reduce the risk factors and increase the protective factors in a child and young person’s life.
To find out more please CLICK HERE
We are starting new easy access drop ins for children under 5 years. These sessions will be held in different places in Torbay and South Devon initially.
You can come to see a speech and language therapist and ask for advice.
Easy access drop ins starting in North Devon: June 2025
Easy access drop ins starting in Exeter, East and Mid Devon (EEM): September 2025
Right now, families who have been waiting the longest will be invited to these sessions. Later on, anyone can come to talk about their child’s speech and communication.
At the session, a speech and language therapist and a therapy assistant will be there. The drop in will last about 30 minutes. You will be able to talk to the therapist about your child’s speech, and we will watch your child play. At the end, we will talk about what may happen next.
Watch this space for further information regarding easy access drop-ins in 2025 across Torbay, South and West Devon, North Devon and Exeter, East and Mid Devon!
Drop ins starting in North Devon: June 2025
Drop ins starting in Exeter, East and Mid Devon (EEM): September 2025
