The Balanced System ® Transformation

The Balanced System Five Strands. The five strands put focus on:

1. Family support
2. Enabling environments
3. A confident and competent workforce
4. Early identification
5. Effective intervention

Find more information here What is it : The Balanced System.

We want to make it as easy as possible for children, young people and their families to access support across Devon and Torbay.

Easy access means families can access support that enables:

• Early identification: Children and young people’s needs are identified early. Parents, carers and professionals are supported to identify when their child may need support and how to access services in a timely manner
  • Appropriate assessment: Assessment are made through an enquiry based process, using easy access drop ins.  The child or young person is assessed when the need arises and this is carried out in consultation with the child or young person; their family and school or setting.

• 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 needs so that all children and young people access the right support at the right time in their learning context.
  • Families access support and information from the speech and language therapist in the place that the child or young person learns and accesses on a regular basis.

The Balanced System® has at its core the importance of a continuum of support, this includes approaches that promote the speech, language and communication skills of all children and young people, as well as robust targeted support for those that need more. Specialist or individualised support could include:

• training, coaching and support for colleagues in the wider workforce, such as early years practitioners, 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

This will include:

• a ‘one stop shop’ for families and practitioners wanting to understand what support is available across Devon and Torbay for the children and young people.
  • Services ensure all information is in one accessible place.

• A focus on meaningful outcomes for children and young people by capturing the impact of the support.
  • An increased confidence in the multi-agency support through shared outcomes

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.

Drop ins starting in North Devon: June 2025

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