Speech & Language Therapy
Referrals from NHS and ICBs
We partner with NHS and ICBs to enhance speech and language therapy services, bringing expert care that aligns with your patient care goals. Our approach focuses on reducing waiting lists through efficient management, while empowering patients through shared care strategies that put them at the centre of their therapy journey.
Unlocking Language is expertly positioned to complement your commitment to patient care. Recognising the importance of a continually evolving assessment of community needs, we offer expert-led speech and language therapy services tailored for every age group: from toddlers and children to adolescents and adults. Collaborating with us offers:
- Enhanced patient and community outcomes.
- Efficient management and reduction of waiting lists for both NHS and ICB structures.
- Patient empowerment through shared care approaches.
- Transparent communication, allowing patients to be proactive in their care journey.
- Commitment to the NHS ethos through evidence-based practices for needs assessment, service design, and outcome monitoring.
- Sustainable, forward-thinking solutions to meet evolving challenges.
Commitment to patient care
Support for Specific Needs
We are committed to providing targeted support for a range of specific needs, including children’s speech and language difficulties, learning disabilities, and social communication challenges. Our speech and language therapists work closely with service users to assess their individual needs and deliver personalised therapy sessions. For adults, we offer specialised support for swallowing difficulties, language disorder, and other related concerns. Our goal is to provide effective communication support that fosters independence and enables individuals to participate fully in their communities. By tailoring our services to each person’s unique situation, we help service users build confidence and achieve meaningful progress.
Specialized Therapy
Our specialised therapy services encompass a wide range of interventions, including speech and language therapy, swallowing therapy, and social communication therapy. Our team of qualified and experienced speech and language therapists is dedicated to delivering therapy sessions that address the unique needs of each individual, whether they are living with a language disorder, learning disabilities, or swallowing difficulties. We work closely with patients, families, and carers to ensure that every aspect of care is coordinated and supportive. Each therapy session is designed to promote effective communication, encourage independence, and create a positive, inclusive environment. Our aim is to provide support that not only addresses immediate challenges but also contributes to long-term wellbeing and quality of life.
Case Study: Efficient Commissioning with Unlocking Language
Background:
Commissioning within the healthcare sector demands a dynamic approach, constantly evaluating the ever-changing needs of the community and ensuring that services are designed, specified, and delivered efficiently within available resources.
Challenge:
Liverpool CCG faced an expanding waiting list for speech therapy services, becoming unmanageable and leaving many patients waiting for essential care.
Solution:
Liverpool CCG turned to Unlocking Language, recognizing our expertise in efficiently evaluating and addressing community needs. They commissioned us for a year-long project aimed at addressing and significantly reducing the waiting list.
Action:
Unlocking Language deployed a team of four experienced speech therapists to work in tandem with the NHS team in Liverpool. Through collaboration, evidence-based techniques, and tailored approaches, our team integrated seamlessly into the existing structure.
Result:
By the end of the commissioned year, the once-daunting waiting list had been reduced to a manageable level. The combined efforts of the Unlocking Language team and the NHS team ensured that patients in Liverpool received timely, high-quality care.
Feedback:
Avril Swan, Commissioner for Liverpool CCG, provided the following feedback about the partnership with Unlocking Language:
“We commissioned a 12-month package from Unlocking Language as part of a substantial Waiting List initiative, to support our NHS Paediatric Speech & Language Therapy Team in Liverpool. We were impressed by the well thought out offer, which included clinical supervision within a small team structure. The team arrived well prepared for the task ahead and were well supported throughout. We had regular meetings with the local SLT Team Manager and the Unlocking Language Team integrated readily and seamlessly into the SLT department. Their work was of a high standard and all agreed targets were met. I can highly recommend Unlocking Language to anyone considering commissioning a service from them.” — Avril Swan, Commissioner, Liverpool CCG
This case study showcases Unlocking Language’s capability to collaborate effectively with NHS teams, delivering optimized outcomes in response to community needs.
Case Study: Streamlining Speech Therapy Services with Unlocking Language
Background:
With waiting lists growing and the demand for speech therapy services increasing, Barnet faced significant challenges in delivering timely, quality care to its community. To address this, Whittington NHS Trust embarked on a competitive tendering process.
Challenge:
Barnet’s main challenges included an expanding waiting list, a need for versatile service delivery methods including face-to-face, school visits, and virtual therapy, and the efficient assessment and direction of patients towards appropriate clinical pathways.
Solution:
Unlocking Language was selected through the competitive tendering process, owing to our comprehensive approach, expertise in multiple delivery methods, and a proven track record of efficient case management.
Action:
We quickly mobilized our team to:
1. Conduct face-to-face clinics to ensure personalized care.
2. Visit schools, ensuring children received timely interventions without disruption to their educational routine.
3. Offer online virtual therapy, making our services accessible to those unable to attend in person.
Through meticulous assessments, we were able to discharge a quarter of the patients on the waiting list, confirming that they had received the necessary care. The remaining patients were then seamlessly directed towards the appropriate clinical pathways, ensuring their needs would be met without further delays.
Result:
The collaborative partnership between Unlocking Language and Whittington NHS Trust significantly reduced Barnet’s waiting list. Patients benefited from timely assessments, versatile therapy delivery methods, and efficient direction towards the right clinical pathways.
This case study underscores Unlocking Language’s commitment to flexible, patient-centric care and our ability to integrate seamlessly with NHS systems to deliver results.
Madeleine Swan
Emma Hudson
Lydia Chong
Abirami Singalingam
Principal Speech and Language Therapist
Madeleine Swan
She/Her
Madeleine graduated from City University in 2011 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy (Distinction) and has been working at Unlocking Language since 2015.
As the Clinical Lead for mainstream schools, Madeleine manages a team of therapists, supporting their clinical development and ensuring a high-quality service. She also oversees our company supervision policy. Madeleine specialises in working with students aged 3-11 who attend mainstream schools, providing assessments and interventions for students with speech sound disorders, Developmental Language Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder amongst other diagnoses. She also delivers training and works closely with other members of staff to support the communication development of targeted students.
Madeleine has furthered her knowledge by attending additional training on Makaton, VERVE, Michael Palin PCI and school-aged therapy approaches; Word Aware, Shape Coding, Attention Autism, the evidence base for Developmental Language Disorder and Supervision.
She has experience with a wide range of therapy approaches, including PECS, Intensive Interaction, SCERTS, colorful semantics, and Talkabout.
Her favorite thing about working at UL is ‘My colleagues! I love working with such a supportive, diverse, and talented group of people’.
When she’s not working, you can find Madeleine reading, watching independent films, and doing pen drawing.
Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist
Emma Hudson
She/Her
Emma started working at Unlocking Language in 2015 after graduating from City University London with a Postgraduate Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy. Prior to this, she studied Psychology (BSc) at the University of Leeds.
She is particularly interested in early years speech and language development and specializes in working with complex needs and ASD in toddlers, as well as primary-aged children with DLD, speech sound disorders, and ASD. As a clinical lead, she also supervises a team of therapists.
Emma’s training includes: Shape-Coding, Word Aware, Lego Therapy, Selective Mutism, Nuffield Dyspraxia Programme, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2), Phonological Awareness, Attention Autism and Cued Articulation. She is experienced with a variety of approaches, such as PECS, Parent Child Interaction, Intensive Interaction, Colourful Semantics, Zones of Regulation, Talkabout, and Makaton.
Emma believes in the importance of early assessment and intervention to help support children with speech, language, and communication needs so they can reach their full potential. She collaborates closely with parents to guarantee the use of parent-child interaction techniques in the home to enhance language development.
On working at UL: ‘I like working with a range of different clients and families and helping support them to reach their potential.’
When she’s not working, you can find Emma meeting friends and family, reading, swimming, or traveling to new places.
Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist
Lydia Chong
She/Her
Lydia completed a BSc in Speech and Language Therapy at the University of Reading and has been working as a therapist since 2016. Her particular professional interests lie in teletherapy and the secondary setting, working with children with ASD and SEMH. She is a member of the Shuri Network – the first NHS and care network of BAME women in digital health.
Lydia focuses on delivering therapy that is fun and functional to clients. She believes in empowering individuals and maximizing their potential. She has experience with various approaches, such as PECS and Makaton.
On working at UL: ‘Everyone is really friendly and helpful with clinical questions.’
When she’s not working, you can find Lydia walking, traveling, or playing the piano or ukulele.
Languages:English, Mandarin, Malay, knowledge of Cantonese
Phone:0207 536 9299
Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist
Abirami Singalingam
She/Her
Abi undertook her BA at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and she studied for her MA in Pennsylvania, USA. Before moving to London in 2020, she worked for various school districts in Chicago and across Maryland.
Her areas of interest and expertise include working with school-age children and a variety of speech and language difficulties.
Abi is also a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Her favorite thing about working at UL is ‘how everyone is so supportive and what an amazing resource everyone is.’
When she’s not working, you can find Abi reading fantasy books, traveling, and eating Thai and Sri Lankan food
