Croydon (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Croydon pupils are receiving improved speech and language therapy through specialist providers in schools, delivering enhanced support and intervention.
The new program will benefit Croydon children who require extra help and support with speech and language.
The council has earmarked an additional £1 million in government funds to improve the service, with improvements based on feedback from children, families, and schools.
Better Days will support youths in Croydon’s north and south, while Allen Speech and Language will serve Croydon’s central area from November 1, 2025. For further information, visit the council’s website.
The Council has been working with seminaries and new providers to communicate these changes to parents and caregivers, icing that they’ve clear information and support throughout the transition.
Croydon Healthcare Services The NHS Trust preliminarily offered speech and language treatment to Croydon seminaries and is presently transferring records to the new providers. This has taken longer than anticipated, but no schoolchildren should have suffered a service interruption.
Dan Bowden, Headteacher at Greenvale Primary School, in Selsdon, said:
“We know that early identification and support for children with speech and language needs is crucial to their progress in the formative years of education. It is encouraging that specialist providers have now been secured, ensuring children receive the tailored support that will give them the best possible chance to flourish in their first years of learning.”
Parents and caregivers who are concerned about their child’s speech and language development but don’t have an EHCP can seek advice from their GP, academy, or a Croydon Family Hub. further information about these changes is available on the Croydon Council website.
The variations are part of the Croydon SEND Local Area Strategy 2023- 2026, which focuses on furnishing the right aid to children at the right time while also harkening to parents, children, and young people.
How will the new providers affect wait times for assessments?
The new providers More Days( north/ south Croydon) and Allen Speech and Language( central Croydon) starting November 1, 2025, aim to reduce assessment stay times by shifting focus from assessments to targeted interventions, addressing public speech therapist dearths. Croydon Council states the model will minimize detainments through in- academy delivery for mainstream pupils without EHCPs, with increased backing supporting hastily access.
The former service faced review for long delays and shy mainstream support; families reported abrupt changes but were offered interim particular budgets. No specific pre/ post criteria published yet, but the redesign prioritizes” effective resource focus” on remedy over diagnostics, potentially syncopating ranges.
Parents report enterprises over durability, but council assures no gaps with ongoing referrals via GPs, seminaries, or Family capitals. Examiner Croydon Council news for delay time datapost-launch.
