Contracts
If you verbally commit to a speech and language therapy sessions, you are agreeing to accept the terms and conditions below. Please read them carefully, and do not hesitate to ask any questions that may arise from them.
Location of Sessions
Assessment and therapy sessions will generally be offered in your own home, so that your child can be assessed and observed in familiar and relaxed surroundings. We would ask that you provide a quiet environment, free from distraction (e.g. phone, TV) where possible.
If you wish to discuss the possibility of arranging sessions elsewhere, please contact us by email or telephone.
Geographical Area Covered
We are able to provide sessions to most homes in central Scotland. If you live outwith this area, we may be able to offer sessions with an additional travel cost, or suggest an independent speech and language therapist within your area. Please contact us to discuss this further,
Working Hours
We provide speech and language therapy for children in their own homes, usually during evenings and weekends, to suit working parents. Sessions are usually between 5pm and 8pm in the evening, or daytime on a Saturday. If you wish to discuss the possibility of arranging sessions outwith these hours, please contact us by email or telephone.
Length of Sessions
Assessment will generally take approximately 60-90 minutes, depending on the concerns you have about your child, and their age, behaviour and attention span. There is a fixed charge for initial assessment and report, regardless of the length of time taken.
There is a fixed charge for therapy sessions, which will include discussion with you, and one-to-one time with your child. Therapy sessions may last anything from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type of therapy offered, as well as your child’s age, behaviour and attention span. If your child is unable to cope with the suggested length of session, the one-to-one time with your child may need to be reduced, although the cost will remain the same.
During a child’s block of therapy, we usually provide tasks for you to carry out with your child for short times between therapy sessions. Completion of these tasks is as important as the therapy sessions themselves, and regular home support usually results in more positive results.
Services & Costs
All costs include administrative tasks, e.g. reports, note taking and planning.
You will be offered an initial consultation by telephone, to provide you with further information about our services, and to discuss your concerns about your child. This will be free of charge, and you will not be obliged to commit to assessment or therapy at this stage.
If you commit to speech and language therapy assessment, you will be asked to make a payment of £95 (inclusive of VAT) on or before the day of assessment. This cost will include taking a detailed case history about your child and his/her development, assessment of speech, language and communication skills (including any subsequent sessions which will need to be arranged to complete assessment), and a written report discussing your child’s speech and language development, highlighting areas of concern, and informing you of our recommendations. These recommendations may include therapy sessions; however, you will not be committed to these with Speech Scotland unless you choose to.
If recommendations include onward referrals (for example to a paediatrician), this may require you to ask your GP to make the referral on your behalf.
If speech and language therapy has been recommended as an appropriate course of action for your child, you may decide to continue with our services for these. It is usually appropriate to offer therapy in ‘blocks’, normally 6-8 sessions. If you wish to pay for each session on the day, the cost will be £65 per session (inclusive of VAT). If you wish to pay for block of speech and language therapy in advance, we offer a reduced rate of £60 per session (inclusive of VAT).
If you would like your child to be reviewed following a block, this can be arranged for a cost of £65 (inclusive of VAT), which should be paid in advance of, or on the day of the review appointment. Following reassessment of speech, language and/or communication skills, a decision will be made as to whether or not your child requires another block, home programme and review, or discharge, and this will be discussed with you.
Home Programmes
At times it will be appropriate to provide a home programme, for example, following a block of therapy, or a review appointment. Home programmes contain activities and advice for you to use with your child. Costs for home programmes range in price from £10-£50, dependent on the amount of planning required to devise the programme.
Cancellations
24 hours notice is required. Sessions cancelled after this time, or not attended, must be paid for in full before or on the day of the next session.
Failed Payments
If a session has not been paid for by the day of the appointment, we reserve the right to suspend further sessions until payment has been made.