Posted on: 1 March 2024
Hillingdon Youth Justice Service (YJS) have recently been awarded the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Lead Quality Mark with Child First Commendation by Microlink PC. This quality mark highlights the strong partnership working across local authority and health services in Hillingdon.
CNWL are proud to be part of this partnership, providing Speech and Language Therapy services into Hillingdon YJS and Hillingdon AXIS / Turnaround prevention and diversion teams.
Hillingdon YJS, AXIS and Turnaround services work with children aged 10 - 18 who are known, or at risk of being known, to the criminal justice system. These services aim to divert children away from the criminal justice system and reduce reoffending.
CNWL Speech and Language Therapists are part of these multidisciplinary services and are able to offer:
- Assessments for all children known to services
- Signposting and guidance for children, parents/carers and the professional network
- Training for the professional network
Approximately 70% of children known to these services have underlying speech, language or communication needs (data collected between 2018 - 2023). For some of these children, their speech, language or communication needs may not have been previously identified.
Differences in communication skills may impact on children’s ability to confidently access academic and social contexts. Without support, this can have a longer-term impact on mental health and emotional wellbeing, behaviour, access to services and later life chances.