Overview

More Help is support additional to that already offered in the 'Every Child', 'Getting Advice' and 'Getting Help' sections of the Pathway.

This further help is offered by other agencies who have not previously been involved with the child and family. 

Criteria for accessing More Help:

A parent/carer has concerns in relation to the child’s communication and language development, and:

• Clinical judgement following New Born Observation (NBO) assessment.
• The child is under 5 years old.
• The child has accessed the WellComm intervention (an initial screen, the relevant activities from the Big Book of Ideas shared and implemented followed by a review WellComm screen) and progress is limited.
• A referral to Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy has been completed with the child being triaged to EYCLDS.

Accessing More Help:

What is changing?

• From 17 July 2026, referrals to the pre-school Speech and Language Therapy Service will be paused to allow implementation of the Talking Walk-In.
• From 21 September 2026, Talking Walk-Ins will replace the existing pre-school referral routes.
• Instead of completing a formal written referral, families and professionals will access advice and support directly through a Talking Walk-In session.

How does the process work?

• Families attend a Talking Walk-In session to discuss speech, language and communication concerns.
• A member of the Speech and Language Therapy service or Family Hub Practitioner offers advice and practical strategies.
• Families receive a record of the advice and strategies discussed.
• If specialist assessment or intervention is needed, this will be arranged following the session.

If you have any queries about accessing Talking Walk-in, please contact EYCLDS for guidance. If there are concerns regarding the child's social communication skills, again please contact EYCLDS.

We want to ensure that children are receiving a level of support at the right stage of the pathway. For many children, WellComm intervention at the 'Getting Help' stage will be sufficient without needing to get 'More Help'. This is why we ask that evidence of WellComm intervention is shared with the family (to bring along to a Talking Walk-in drop-in session), so we can see what support has already been provided and that further support is required. 

To access More Help, visit the Talking Walk-in webpage: Talking Walk-in.

Contact EYCLDS

Early Years Communication and Language Development Service,

Oxford Grove Start Well Centre

Tel: 01204 33 8349

Email: eyclds@boltonft.nhs.uk