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A »Local authorities in the West Midlands fulfil their statutory duty to provide specialist speech and language therapy services for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) through a multi-faceted sourcing strategy that combines in-house provision, commissioned NHS services, independent sector contracts, and collaborative commissioning frameworks, all underpinned by the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice. These authorities, which include Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, typically begin by leveraging their internal resources, with some councils employing speech and language therapists directly within their educational psychology or inclusion teams to deliver core assessments and interventions for school-aged children, though this is often supplemented by external arrangements to manage demand and meet specialist needs. A primary source is the commissioning of services from NHS trusts, such as Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which provides community paediatric speech and language therapy across Birmingham and Solihull, and the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, which delivers similar services in its locality. These contracts are often structured through the local Integrated Care Board (ICB) and the authority’s joint commissioning arrangements under the Better Care Fund, ensuring that therapy is integrated with health and educational goals. Additionally, local authorities frequently engage independent and private providers—accredited by bodies such as the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists or the Health and Care Professions Council—to address gaps in capacity or to offer highly specialised interventions, such as for pupils with complex communication needs or selective mutism. This is often accomplished through competitive tendering processes or by using pre-approved frameworks, with providers like Speech and Language Therapy UK or regional independent clinics being common examples. Furthermore, many West Midlands authorities operate a delegated SEN budget model, where maintained schools, academies, and free schools can directly purchase speech and language therapy from approved providers, though the local authority retains overarching responsibility for ensuring sufficiency and quality of provision, particularly for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) where therapy is specified. In such cases, the authority must secure the services directly, often through spot-purchasing or block contracts that prioritise timely delivery and outcomes. The Local Offer—a statutory online resource maintained by each council—serves as the central portal for parents and professionals to identify approved and registered therapists, while the West Midlands Combined Authority may facilitate some regional coordination, such as sharing best practice or pooling resources for rare specialist skills. Importantly, joint working between education, health, and social care is formalised through the SEND Joint Strategic Needs Assessment, which informs the local sufficiency strategy, ensuring that speech and language therapy services are sourced equitably across the region, with an emphasis on early intervention and workforce development to reduce reliance on high-cost out-of-area placements.

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A »Local authorities in the West Midlands source specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) services for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) through a multi-layered commissioning framework that blends statutory obligations with local service delivery models. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to secure the provision specified in Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, which often includes specialist SLT. To meet this requirement, West Midlands councils typically do not rely on a single source; instead, they employ a combination of directly employed therapists, NHS-commissioned services integrated within community paediatric teams, contracts with independent providers, and joint commissioning arrangements with Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). For instance, Birmingham City Council works closely with Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to provide community paediatric SLT, while also commissioning top-up support from private agencies for pupils with very complex needs. Similarly, Coventry City Council commissions its SLT provision through Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust, but also uses spot-purchasing arrangements with independent therapists to address capacity gaps. A significant proportion of specialist SLT is delivered via integrated speech and language therapy services that are embedded within local authority-run language units, specialist resourced provisions, or special schools—often funded through pooled budgets between the local authority and the NHS. In areas such as Sandwell, the local authority and the Black Country ICB have established a joint commissioning pathway for children with speech, language, and communication needs, ensuring that therapy is aligned with educational outcomes. Moreover, many West Midlands local authorities commission specialist SLT through framework agreements with preferred provider lists or dynamic purchasing systems to ensure consistent quality and cost-effectiveness. For example, Wolverhampton City Council utilises a framework of approved independent SLT providers who can be called upon for statutory EHC plan assessments and direct therapy. Additionally, some councils, like Dudley, operate a traded service model where schools can buy back additional SLT hours beyond those guaranteed through the National Health Service, using the local authority's own centrally employed therapists. Partnerships with voluntary sector organisations, such as I CAN or The Communication Trust, also feature in some areas, providing training and targeted interventions. Crucially, the source of specialist SLT is not static; it is often shaped by local transformation plans under the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms, which encourage integrated, outcomes-focused commissioning. Local authorities must also comply with the 'Joint Strategic Needs Assessment' processes, ensuring that the sourcing of SLT reflects demographic and epidemiological data. The most effective arrangements in the West Midlands involve co-location of therapists within schools, regular multidisciplinary team meetings between education, health, and care staff, and clear governance structures that delineate responsibility between the local authority’s education welfare function and the NHS’s clinical commissioning. Ultimately, while the precise sourcing varies by borough, the overarching approach is one of partnership—combining statutory NHS pathways, directly employed specialist teams, and flexible procurement of independent expertise to meet the diverse needs of SEN pupils across the region.

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A »Local authorities in the West Midlands discharge their statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 by sourcing specialist speech and language therapy (SaLT) services for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) through a multifaceted commissioning framework that integrates NHS provision, independent sector procurement, and direct employment models. Primarily, these authorities commission SaLT from their respective NHS community health trusts, as speech and language therapy remains a health-led intervention under the NHS Long Term Plan, even when delivered within educational settings. For example, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides extensive SaLT services to Birmingham schools and early years settings, while Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust similarly serves Coventry, Solihull, and surrounding areas. In the Black Country, partners such as Dudley Integrated Health and Care NHS Trust and Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust deliver therapy through integrated children’s services, often co-located with local authority early help teams. However, due to persistent capacity pressures and waiting list demands, West Midlands local authorities regularly supplement NHS provision by commissioning independent and third-sector providers via frameworks such as the West Midlands Paediatric Speech and Language Therapy Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), led by Birmingham City Council in collaboration with other participating authorities. This DPS enables schools and SEN departments to procure targeted or intensive therapy from a pre-approved list of specialist providers, including organisations like Speech Link Multimedia Ltd, Talking Tots, and smaller local practices. Additionally, many authorities have established joint commissioning arrangements with Clinical Commissioning Groups (now Integrated Care Boards, such as NHS Birmingham and Solihull and NHS Black Country) under Section 75 agreements, pooling budgets to deliver Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) specified SaLT outcomes without duplication. A notable model is the ‘consultative–targeted’ approach used across Walsall and Wolverhampton, where NHS therapists provide strategic oversight and training to school-based staff, while specialist interventions are reserved for complex cases. Some authorities, particularly for pupils with profound and multiple learning disabilities or autism, directly employ SaLTs within their SEN advisory teams or through specialist resourced provisions attached to mainstream schools. For example, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council has a dedicated SaLT team within its Integrated Disability Service. Furthermore, the West Midlands Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Regional Network facilitates cross-borough procurement of niche services, such as bilingual therapy or augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assessments, through shared contracts with regional centres like the Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It is crucial to note that all commissioned services must comply with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists’ professional standards and are subject to rigorous quality assurance via the local authority’s commissioning cycle, which includes needs analysis, service specification, monitoring of EHCP outcomes, and regular stakeholder feedback from schools and families. Ultimately, the sourcing strategy reflects a tripartite partnership between health, education, and independent sectors, tailored to address the diverse and often high-level communication needs of the West Midlands’ 60,000-plus pupils with SEN.

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