• What’s the budget?  Often phased delivery can be a good plan, allowing you to spend your budget as your needs dictate.  By phased we mean that amounts of time can be delivered in ‘chunks’ for example – more time when new children enter nursery, less time when activity is up and running and then an increase again for reviewing and additional planning etc. 

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• Shop around – there’s a bigger choice of providers than ever before.   

• Ask for a consultation to discuss your options – a reputable individual or company should come to you and not charge for a preliminary visit.  The Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists [RCSLT] recommends that you invite two different providers to discuss your requirements. 

• With colleagues, discuss what you want but talk it through with the providers when they visit – they will guide you and may have alternative options for you to consider. 

• Use the toolbox model (link to our approach page) to map what you already have and to identify gaps.  

• What training would help, who needs it, how will you check it’s effective and how will the learning be shared?    

• Don’t rule out buying some actual therapy time for children at tier 3.  

• Consider joining forces with, for example, other settings in your consortium and making your money go further. 

• Ask around: never under-estimate the value of ‘word of mouth’. 

• Once you have identified providers, visit their websites.  Are they offering what you think you need?  Are there references or testimonials and are they up-to-date?  You could start here: www.soundswellspeech.com 

• Once you know about costs, find out if your ‘pot’ can be used flexibly (e.g. assessments, training, therapy or a mixture of all three).   

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• Take some time to describe your setting – what your needs and priorities are and encourage a debate as to how they might best be met. 

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• Ask providers to tell you about models which are working well in other settings similar to your own.   

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• Do the providers have any references or testimonials?   

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• Ask about strategies and interventions at each of the three tiers. 

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• Where will the therapist be working?  This will ideally be a combination of in the classroom or in a quieter withdrawal area.  It’s not effective to work only in a quiet area: your therapist should be sharing knowledge and skills. 

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• What will the therapist actually be doing?  This should be a variety of activities agreed between you and the provider – and, if you want hands-on therapy for complex children, then be clear that you want therapy. 

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• Some settings and services agree some specific objectives for the life of the contract (this might be termly or, more usually, for a 12-month period).  This is a sensible plan as it provides a framework which helps with monitoring.  One of the great attractions of commissioning your own service is that it will be responsive to what your setting needs.   

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• Ask about ‘measuring impact’.  You need to evidence the benefits of the money you are spending. 

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• What kinds of reports would you like?  Certainly jargon-free assessment reports should be on your list (can the providers show you some examples of what they look like?).   How often would you want other reports?  Many settings realise that review reports at the end of each programme of intervention are probably not necessary, preferring to minimize the bureaucracy (and the time spent away from face-to-face contact).  A report at key transition points is often useful – especially when a complex child moves on to another key stage.  However, you will almost certainly want to receive an impact report on the previously agreed objectives. 

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• How will you and the provider liaise and information-share?  Can delivery dates be flexible to take account of a SENDCO who might be part time? 

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• Ask potential providers about how they see parents fitting into any service provision.  Ideally, from time to time you would want your therapist to take part in your parent workshop programme 

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• Are therapists happy to be shadowed by TA/s?  This is key to successful provision. 

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• If training is an option, ask about different models (formal, informal, workshops etc) and how the success of the training can be evidenced.  Are costs for training different from the ‘daily rate’? 

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• Will your therapist provide ongoing coaching and mentoring?  Research show us that best outcomes are achieved when settings incorporate continuous coaching and mentoring. 

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• Ask about professional standards and safeguarding compliance and how these are evidenced. 

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• What happens to your service if the therapist goes on long-term sick or maternity leave? 

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• Will the therapist who comes to you be sufficiently experienced and well-supported?  If needs be, will s/he be able to access specialist help from colleagues? 

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• Ask anything you feel is relevant. 

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• Will you receive a contract and will it cover the essential information? 

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