Cross-sector working: speech and language therapists in education

Current policies and practices concerning speech and language therapy provision in schools are reviewed and issues which remain to be addressed are considered. A general move to cross-sector approaches has resulted in a move to indirect therapy through assistants, and the effectiveness of this requires to be established. Funding streams for therapy differ across the UK, and despite extensive research and policy development remain somewhat unclear and vulnerable. The implications for policies on “joined up thinking” are considered.