Meeting Vital Requirements: How to Ensure Your SALT Provision Supports Every Learner

Why Meeting Speech and Language Therapy Requirements Matters

In today’s evolving Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) landscape, ensuring that Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) needs are properly met is not just best practice; it’s a legal, educational, and ethical obligation.

Every child has the right to access the communication support they need to learn, engage, and thrive. When local authorities and education providers meet these standards effectively, they create environments where learners can reach their full potential - while also remaining compliant with statutory duties and inspection frameworks.

What Are the Vital Requirements in Successful SALT Provision?

Understanding what’s required for effective Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) provision isn’t always straightforward.

Below is a breakdown of key statutory and compliance obligations which must be considered when planning effective SALT Provision:

1. Children and Families Act 2014
Firstly, Speech and Language Therapy provision must comply with the legislation specified in The Children and Families Act 2014. This is legislation in England which has reformed how services are provided for children and young people up to the age of 25 years old, particularly those who are classed as vulnerable, and those with additional needs, and forms the core legal foundation for how children and young people are supported.

Part 3 of The Children and Families Act places a particular focus on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The act specifies that a local authority is responsible for a child or young person if he/she is in the authority’s area and has been either identified by the authority as someone who has or may have special educational needs; or who has brought to the local authority’s attention as someone who has or may have special educational needs.

2. SEND Code of Practice
Connecting to the above, the SEND Code of Practice is then statutory guidance for organisations that work with and support children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

Whilst the Children and Families Act sets out the law, the SEND Code of practice ensures that everyone understands how to abide by this, and can be held accountable if guidance is not being followed (National College, 2025).

Another key requirement for effective Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) provision is alignment with Ofsted expectations. Ofsted plays a crucial role in holding schools and local authorities accountable for the quality, accessibility, and inclusivity of their support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Recent updates to the Ofsted inspection framework have placed an even stronger emphasis on how well education providers identify and meet the needs of learners with SEND - including those requiring Speech and Language Therapy. Inspectors now look closely at how provision is planned, delivered, and evaluated, ensuring that interventions like SALT are both compliant and impactful.

• In the new changes, there has now been the introduction of a 5-point grading scale across a wider array of areas, enabling parents to see a more granular breakdown of a provider’s performance.

• As part of this new grading system, ‘inclusion’ is now one of these areas as its own independent category. As a result, with these changes to the Ofsted inspection framework, there is now more than ever greater emphasis on inclusion for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

• When schools and local authorities do this effectively, this leads to better outcomes, improved wellbeing and stronger academic engagement. As a result, it is vital that provisions are both in place and up to a high standard to fulfil these requirements.

5. Accessibility
It’s essential that SALT provision is accessible to every learner, ensuring no child is disadvantaged by geography, setting, or circumstance.

This includes pupils in rural or remote areas, alternative provisions (APs), specialist settings, virtual schools, and those experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), for whom attending in-person sessions may be difficult. Flexible delivery models, such as virtual or blended therapy, can help overcome these barriers while maintaining high standards of care.

Accessible provision is not just about compliance; it ensures every learner has the opportunity to communicate, connect, and thrive, wherever they are.

What Happens When These Standards Aren’t Met?

The impact of gaps in SALT provision can be severe:

• Escalation in children's needs and delayed learning
• Risk of tribunals, and complaints from parents
• Overstretched staff, with teachers and TAs covering clinical roles they’re not trained to fulfil
• Breakdowns in trust between families, schools, and local authorities

Long-term effects on attainment, mental health, and social participation

As a result, ineffective or inconsistent SALT provision can lead to an array of negative consequences, which have a direct impact on all involved - particularly the child or young person with SLCN.

Quickfire: What Does Good SALT Provision Look Like?

Below are some of the things we’d expect to see in a high-quality, compliant service:

• Timely intervention with no waiting lists or EHCP breaches
• Measured outcomes, which can be clearly tracked and shared
• Qualified therapists leading every session
• Clear communication with families and school staff
• Flexible delivery, including remote access for harder-to-reach learners
• Transparent reporting
  
  

How Mable Therapy Helps You to Both Meet and Exceed  SALT Standards

Here at Mable Therapy, we specialise in virtual 1:1 speech and language therapy designed to tackle the real-world challenges faced by schools and local authorities. With Mable, you can expect to receive speech therapy which meets the following:

Shorter Waiting Times
With therapy sessions available in as little as just 48 hours, we can help you to provide support to children as soon as possible.

Fully Qualified SALTs
Every session is led by a Band 5/6+, HCPC-registered therapist. Therapists can be selected based on their specialisms and how they correspond to the specific needs of the child, and personalised plans created with clear, measurable goals to ensure exceptional progress.

Safeguarding-Ready Platform
Mable’s platform is secure and compliant, and has been designed with the highest safeguarding standards in mind, so schools and local authorities have confidence in every session
• HCPC registered clinicians only
• Full safer recruitment checks
• Level 2+ safeguarding and up-to-date IG training
• GDPR compliant platform and NHS DSP-Toolkit certified
• Secure document sharing (via Mable, Egress, or NHS Systems)

Click here to review our safeguarding commitments in full.

Nationwide Reach
We bring Speech and Language Therapy to rural, remote, or specialist settings that often find in-person speech therapy more difficult to access, helping make sure that no child will be left behind due to locational constraints.

Custom Reporting
With detailed session logs, our platform gives you the evidence you need for EHCP reviews, Ofsted inspections, and parent communications.

Much More Than Just Compliance: Final Thoughts
Meeting Speech and Language Therapy requirements is far from just ticking a box. Instead, it’s paramount to ensure that every child, regardless of need or location, can understand, be understood, and thrive.

Here at Mable Therapy, we’re proud to partner with local authorities, schools and multi-academy trusts across the UK to deliver accessible and engaging 1:1 online speech and language therapy - with sessions in as little as 48 hours.

📩 Want to find out more?

Local Authorities, download SALT Provision Guide for Local Authorities here, or click here to book a consultation to explore how we can support in your setting.