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About Our Service

Due to the current COVID-19 crisis, the Wandsworth Community Feeding Service is running with adjusted services, however is open to new referrals.

Please do not hesitate to contact your therapist / the service if you require any further information or would like to discuss a specific child’s needs. You can contact the service via the email address stgh-tr.wandscomfeedingservice@nhs.net. In your email, please include the child’s name and date of birth, and the name of any specific therapist you are wanting to discuss with, for us to best address your query.

Team Title Info Document/Link
Community Dysphagia Team RCSLT Feeding and Swallowing Difficulties Overview of speech and language therapists role in feeding and swallowing, and the incidence of feeding and swallowing difficulties RCSLT Feeding and Swallowing Difficulties 
What is Dysphagia Information on what swallowing difficulties are, what it can look like and how your speech and language therapist can help What is Dysphagia 
IDDSI Paediatric Resources Links to documents regarding specific diet and fluid texture modifications to support safe swallowing https://iddsi.org/resources/

Under General Resources -> Consumer Handouts (Paediatric)
  Resource Thicken-Up Clear Thickening Instructions Preparation instructions for IDDSI Levels 1-4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXZQR-pFjYM

 
Multidisciplinary Feeding Team Dietetics
Assessing Changes in Growth at Home How to monitor your child’s growth without scales at home Assessing Changes in Growth at Home
Food Selection by Texture Ideas on options to explore different foods using your child’s preferred textures Food Selection by Texture
Food Selection by Colour Ideas on options to explore different foods using your child’s preferred colours Food Selection by Colour Occupational Therapy
Understanding Sensory Issues and Their Impact on Mealtimes and Feeding Detailed information on different sensory difficulties and strategies to support children during mealtimes and feeding Understanding Sensory Issues and Their Impact on Mealtimes and Feeding
Clinical Psychology
Self-Care for Caregivers Helpful guidance for parents/carers to reflect on your own self-care to be able to support your child and their feeding Self-Care for Caregivers
Rapid Relaxation Exercises Quick ideas for parents/carers to use to support their own relaxation Rapid Relaxation Exercises
5 Minute Relaxation Exercise A longer script to support relaxation 5 Minute Relaxation Exercise
Mindfulness for Children Quick ideas for parents/carers to use to support their children’s mindfulness Mindfulness for Children
Triangle Breathing Simple guide to triangle breathing exercise for parents/carers and children Triangle Breathing
What is Worry Worksheet for children and parents to use to reflect on feelings of worry and concern What is Worry
How I Feel Worksheet Worksheet for children and parents to use to reflect on feelings and actions How I Feel Worksheet
Rewards and Consequences How to use both rewards and consequences effectively with children Rewards and Consequences
Weekly Goal Sheet Simple week-long goal sheet to track progress Weekly Goal Sheet
SOS Approach to Feeding Parent Seminar 2 hour seminar by the founders of the SOS Approach to Feeding programme on restricted and aversive feeders, and how to help
 Parent workshop when children won’t eat

The Wandsworth Community Feeding Service aims to provide a service which is effective, child-centred and equitable, for children in Wandsworth (age 0-11 years) who have:

  • Dysphagia
  • Highly selective eating
  • Feeding aversion

Our service is commissioned to provide clinical psychology, dietetics, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and a therapy assistant, all with special interests in childhood feeding difficulties and disorders.

Our service has two arms, the Community Dysphagia Team and the Multidisciplinary Feeding Team.

Community Dysphagia Team

The Community Dysphagia Team (CDT) provides a service for children with dysphagia requiring speech and language therapy input outside of the acute setting. The CDT service is responsive to each individual client’s needs, including:

  • Initial screening and clinical assessment
  • Intervention, including individual therapy and “Little Foodies” groups
  • Counseling and training for caregivers, and mainstream nurseries/schools
  • Follow-up planning
  • Occupational therapy seating assessments for children with dysphagia

Multidisciplinary Feeding Team

The Multidisciplinary Feeding Team (MDT) functions in a collaborative and transdisciplinary model to support families as they need, providing a service to deliver:

  • MDT Clinic appointments, inclusive of clinical psychology, dietetics, occupational therapy +/- speech and language therapy
  • MDT Groups, including “SOS” and “Food Scientist” groups using the SOS Approach to Eating
  • MDT Workshops for caregivers of highly selective feeders, and SENCos/LSAs
  • Parent Reflection sessions after receiving intervention
  • Individual therapy for complex and high-risk restricted feeders

Referral Criteria:

  • Families with a Wandsworth GP,
  • Aged 0-11 years, and
  • not attending a specialist educational provision

Acceptance Criteria:

  • Children who have a history of chest symptoms / infections / pneumonias where there are concerns about the safety of their swallow and the contribution this may be having to chest health
  • Children with reported signs of aspiration / difficulty feeding to include choking, coughing, wet breathing / voice, weight loss or static weight gain, changes to colour or breathing when feeding
  • Children struggling with weaning or transitioning through textures of foods
  • Children with significantly restricted diets (less than 20 foods) or who show severe anxiety around mealtimes
  • Children who require specialist seating assessments and provision of equipment for safe feeding
  • Children requiring enteral feeding, and multidisciplinary support for management

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children who attend a special school provision – these provisions have specialist therapy teams on site
  • Children where there are concerns regarding body dysmorphia and related eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa – these children should be referred to CAMHS
  • Children who are aversive feeders but who continue to struggle with unmanaged reflux symptoms – these children can be referred to the service once the reflux is medically managed

Referring to Us

Please note: we only accept referrals from medical, nursing, allied health professionals, and SENCOs.

Using our referral form, referrals can be sent either:

Contact details

Locations:

Main Base:

Eileen Lecky Clinic, 2 Clarendon Drive, Putney SW15 1AA
Direct Line: 020 8544 6101

Outreach Sites:
Tooting Cluster Hub (formerly Early Years Centre), 1 Siward Road, Earlsfield SW17 0LA

West Hill Enhanced Children’s Centre, 5 Merton Road, Wandsworth, London SW18 5ST

Home, nursery and school visits available, dependent on clinical need.

Other useful resources

Tertiary Feeding Services for children ineligible for this service, requiring specialist-level support:

GOSH Feeding and Eating Disorders Service:

https://www.gosh.nhs.uk/wards-and-departments/departments/clinical-specialties/department-child-and-adolescent-mental-health-dcamh/national-feeding-and-eating-disorders-service

Evelina London Feeding Service:

https://www.evelinalondon.nhs.uk/our-services/hospital/feeding-clinics/overview.aspx

Education Resources:

The NHS Eat Well Plate: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/

The SOS Approach to Feeding Picky Eaters vs. Problem Feeders Questionnaire: https://sosapproachtofeeding.com/picky-eater-questionnaire-parent/

NHS Information on Dysphagia and Aspiration: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/swallowing-problems-dysphagia/

Infant and Toddler Forum – Weaning: Learning to Like New Textures: https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/babies-the-first-year/weaning/

Infant and Toddler Forum – Toddler Portion Sizes: https://infantandtoddlerforum.org/toddlers-to-preschool/portion-sizes-for-toddlers/toddler-portion-sizes-table/