You may have concerns about your child’s development during the early years (ages 0 to 5).
There are several services and professionals that can offer advice and support.
Health visitor
A health visitor is a specialist public health nurse or midwife who helps families and communities ensure children grow up healthy, happy, and safe.
From birth, your child will be assigned a health visitor, and you can contact them with any concerns until your child starts school. Health visitors often work alongside community nursery nurses, who are also trained to assess child development.
If necessary, they can refer your child to specialists such as:
- paediatricians
- speech therapists
- the child development team (CDT)
Children’s centre
Children’s centres offer facilities and support for families with children under five years old.
These centres focus on parenting support. Some also provide additional services like speech and language therapy.
If you're worried about your child’s development, a local children’s centre can guide you to the appropriate services and offer advice.
GP
If you have concerns about your child's development, you can consult your GP.
They can assess the situation and may refer your child for further evaluation and support to specialists like:
- paediatricians
- physiotherapists
- speech and language therapists
Nursery
Early years practitioners in nurseries track your child's progress using the Early Years Foundation Stage framework.
If your child attends nursery, you can meet with their key worker to discuss development. You can also speak with the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), who is responsible for coordinating support for children with special educational needs.
If your child is identified with special educational needs (SEN), they will receive tailored support to meet their individual needs.
For further details, see Early Years foundation stage.
This network of services can help ensure your child receives the support they need to reach their full potential.