Implementing the Balanced System in Tameside

The Balanced System framework

The Balanced System framework aims to make sure that a child is supported as well as possible within their everyday environment. To do this, the framework asks us to think about:

• family support: making sure the child has the right support at home for their needs
• environment: making sure nurseries, schools and homes are set up to help with communication
• workforce development: making sure that anyone working with the child has the skills to help them with communication
• identification: making sure there are easy and reliable ways of finding out who needs help
• intervention: using activities and strategies we know help with communication

You can find out more on the Balanced System website.

The Balanced System helps children who need support at different levels: universal, targeted, and specialist.

Universal support
Universal support is the help that everybody gets. This could be general advice and support to help children develop their communication.

Targeted support
Targeted support is for children who may need extra help with their problem. This could be small group work in early years settings or school, or activities you can do at home.

Sometimes the Therapist will be directly involved, but often they will provide training and support to others who work with children in the early years setting or school.

Specialist support
Specialist support is for children who need more specific support from a Therapist. This could include a more detailed assessment and individualised support to help the child achieve a specific goal.

Watch the video about The Balanced System.

Speech Language and Communication Support in Tameside
Tameside’s Speech and Language Therapy team provide life-improving support and care for children and young people who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking, or swallowing.

They are based at Rowan House in Hyde, but work in a variety of different settings including schools, community clinics, special schools, the young person’s home and nurseries.

The team’s goal is to make sure that the child’s environment and the people within it are able to support a child to reach their communication potential and to participate fully in all areas of their life. They work closely with parents and carers, teachers and teaching assistants and other health professionals to achieve this goal.

More information, tools and strategies can be found on the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy web page.

The team are working together as partners across the system to learn from the Balanced System findings and we are moving towards implementation of the recommendations for Speech Language and Communication.

A meeting was held in April 2025 with the Greater Manchester Clinical Lead to set up the Balanced System Steering Group with representatives from health, local authority and social care.

Timeline
The Balanced System Implementation timeline in Tameside is aligned to the SEND Joint Commissioning Strategy.