Speech therapist, Barking and Dagenham
Children's speech and language therapy for Barking and Dagenham families
I'm Rajni Davegun, an independent speech and language therapist for children and young people aged 18 months to 16. My clinic, Sunshine Speech Therapy, is in Wanstead, east London, so from Barking and Dagenham you would travel to me. If a nursery or school visit would suit your child better, you can ask me about one.
How does it work if we live in Barking and Dagenham?
My clinic is in Wanstead, not in Barking and Dagenham, so sessions mean a trip to 11 Cambridge Park, Wanstead, London E11 2PU, under five minutes' walk from Wanstead station on the Central line. Sessions are in person and one to one, with you learning alongside your child.
If your child's nursery or school is in Barking and Dagenham, ask. I'd rather check than guess whether the distance works for both of us. A visit is £85 an hour, and travel fees may apply, so ask before you book and you'll get a number.
Whichever it is, the first step is a free 15-minute call, and you don't need a GP referral. The fees are fixed, so you'll know the cost before you commit to anything, and the services page starts from what you've noticed.
I'm registered with the HCPC (SL038484) and a member of the RCSLT and ASLTIP. More about me and my training.
Getting to the clinic from around Barking and Dagenham
Barking
Barking is served by both the District and the Hammersmith & City lines. Either one takes you to Mile End, where you change to the Central line. From there you need a train towards Hainault via Newbury Park, which stops at Wanstead. Check the destination on the front of the train.
Dagenham and Becontree
Upney, Becontree, Dagenham Heathway and Dagenham East are on the District line. Change at Mile End for the Central line, then take a train towards Hainault via Newbury Park to reach Wanstead.
Chadwell Heath and Marks Gate
Chadwell Heath station is on the Elizabeth line, so by rail you would change at Stratford for a Central line train towards Hainault via Newbury Park. Marks Gate isn't on a rail line. If you're working out the route from there, email me and I'll help.
Elsewhere in the borough
If your part of the borough isn't listed, email me and I'll help you work out the route.
I'm not giving parking advice because I can't promise any, so if you're driving, email me first and we'll sort something out.
How does NHS speech and language therapy work in Barking and Dagenham?
NHS speech and language therapy for children in Barking and Dagenham is provided by NELFT NHS Foundation Trust, through its Children's Integrated Therapies service. The service says it works with children and young people aged 0 to 19 in schools, children's centres, clinics and homes.
On who can refer, NELFT's referrals page says referrals are accepted from parents and guardians as well as from health, education and social care professionals. If your child is at school, it expects a parent or another professional to raise any speech, language or communication needs with the school's SENDCo first, and the SENDCo completes the referral if one is needed.
Seeing me does not take your child off an NHS waiting list. Plenty of families do both, and I am glad to work alongside an NHS therapist.
If you're weighing the two up, there's a guide to private or NHS speech therapy, and another on what you can do while you wait.
Where is the Local Offer, and how do I ask for an EHC needs assessment?
The council publishes its Local Offer, the directory of support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, on the Barking and Dagenham SEND Local Offer site.
If you think your child needs an EHC plan, you can ask the council for an EHC needs assessment yourself. The council's page on EHC needs assessments suggests talking to your child's teacher and the school SENCo first, but it also says you can ask your local authority directly, and it has a request form for parents and young people.
For free advice on any of this, the borough's information, advice and support service is SENDIASS. The council's page points to it for help with the application.
Families from Barking and Dagenham can ask me for an independent report for an EHC needs assessment, an annual review or a SEND Tribunal appeal. The EHCP and tribunal reports page explains what one includes.
The guide to getting speech and language therapy written into an EHC plan goes through the law one step at a time.
Can you visit a nursery or school in Barking and Dagenham?
Ask. I don't have a clinic or a base in Barking and Dagenham, so a visit isn't something I can promise by default. Email me with where the setting is and what you've noticed, and I'll tell you honestly whether it works. I'd rather check than guess.
If it does, a visit covers observation, a spoken handover to staff on the day, and written notes afterwards. I also run staff training, from a 30-minute consultation to a full INSET day.
The schools and nurseries page has the detail, and every price is on the fees page.
Not in Barking and Dagenham?
Each borough has its own page. Pick yours, or see everywhere I work.
Local sources
Checked on 5 November 2026. Services change, so follow the links for current details.
- NELFT NHS Foundation Trust. Children's Integrated Therapies, Barking and Dagenham. https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/childrens-integrated-therapies---barking-and-dagenham
- NELFT NHS Foundation Trust. Referrals, Barking and Dagenham Children's Integrated Therapies. https://www.nelft.nhs.uk/referrals-to-bd-childrens-integrated-therapies
- NHS North East London. Speech and language therapy, children. https://northeastlondon.icb.nhs.uk/service/speech-and-language-therapy-children
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. SEND Local Offer. https://localoffer.lbbd.gov.uk
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. EHC needs assessments and plans. https://localoffer.lbbd.gov.uk/school-age-5-16/education/education-health-and-care-ehc-needs-assessments-and-plans
- Barking and Dagenham SEND Local Offer. Information, advice and support (SENDIASS). https://localoffer.lbbd.gov.uk/information-advice-and-support
- Transport for London. Tube map. https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
In Barking and Dagenham and not sure where to start?
Start with the free call. It costs nothing, and it commits you to nothing.