Metis Therapy
We believe that children should have the intervention they need when they need it. We provide interventions that are flexible and bespoke for children living in North East England.
Metis Therapy
We formed Metis Therapy in 2015 and our vision was clear – to provide the best interventions that we possibly can for our clients. Our therapists left Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapy roles in the NHS to embark on this venture. We swore that we would deliver a service that was based on our client’s needs. Once our clients join our caseload, they become part of the Metis family and we provide them with the service we would expect for our own children.
Fast-Forward to now and our vision has evolved further. Just like our namesake, Metis, we believe that we bring wise council, skill, and knowledge to our profession. We challenge the status quo and push the boundaries. Our priority is to deliver the best speech and language therapy interventions in whatever form it takes to help our children.
We know that even the most complex children can make progress. Our interventions are led by the communication priorities for each child. We structure interventions that are structured, consistent, and functional in order to be responsive to their needs. That’s why we don’t operate waiting lists. There is no telling how many sessions a child may need and so it is difficult to forecast when slots may become available. We believe that we should see a child through their journey with us and don’t feel that it is fair to have a time-limit on the duration of sessions.
We are trained in many communication approaches such as SCERTS, PECS, Makaton, Elklan, and many more. We make sure that we are at the forefront of research and developments so that we can use evidence-based therapy techniques in our interventions. Success is a team sport and we work closely with our children’s communication partners, such as parents or teachers, to share our knowledge and skills so that they can support the therapy targets wherever possible. It is through this joint working that leads to success for our children. Their success is also our success and these achievements show us that we are on the right path.
We work in several schools, each asking for a different type of service, and that is what we deliver. We add value to the education that our children are receiving in schools, don’t take our word for it, read our testimonials.
Do you know what is great? That we go to work every day to do something that we love, and something that we believe in. The best part of it is that we can make a difference to our children.
So, if that sounds like something that you also want then we’d love to hear from you.
"My Mum was a home carer and she would often talk about the features of Motor Neurone Disease in the clients she worked with. While the cruelness of the disease would shock me the idea that a Speech and Language Therapist could help retain something so precious – communication - in such tragic circumstances amazed me. At the age of 13 I decided I wanted to become a Speech and Language Therapist and chose my GCSE and A-Level’s so I could get to university to fulfil my dream.
Not an easy degree, a lecturer at university told me their aim was to “knock us down and rebuild us as therapists”. The process for a shy 18-year-old was brutal but the course was fascinating and, excelling at the practical placements, I knew it was the career for me. Having originally thought I would like to work with adults with acquired communication difficulties my first job was with paediatrics in community clinics and special needs schools. While loving all elements of the job, the Special Needs side, and in particular Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), was something I found fascinating and I soon specialised in this area.
In 2003 I started work as a specialist therapist working with high functioning ASD. With few therapists in such a specialist role at the time it provided me with the ability to seek out and develop interventions for these children. Close, collaborative working with Occupational Therapists presented the opportunity to co-author three practical resource books on social skills group work for children and young adults with ASD, as well as extending my knowledge in areas not traditionally seen as the role of a speech and language therapist. This cemented my belief that all areas of an individual (as well as the people in their lives that support them) need to be considered and appreciated in order to deliver effective therapy.
I chose to set up Metis Therapy with Rachael because we wanted the freedom to provide the best. It gives me the ability to seek out the therapy approaches that have the optimum impact. I apply a systematic and methodical approach to identify and “fill in the gaps” for those I work with. Functionality is key and I always link this with what is most important to the individuals, families and schools I work in to help my clients succeed.
Metis allows me to stay true to what interested me in speech and language therapy in the first place – a desire to help people be the most effective communicators they can be."
“If a job is worth doing then it is worth doing properly...such good advice handed down from my Pops whom I adored and looked up to so much. He was right, there is no point in doing things by halves and there is always room for improvement. Setting up Metis Therapy enabled me to really think about what is important to me in my profession and make sure that I deliver on that.
My first job in Speech and Language Therapy was as an assistant in a unit for children with mental health and learning difficulties and associated additional needs. I was the first assistant to be recruited to the department, so the role was my own to make. These young people were a complex bunch with multiple diagnoses and at times it could be quite daunting... but I loved it! My enthusiasm was palpable, and it was here that I simply fell in love with helping people and gained a good grounding in language disorder, autism, and learning difficulties.
I've ensured that all of my SLT roles included working with children or adults with additional needs. Working with these individuals is hard work and extremely rewarding. There is nothing better than to witness a child saying their first words; using PEC’s for the first time; or breaking through some communication barrier or other. Through achieving this experience, I specialised in this area and completed courses like SCERTS, PECS, Makaton, Zones of Regulation and others, that I use on a daily basis.
I continue to work across both Mainstream and Additional Needs schools. I consider myself to bring a methodical and systematic approach to therapy interventions. Success is not made alone but by working with my school teams. I strive to be a good role model and educate teaching staff in communication needs so that they can the best out of our children all day, every day.
Have you ever heard the saying "Find a job you love you never work another day"? How true this is for me. I go to work and I am surrounded by people who believe what I believe and truly want the best for our children, and I don’t consider that to be “work” in the true sense of the word."
This may comprise a range of options according to your and your child's needs. It may be a formal, standardised assessment that gives you details of how your child’s communication is in comparison to peers, or an informal observation in one or more settings. Discussion with those significant communication partners in the individual’s life is also essential to this process. If required, a report can be provided outlining the findings of the assessment with recommendations and actions.
We provide a bespoke service to all of our schools in order to maximise the effectiveness of our interventions. Initially, close working with School Senior Leaders is key to establish a good working relationship and a true understanding of what you want from Metis Therapy.
Some of the services that we offer:
Our time is what you buy whether that is time spent face-to-face or writing a report, preparing programmes, attending meetings, etc.
Our time is charged at £55 per hour (charged on a pro rata basis).
A report needed for a specific purpose such as a detailed diagnostic assessment, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) appeal reports and reports for Education Health Care Plans are priced on application.
Training packages are bespoke, so prices are available on application.
Contact us to find out what we can offer you.
Metis Therapy
204 Abbots Way,
North Shields,
NE29 8LR
07984 693 493
rachael@metistherapy.co.uk
07850 186 141
christina@metistherapy.co.uk
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