We provide a highly specialist speech and language therapy (SLT) service in the assessment and management of communication and feeding difficulties across a wide range of client groups for children attending Alder Hey, on an in and outpatient basis.
Our client group includes children with cleft lip and palate, craniofacial conditions, acquired and developmental neurological problems, children requiring long-term ventilation and voice disorders; this includes children with acute and complex medical conditions, those in high dependency areas, such as the pediatric intensive care unit and children with degenerative and terminal conditions.
Assessment and Therapy
Following a referral, an initial assessment is conducted and further investigations such as video fluoroscopy, may be arranged. For inpatients, a treatment/ management plan is formulated and carried out. Once a patient is discharged, or for outpatients, advice and recommendations may be provided to local speech and language therapy.
Whilst many of our services are provided on a Regional and/or Supra-Regional basis, children born in Liverpool with a cleft lip and palate or a craniofacial condition, and require speech and language therapy, will attend Alder Hey for this. For other children, any regular therapy or monitoring will be provided by their local speech and language therapy department. Speech and language therapists at Alder Hey provide support to local speech and language therapists where appropriate.
Children living in the Liverpool area, who have general speech, language and/or feeding difficulty unrelated to a specific medical condition or due to developmental issues, will be treated by the community speech and language department based in Liverpool.
Interdisciplinary Working
We work closely with a range of professionals including, doctors, nurses, orthodontists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, play specialists and dieticians. Our sessions are often carried out jointly with a range of professionals and/or within multidisciplinary clinics.
Meet The Team
Siobhan McMahon – Head of SALT Department, Local service lead for the Cleft lip and Palate Network
Services: Siobhan is involved in the assessment and management of speech, and resonance issues in children with cleft palate and non-cleft VPI (Velar Pharyngeal Insufficiency). Siobhan is also responsible for conducting video fluoroscopy for speech and swallowing. Siobhan is the lead SLT for the cleft palate outreach services in the Isle of Man, Preston and Crew, providing advice and support for community colleagues.
Conditions: Cleft palate and non-cleft VPI and dysphagia (swallowing difficulties).
Wendy Blumenow – Senior Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, deputy lead for the department and lead for craniofacial.
Services: Wendy is involved in the assessment and management of children with craniofacial conditions, acute dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and communication of outpatients and inpatients. Wendy is also responsible for conducting video fluoroscopies for swallowing. Wendy also works one day a week in the Innovation Team at Alder Hey, with the mission to help solve real-world healthcare problems children and young people face today, creating fair access to care and enabling a healthier future for all.
Conditions: Craniofacial conditions (supra-regional service), Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury including neuro-oncology, dysphagia (swallowing difficulties), Moebius, cardiology, gastroenterology, respiratory and general medicine.
Kathryn Da-Costa Greaves – Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist.
Services: Kathryn is involved in the assessment and management of speech and resonance issues in children with cleft palate and non-cleft VPI.
Conditions: Cleft palate and non-cleft VPI.
Alison Felton – Highly Specialist Speech and Language therapist
Services: Alison is involved in the assessment and management of acute dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and communication of outpatients and inpatients, including neuromuscular conditions. NIHR (PCAF) Research Fellow 2022-2023.
Conditions: Neuromuscular conditions, Long Term Ventilation, acute dysphagia, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, tracheostomy and complex airway, Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury including neuro-oncology, cardiology and neonates.
Suzanne Wood – Advanced Practitioner Speech and Language Therapist.
Services: Suzanne is involved in the assessment and management of speech and resonance issues in children with cleft palate and non-cleft VPI, which includes video fluoroscopies for speech. Suzanne is the lead SLT for outreach services across North Wales, providing advice and support for community colleagues.
Conditions: Cleft palate and non-cleft VPI.
Samantha Wright – Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Services: Sam is involved in the assessment and management of acute dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and communication of outpatients and inpatients.
Conditions: Acute dysphagia, cardiology, neonates, Congenital Hyperinsulinism, Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury including neuro oncology.
Helen Kelly – Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Services: Helen is involved in the assessment and management of acute dysphagia (swallowing difficulties) and communication of outpatients and inpatients, including neuromuscular conditions.
Conditions: Neuromuscular conditions, acute dysphagia, Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury including neuro oncology, cardiology, and neonates.
Laura Garvie – Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Services: Laura is involved in the assessment and management of communication and dysphagia of outpatients and inpatients.
Conditions: Craniofacial conditions, Traumatic Brain Injury, Acquired Brain Injury, Long Term Vent, oncology, cardiology
Claudine Milligan – Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Services: Claudine is involved in the assessment and management of speech and resonance issues in children with cleft palate and non-cleft VPI and the assessment of speech and language of children with craniofacial conditions.
Conditions: Cleft palate, non-cleft VPI and craniofacial conditions.
Emma Dawes – Highly Specialist Speech and Language Therapist
Services: Emma works closely with the Ear Nose Throat (ENT) Team and is involved in the assessment and management of children with voice conditions.
Conditions: Vocal nodules, papillomatosis and vocal cord palsy.
Angela Montgomery
Angela is our Pathway Coordinator for Speech and Language Therapy and also Head of Admin. Angela manages all the admin for our team and is the first point of call for parents who have any questions or queries. She is responsible for the pathway care for all our patients from the point of referral to treatment.
Mark Seeds – Administrator
Mark helps the clinics run smoothly by accessing patients’ notes, updating patient databases and processing new referrals.
Adele Garvey
Speech and Language Therapist Assistant. Adele assists in the running of video fluoroscopies and group therapy clinics (e.g. Early Language Groups) as well as general administrative duties.
Linda Hodge – Administrator covering all general office tasks
First point of contact for parents, resolving questions and queries, booking patients into clinics and assisting our clinicians with their requests.
Contact us
Contact our admin team on: 0151 252 5404
Referral information
For in patients, referrals must be made by a member of the medical team via the internal hospital computer system.
For outpatients, referrals are made in writing to:
Write to Siobhan McMahon and/or Angela Montgomery at:
Speech and Language Therapy
Alder Hey Children’s hospital
Prescot Rd,
Liverpool
L14 5AB
Telephone: 0151 252 5404
Research and Publications
Prevalence of dysphagia following posterior fossa tumour resection in children: the Alder Hey experience
Samantha H Wright 1, Wendy Blumenow 2, Ram Kumar 3, Conor Mallucci 4, Alison Felton 2, Siobhan McMahon 2, Dawn Hennigan 4, Shivaram Avula 5, Barry Pizer 6
Colourful semantics: A clinical investigation
Sarah Bolderson, Christine Dosanjh, Claudine Milligan, Tim Pring, and Shula Chiat-2View all authors and affiliations
Outcomes following palatal lengthening using myo-mucosal buccinator flaps for velopharyngeal insufficiency in cleft and non-cleft patients
Harry Koumoullis, Suzanne Wood, Taimur Choudhry, Simon van Eeden