About us

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Julie Harrison

Speech and Language Therapist
BSc, MRCSLT, MASLTIP, HCPC reg, Cert.

I am fortunate to have enjoyed a career in Speech and Language Therapy for over 30 years, and welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with you. This has included working for the NHS as a Senior and Specialist Speech and Language Therapist in Childhood Language Disorder in clinics, Language Centres, and mainstream schools and nurseries.

I recognise the importance of developing good speech, language and communication skills as early as possible, and have personally seen the positive effect this can have on children's confidence and ability to form friendships, as well as on their academic achievement.

I have a BSc degree in Speech Therapy from Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Beckett University), and am a registered member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (MRCSLT), the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (MASLTIP) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

I made the move to independent practice recently to ensure that children are at the heart of everything. Over the past year I have completed advanced training in the following areas:-

• Selective Mutism Advanced Training (Maggie Johnson)
• Airedale Stammering Centre courses - Working with Families of Young Children who Stammer, Working with Children who Stammer - Direct Approaches, and Working with Parents and Teachers of Children who Stammer
• Gestalt Language Processing
• Executive Function: SLCN Impacts & Strategies

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Rachael Wakefield

Speech and Language Therapist
BSc, MRCSLT, HCPC reg, Cert.

Hi, I'm Rachael. I qualified from Leeds Beckett University in 2021 with a degree in Speech and Language Therapy (BSc Hons). I currently have over two years experience of working in the independent sector and am learning more from incredible children and families everyday! My clinical experience includes working with families, primary schools and nurseries to support children with a range of speech, language, and communication needs. I have primarily worked in West Yorkshire across the Calderdale area. Previous to my speech and language therapy degree, I worked within the Supported Employment sector for Kent County Council, supporting autistic adults to gain voluntary and paid employment opportunities.

I have a special interest in stammering and enjoy working with children on their stammering journeys, learning to become confident communicators and to understand their stammer more.

I am passionate about neurodiversity and strive to provide a caring, affirming, and gentle therapy practice which supports children and young people to self-advocate for their needs and feel good about communication whilst being their true selves!

I am a self-employed therapist, working part time for Away with Words.

Additional training includes:

• Gestalt Language Processing (an alternative way of learning and developing language, commonly seen amongst autistic children)
• Airedale NHS stammering training (delivered by the Airedale Clinical Lead for stammering)-Introduction to Working with Young Children who Stammer, and Working with Parents and Teachers
• Parent-Child-Interaction (PCI) for children who stammer (The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering)
• Building Confidence and Resilience in children who stammer (The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering)
• Executive Function: SLCN Impacts & Strategies
• BEST (Building Early Sentences Therapy)

I am registered with the RCSLT and HCPC.

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Ellie Hulme

Speech and Language Therapist
BSc, MRCSLT, HCPC reg, Cert.

Hi, I’m Ellie, a qualified Speech and Language Therapist with a degree from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in 2018. I have a diverse background in both the NHS and independent sectors, including education and health settings. After relocating to West Yorkshire from Greater Manchester, I have continued to build on my experience, most recently working for Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust.

I specialise in stammering and am dedicated to advocating for the stammering community by promoting positive stammering identities. I am also a member of national and local clinical excellence networks for stammering, reflecting my keen passion for this area. Additionally, I work with children who have selective mutism, speech sound difficulties, language differences, and those who identify as Autistic. I am committed to providing person-centered therapy sessions tailored to the interests of the child or young person, ensuring that the sessions are motivating and valuable. I am passionate about advocating for young people by ensuring the voice of the child is at the heart of everything we do. Using Talking Mats approach helps to share the voice of the child and emphasizes the importance of collaboration with education and families to promote better outcomes for young people.

I strive to be a compassionate practitioner who respects children, young people, parents, carers, and professionals, always promoting neuro-affirming practice. I believe every child can thrive and access school in an optimum learning environment. My best hopes are for children and young people to be confident communicators and to have positive interactions and peer friendships.

Experience and Training:

• Michael Palin Centre Training: Integrating Stammering Management Approaches
• Michael Palin Centre Training: Palin PCI: Integrated Stammering Supporting (aged 8-14 years)
• Talking Mats Primary
• Solution Focused Brief Therapy
• Elklan Total Training Package (aged 5-11 years)
• Solihull Approach 2 Day Foundation training
• Solihull Approach – 4 community practitioner sessions
• Solihull approach – embedded in practice collaborating with colleagues, families, schools, and students using the Solihull model
• Selective Mutism modules 1-4 with Maggie Johnson
• Gestalt Language Processing
• Executive Function: SLCN Impacts & Strategies
• BEST (Building Early Sentences Therapy)

I am a registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (MRCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC Reg.).

 

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Rachael Thorpe

Speech and Language Therapist
BSc, MRCSLT, HCPC reg, Cert.

I qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2010 from Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University).  In my career, I have predominately worked within the NHS working for trusts in the North West, Bradford and York working alongside children, young people and their families.  I have worked in a variety of settings such as clinics, schools, nurseries as well as holding specialist positions in Hearing Impairment and Autism/Neurodiversity in my previous roles.  This has included assessing and diagnosing Autism as part of a team of professionals.

I have a special interest in Autism and Neurodiversity. I have experience of working with young people and their families on their diagnostic journey as well as supporting young people and their families with behaviours that may challenge as part of their neurodiverse identity.  I recognise the importance of promoting neuro-affirming approaches within my therapy practice and seek for all children and young people in my care to feel comfortable and at ease in their own identities.

I believe that all children and young people no matter what their communication need have the ability to achieve their own communication potential given the appropriate opportunity, support and guidance.

Experience and Training:

• ADOS 2 trained.
• Social Stories/Comic Strip Conversations.
• Zones of Regulation.
• Introduction to Sensory Integration.
• Makaton Trained (Foundation Level).
• Intensive Interaction.
• Word Aware (Vocabulary development)
• Auditory Processing Disorder
• Executive Function: Impact on SLCN
• BEST (Building Early Sentences Therapy)

I am a registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (MRCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC Reg.).

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Vicky Eastwood

Speech and Language Therapist
BA (Hons), PGCE, BSc, HCPCreg.

I have over 20 years’ experience working with children, including a decade in schools, which has given me a strong understanding of how children learn, communicate and thrive. I qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2025, building on this extensive educational background.

I have experience working across primary and secondary schools, as well as within specialist resources provisions, supporting a wide range of communication needs.

My approach is evidence-based and child-centred, combining my background in education with a genuine passion for supporting children and their families. I aim to make therapy engaging, practical, and tailored to each child’s individual strengths and needs. Retraining as a therapist has allowed me to bring empathy, creativity and a wealth of experience into my practice.

Qualifications:

• BA Hons in History with Education Studies (Chester University)
• PGCE in Early Years (Leeds Metropolitan University)
• BSc in Speech and Language Therapy (Leeds Beckett University)

Training:

• Makaton (Level 1 and Level 2)
• AET Good Autism Practice (Tier 2)
• Understanding Children’s and Young Peoples Mental Health
• Executive Function: Impact on SLCN
• BEST (Building Early Sentences Therapy)

I am a registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists (MRCSLT) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC Reg.).