The Balanced System Pathway
The Balanced System Pathway is currently being updated. You are still welcome to access the system during this period, but we would love you to join us for the...
Relaunch of the Balanced System Pathway
Tuesday 6th October 2026, 9am - 12pm at the National Ice Centre, Nottingham
For all professionals supporting the speech, language and communication needs of children and young people in Nottingham City. Further information coming in September, but you can get ahead and book your place here
What is the Balanced System® and the Balanced System Pathway?
The Balanced System® is the overall strategic framework for organising services across 5 core strands (family support, environment, workforce, identification and intervention) and 3 delivery levels (universal, targeted and specialist).
All of the information, resources and activities are organised into three levels.
Universal level is for all children and families and has general information and resources about speech, language and communication that will be of interest to all parents, carers and young people, including those supporting children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Targeted level information and resources are more directly useful for children and young people and their families where there is a likely worry about speech, language and communication or a need has been identified already. For the majority of children and young people and their families, this level will provide enough support.
Specialist level information and resources are either to support more complicated speech, language and communication needs or to provide more specialist information and help. Some children and young people and their families will need specialist level support as well as targeted and universal levels for them to make the progress they wish to make with speech, language and communication. Specialist level may not be needed all of the time and may be helpful at certain points on a child or young person's journey.
The Balanced System Pathway is an interactive, practical, digital tool to help parents, carers and professionals navigate the Balanced System® Framework to find specific local and national resources to help support children's speech, language and communication development.
You can access the Pathway;
- Via this link
- Select 'Nottingham City Council' under the local resources
- Select 'Professionals' from the top toolbar and select the age of the child you are working with to help you start researching resources across the different strands to build your own Pathway.
The video below provides a great introduction to the Pathway and is worth a watch before you get started...
