Better communication: Improving services for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs
Speech, language and communication are crucial to every child’s ability to access and get the most out of education and life. Children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) are amongst the most vulnerable and most in need of effective support to reach their potential.
Following the review of services for children and young people with SLCN by John Bercow MP, the Government published Better Communication: An Action Plan to Improve Services for Children and Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Needs on 17 December 2008.
The Action Plan provides details of a range of initiatives across Government to improve services for children and young people with SLCN, culminating in the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication in 2011-12. This includes:
- Up to 20 local area pathfinders to develop good practice guidance and a supplemental joint commissioning framework on SLCN;
- Up to £1.5 million invested in grants to the alternative and augmentative communication sector;
- Up to £1.5 million invested in a research programme looking at SLCN over the next three years.
It sets a challenge for everyone working with children and young people – from speech and language therapists to Early Years carers, and from health visitors to teachers and parents – to create an environment in which every child develops effective speech, language and communication skills, and those with SLCN have the best opportunity to succeed.
To provide ongoing support to the delivery of these initiatives over the next three years, the Government will form a Communication Council and appoint a Communication Champion early in 2009. The Communication Council will provide Government with ongoing advice and support on how best to develop effective services for children with SLCN.
The Communication Champion will be appointed to raise awareness of speech, language and communication issues, and work with delivery partners to coordinate initiatives and organise the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication.
The Government will also commission a review of progress to improve services for children and young people with SLCN in summer 2010.
On publication of the Action Plan, the Government issued a Written Ministerial Statement and a Press Release.
Sarah McCarthy-Fry MP also wrote to local authorities to talk about services for children and young people with SLCN in this letter.
The Department of Health have included an article in the 'The Week' bulletin for NHS leaders on 18 December 2008.
The Bercow Review
In September 2007, the Secretaries of State for Children, Schools and Families and Health asked John Bercow MP to lead an independent review of services for children and young people with SLCN.
You can view the review’s terms of reference and a biography of John Bercow.
The review gathered evidence from a consultation which received over 2,000 responses (around half from families), a series of consultation groups, visits to children’s centres, schools and nurseries to meet parents, children and those working with children, and academic research.
The final report set out 40 recommendations to improve services across five key themes:
- communication is crucial, a key life skill at the heart of every social interaction and vital to children’s successful development;
- early identification and intervention is essential to maximise each child’s chance of overcoming their communication need and succeeding;
- a continuum of services designed around the family is needed for children with SLCN;
- joint working is critical to deliver services that provide effective support;
- the current system is characterised by high variability and a lack of equity
On publication, the Government announced that it accepted the key recommendations and would invest up to £12 million to lead action to take them forward. You can see the Written Ministerial Statement and the Government press release and John Bercow’s press release.
