Best start in speech language and communication (SLCN) project: Reading Borough Council

It was identified through Reading’s ONE Reading’s partnership board that speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) was a key priority for the local area to improve SLCN in the under-fives. This was inspired by the Governments guidance document: Best start in speech, language and communication: Guidance to support local commissioners and service leads and informed by local data clearly indicating that over 75 per cent of children being referred into the Early years SEND services had communication and interaction as their primary need. There was also a waiting list of up to two years for children under five to receive support from the NHS speech and language therapy service, particularly impacted in the two years following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim was to bring together all professionals that would be involved in an under-fives journey to understand the current support available for SLCN development (including universal provision) and identify any gaps where further support & services needed to be planned. The vision was to ensure that all professionals (and parent/caregivers) were confident to support children’s speech and language development so that only those children that needed direct speech and language therapy (SALT) were referred to the local NHS services. We wanted SLCN to become 'everybody’s business'. 

It was crucial and significantly impactful to ensure that senior leadership understood the aim of this group; and that the right stakeholders were included to ensure that we could fully assess what is available in Reading and plan services through a collaborative approach. The directors and strategic senior leaders in both Education and Health services had strategic oversight through the ONE Reading partnership board. The working group reported back to the board on progress and impact on a regular basis. 

This was co-chaired by the EY SEND Manager & the Children and Young People’s Therapy (CYPIT) Early Years Service Lead. We invited representatives from all services that may support a child under five including Health Visiting Services; representatives from education settings; library services; children centres; portage; therapies; midwifery etc. 

We used the guidance document provided by the government and chose to use the EIF Maturity Matrix as a self-assessment tool. An editable version of the tool was sent to all key stakeholders and they were asked to complete with viewpoints from their own services and areas. This was then collated and formed initial discussions within a working group who met monthly. 

Findings identified a range of existing support available for SLCN, however it was not clear for parent/caregivers and professionals how to find this information in one central place. The working group created a 'roadmap' and SLCN professional and parent/carer hubs to collate all the information on an accessible platform. 

There were gaps identified where more support could be available and an action plan was created for implementation by the working group. This was reviewed monthly to ensure that progress continued for the first year. It was then agreed that the working group would meet termly as the majority of actions were completed; allowing for outstanding actions that required longer timeframe to implement as well as the review of the work. 

Some of the actions included: 

• Creation of the SLCN hub with information for parent/caregivers to learn how they can support their child’s SLCN. This involved collating existing resources and agreeing one set of resources/activities sheets that were coproduced and verified by SALT in the working group to ensure the content was appropriate. 
   
• Development of SLCN Champions within the Early Years Sector and a comprehensive CPD programme for these champions to access. SALT delivered 'specialist CPD sessions' for the champions. 
   
• The champions coproduced a reflection tool and an action tool and resources like second language tips that they felt would be useful to the sector to help with early identification of SLCN and recommended activities. 
   
• Speech and language therapists worked with our existing community-based groups to develop their group offers. Promotion of these groups being coproduced with SALT resulted in increased attendance at 'tiny talkers' groups. Following feedback analysis these groups have been renamed 'let’s talk' and are delivered on an ongoing basis as opposed to a block of sessions.
   
• There was a two-year Prime Areas Development Officers (PADO) project that focussed on the EYFS prime areas following COVID-19 which involved additional coaching and modelling for the EY setting practitioners with a targeted focus on advisory support for individual two-year-old funded children with identified delays. 
   
• Increased CPD programme with SALT creating monthly online live workshops for both parent/caregivers and professionals to access about different areas of SLCN.
   
• SALT reviewed their service delivery and support offer to parents; creating a dedicated triage telephone line that parent/carers and professionals can use as the first point of call to receive advice. 

Monthly SALT surgeries serve professionals enabling them to book a TEAMs slot with a SALT and EY SEND Advisor to discuss a child’s needs and receive advice/guidance on next steps for the child. 

• Fifteen per cent decrease in Early Years Inclusion funding applications for SLCN provisions to be funded as settings have improved their Ordinarily available provision for SLCN with support from the EY SEND advisors and Prime Areas Development Officers (PADO).
• The two-year PADO project found that following input from PADO officers, the proportion of cohort achieving 90 to 100 per cent for language and communication increased by 20 per cent.  
• Year two of SLCN champions have 43 champions enrolled who report 10 per cent increase in their confidence levels (baseline measured in 2023).
• Continued increased uptake of EY SALT Surgery bookings from professionals to seek advice/guidance when they have exhausted the tools/training available – professionals report this is supportive for them and want this service to continue.
• A reduction in SALT waiting list times following changes to their services and how they offer support to families. 

Convening critical stakeholders on a regular basis with protected time to analyse, discuss and reflect on necessary system improvements has positive outcomes for children. It is crucial that senior strategic leaders understand the importance of this and that multi agency professionals are given this time as part of their roles. 

Furthermore, it is important that there is a strong working relationship between the LA and SALT services in particular; so that families and professionals are receiving the same consistent messages that this work can support their child (e.g. they may not need a SALT at this time to support them) enabling the SALT services to prioritise service need on children needing direct therapy. 

It is recognised there is work to be done to continue to support SLCN development, in particularly targeting those families who may not readily access the resources available, or settings that may not see the value or impact of investing in their staff’s CPD thus impacting on children within those settings and delaying earlier identification of needs. 

Continuing to review and develop SLCN support and provision is still a key priority for Reading Early Years and childcare service with a particular focus on improving good level of development (GLD) and transition to reception. This work is now part of a wider strategic vision overseen by the Board. 

Aimee Trimmer
Early Years SEND Manager, Reading Borough Council (Brighter Futures for Children)

[email protected]