Milton Keynes has 10 Family Centres; each centre share BookTrust Toddler and Pre-schooler Packs.
Milton Keynes has 10 Family Centres; each centre share BookTrust Toddler and Pre-schooler Packs. These are given out in different ways at different centres, but the main routes include:
- Speech and Language intervention LIPS (Lets Interact and Play) which are held for children awaiting referral for speech and language therapists or who are identified as needing extra speech and language support
- Health Visiting Team at development checks
- Regular family attendees meeting the criteria from the Family Centre workers
- 2-year funded children who attend sessions
- Through connections with local nurseries who have a high proportion of 2-year funded children
- One off themed sessions
Project background
LIPS is a 4-6 week structured programme devised by the Speech and Language Therapists team. Giving parents strategies and advise around supporting their child’s speech and language development. Parents are referred to the LIPS programme either through Speech and Language service or through the Family Centre itself. They are used as interventions for those waiting for referral to speech and language therapy. The Bookstart resources are used to enrich the sessions.
The programme runs over 4 weeks, focusing on 4 themes to promote speech and language. This includes encouraging parents to read face to face with their child, letting the child lead and using books interactively, encouraging parents to help the child move away from dummies etc. There are individual sessions plans, but broadly the structure is as follows: Carpet time get to know families, talk, role model strategy and focus activity. Families then practice strategy & activity then come back together for feedback. Ends with story and singing, using Bookstart packs where appropriate. Parents are also given resources and a practice sheet.
Sessions also include a pre-and post-questionnaire. At the end of the course Bookstart packs are given to encourage practicing the techniques that have been taught at home.
Objectives of the project
Help improve children’s speech and language, give parents confidence in reading stories and playing with their children and making it a fun bonding experience for all involved.
Due to the often-long wait for the referral to Speech and Language Therapy this project is used as a way to give families the skill and knowledge to support their children in the meantime.
Project background
A number of years ago, Tina, Family Centre Enhanced Practioner saw an article in Nursery World for a similar programme called Story Cafe. She then contacted her local Speech and Language Team and worked with them to design a programme. This programme has now developed into LIPS and is delivered through Milton Keynes City Council 10 Family Centres. Each centre has a Speech and Language Champion who has been trained by the Speech and Language Therapists team to deliver the LIPS programme.
Around 10 years ago the project started as a universal offer; available to any families that wanted support (although they did signpost it to families they thought would benefit as well). Even then Bookstart Resources were utilised, and families were gifted the Universal Bookstart Treasure pack. It then transitioned to a more targeted programme for families who did need the extra support, which fitted in perfectly to use the now targeted Bookstart resources of Toddler and Preschooler.
The Speech and Language Team were very pleased to have informal bridging support for families awaiting formal support from their team and the Family Centre Managers were keen to support the programme from the start.
Evaluating the impact of the programme
It has given parents tools to support their child speech and language development and to develop parent’s confidence in playing with their children and to read and share books. Families seeing in practice the value of sharing books.
In April to June 2025 61.3 percent of parents attending the LIPS programme made progress after attending and 38.5 percent of children improved as a result of attending. Out of 17 children attending LIPS 12 then went on to attend an early years setting.
We also signpost families to our other universal sessions which include Story, Songs & Rhymes, Story Cafes, Toddler Time, Phonics with Robot Reg and Stay & Plays.
Learning from the programme
Story Café has now evolved into the LIPS programme that is delivered in partnership with the Speech and Language Therapy Team. We now have a lead for LIPS who gathers data from the programme which has enable Family Centres to see what impact the programme has, as you will see from the statistics above. They also meet with Speech and Language lead for early years on a regular basis. Bookstart packs are still given out at the end of the programme to support parents.
In the future we hope to work further with the Speech and Language team and have a therapists attend some of our universal sessions.
Any recommendations for other councils interested in implementing similar projects?
Make sure session are properly resourced. They have the Bookstart resources, but other books are needed to tie in with sessions. To ensure there is budget for additional resources such as bubbles that can be give to parents to use at home.
It’s also very important to liaise with Speech and Language to ensure the messages being given about Speech and Language fit the work they may do later with the child/family. This also means checking in regularly to ensure the information is up to date and nothing has changed.
We also believe it is very important that the practitioners delivering the session are trained to deliver.
The project is very effective at reaching families who are identified as needing speech and language support and giving them the tools and confidence, they need to support their children so that the earliest interventions can take place with identified families.