£40m for language needs
Children's speech and communication problems are the focus of a £40m Government initiative.
The early language programme Every Child A Talker will help nurseries and childminders to access training and materials to support pre-school children's speaking and listening skills.
The funding is part of a package of measures announced in the Government's response to recommendations made by Conservative MP John Bercow in his independent review, which looked at ways of improving services for children with communication problems (News, 10 July).
The review found the number of children who start school unable to speak in full sentences is rising.
The Government will also spend £12m on implementing 40 recommendations from the review, with more details due to be revealed in the autumn.
Children's minister Beverley Hughes said Every Child A Talker would improve practitioners' knowledge and understanding 'encouraging early language development right from the outset so that before they start school, children are confident and skilled communicators.'
Organisations running early intervention programmes will be invited to tender to run training.
Funding will go directly to support training in settings and local authorities will also have early language consultants to lead on children's SLCN.
Chief executive of children's communication charity I CAN, Virginia Beardshaw, said, 'I hope this initiative will complement and not compete with evidence-based programmes already on the ground. It would be all too easy for practitioners to be confused by a raft of similar-looking initiatives.'
She added, 'Every Child A Talker is a universal package to support all children's communication. This is welcome. However, such a programme will inevitably further highlight the significant number of children needing targeted and specialist help. In the Government's action plan I CAN would want to see equal funding and attention given to services for children with SLCN.'
Anita Kerwin-Nye, director of the Communication Trust, which raises awareness of speech, language and communication across the children's workforce, and is hosted by I CAN, said, 'We have to ensure the Every Child A Talker programmes are evidence-informed, tested on the user and high-quality.'
Further information
www.dcsf.gov.uk/bercowreview.
