Jane Young Nottinghamshire Children’s Centres Speech and Language Therapy Lead Language For Life Strategy Lead

Our Vision To work collaboratively to give all children the chance to develop their language and communication skills, so that they can achieve their best educationally and can contribute positively to their community.

ALL EY services across all sectors sit on steering group Universal, Targeted and Specialist Many strands of integrated work SLTS and teacher collaboration e.g. ECAT consultant half time each, adapted EAL ECAT monitoring tool with SLT A cross-sector partnership approach 0-7 years

Early Identification and Intervention Language Enrichment- homes and settings Support for families and children Workforce Development Tools and Resources Key strands

Early Intervention Strategy Reflects “Grasping the Nettle” – C4EO Language for Life is second strand Extension years Language for life is collaboration across existing services PLUS Additional funding streams via -Early Intervention Grant (Children’s Centres Language Focus) -Workforce Development budget

Examples of key strands of work Key strand 1 Workforce Development Training courses +buddying and mentoring all Universal and Enhanced Competencies on SLCF New roles: SLTs in children’s centres (universal and targeted) Language Leads Home Talk Workers Local Status and recognition for new children’s worker roles

Language Leads To lead on the development of a language-rich setting - role model - encourage and monitor staff CPD - environment, including signs symbols identify and take appropriate action for those with SLCN Information and advice for parents

Children’s centre Childminders – some plus support managers Day-carers – some plus support managers Day nurseries and pre-schools - some School nurseries – some KS1 – developing this year The development of Language Leads -aim to have them in every EY setting

How? The Development Plan Give the role status for practitioners - staff supported to achieve level 3 City and Guilds award in Supporting SLC - Award +Nottinghamshire standards = Nottinghamshire Accredited Language Lead Possibly… Link to setting quality assurance

Key strand of work 2 Talking Together Campaign posters leaflets height charts midwives neo-natal hearing screen children’s centres health visitors SLTs schools day nurseries childminders, day carers parents

Neo-natal hearing screen

Key Strand of work 3 2 year Language Screen: Nottinghamshire supplement to Healthy Child Programme Health visitor team- parent questionnaire screen + observation No concerns (> 30 words) - Joining words together leaflet - Consent for children’s centre contact Some concerns (10-30 words) Home Talk (+children’s centre SLT mentoring) <10 words/comprehension concerns NHS SLT (?+ Home Talk)

Home Talk Programme enhanced skills children’s worker mentored by Children’s Centres SLT, 6 week programme family’s home support to access other community services e.g children’s centre, library. Improve language environment at home, Support interaction between parent and child, Prevention of those at risk, developing longer term difficulties

2 year language screen: Impacts Increasing reach of screen – most recent show 82% Screen sensitivity - approximately 18% + in disadvantaged areas. (HT/SLT) - Some but few false positives All parents - opportunity to talk about child’s language and next steps (Colour coded leaflet talked through). Children’s Centre Contact option.

Small Scale Service Evaluation: HOT OFF THE PRESS! 16 families at 6 different children’s centres Standardised Parental Questionnaires; -Language Development Survey -Language Use Inventory -Parenting Stress Index Completed; -before programme -after 6 weeks -3 months later

Preliminary Findings (Soon after the 6 week programme) Parents who report being worried about their child’s language development - Before: 80% (12 out of 16) - After: 25% (4 out of 16) (All these 3 are undergoing assessment - ? ASD)

Children with impaired vocabulary (25 th percentile) Before:75% (12/16) After: 37.5% (6/16) Children with very impaired vocabulary development (< 15th percentile) Before: 56% (9/16) After: 25% (4/16) (NB: 3/15 (20%) Assessment ASD)

Parents who report clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Before: 56% After: 37.5% NB. 3 (ASD)

Taken on by Children’s Centre SLT 52% Referred to FSW immediately: 9% Couldn’t contact but discussed with HV 13% No follow up as parents felt OK 22% Number where action not clear on returns! 4% Children’s Centre follow up of “non- opt ins” – sample of 40 children

Impacts: ECAT outcomes–all scales

Overall impact of multi- agency collaborative practice Increased capacity in early years workforce meant specialist SLT input has reduced, from 2 days per week (SSLP) to day per week per Children’s Centre.

Proportion of total referrals to North NHS SLT service by age

FSP 3 year trend CLLD % achieving 6+ CLLD Closing the gap NB 30% SOA: have better rate of improvement

….building lives for the future