Action to improve children's communication following Bercow Review

Jul 8 2008

The British Government has announced a £52 million package today to tackle the communication problems that can blight children's lives.

The funding comes as a result of a ground breaking independent review by John Bercow MP, commissioned by Government, which identifies that communication is the key life skill for every child - if they are to achieve at school, make friends and be successful in later life.

The review looks in depth at how to improve services for children and young people with problems ranging from severe speech and language impairments to a vocabulary limited by social reasons, such as a family background where communication between family members is limited.

Alongside recommendations for Government, John Bercow urged parents to help their children gain vital communication skills by sharing activities like family meals or outings where conversation is the focus.

It also looks at the extreme consequences communication problems can lead to - from initial frustration at not being able to express oneself, to bullying or being bullied at school, fewer job prospects and even the descent into criminality.

The review was one of the biggest of its kind ever, with over 2,000 consultation responses - around half of which were from parents. The onus will now be on the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Department of Health (DH) to make a real difference for children and families affected by SLC problems.

A key theme of John Bercow's report is that early intervention is key to tackling the communication problems that can ruin young people's later lives.

The Government is also announcing today £40 million programme that will enable those working with pre-school children, for example nursery staff, to access training and materials to support young children's early language development. The Let's Talk programme will support early years staff to develop children's speaking and listening skills, and will help to spot those children with problems at an early age. Children's Minister, Beverley Hughes, will announce the full details of the programme on Wednesday 9 July.

The review calls on Government to raise the profile of children with communication difficulties amongst local authorities and primary care trusts, which are responsible for services for children with SLC needs, as well as in wider society. The bulk of the recommendations deal with improving delivery on the ground. The review found that, across the country, services and the capacity of the children's workforce needs to improve and much more needs to be done to join up services at a local level.

The review was welcomed by Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and by Alan Johnson, the Secretary of State for Health, who announced jointly that £12 million will be set aside to implement the recommendations. The report contains 40 recommendations. The Government accepts the points raised in the recommendations and will address them in an implementation plan in the Autumn.

Key recommendations focus on:

• Raising the profile of SLC by creating a Communication Council, and a Communication Champion to drive delivery of reforms and improve local performance. A National Year of Communication will also help raise the profile of SLC issues through PR activities;
• Better training for the workforce in helping children with SLC needs and identifying their needs at an early stage, including making SLC part of a module in the new Masters qualification for teachers. The DCSF has already contributed £340,000 to the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children to provide training materials for schools.
• Improving the information, support and advice that parents receive about children's communication;
• Setting up five pathfinders to identify best practice in the way local organisations like PCTs and Local Authorities, can work together to identify best practice in the commissioning services.
• Commissioning more research to find out what works in improving the life chances of children with SLC needs;

The Government also announced that Sir Jim Rose would examine how schools can better focus on SLC as part of his review of the primary curriculum.

Jim Rose's research has found that a child from a deprived home has heard on average just 13 million words by the age of four, compared to 45 million in a more affluent home.

John Bercow said:

"I was delighted to be asked by Ed Balls and Alan Johnson to study these issues and the fact that Ministers have accepted the main recommendations offers a real prospect of improved services to thousands upon thousands of vulnerable children and young people. Although there are excellent professionals and some good services, the overall situation is highly unsatisfactory. Access to information and services is often poor, the quality of services is mixed, continuity across the age range is lacking, joint working is rare and there is something of a postcode lottery. Above all, the priority attached to communication is too low. Responsibility for this is not the fault of any one Government because the problem has festered under successive administrations.

"The ability to communicate is an essential life skill for all children and young people in the 21st century. It is at the core of all social interaction. With strong communication skills, children can engage and thrive. Without them children will struggle to learn, achieve, make friends and interact with the world around them."

Ed Balls said:

"Parents know that communication is central to children's ability to achieve, succeed and enjoy their education. That's why we asked John Bercow to carry out this important review.

"It's clear that local services need to improve, and I'm grateful to John Bercow for providing such a comprehensive set of conclusions and recommendations. I'm convinced we can now begin to make significant improvements for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.

"I want to ensure that all children are supported to communicate whether they are severely impaired or because they simply need help to expand their vocabulary. This review will make a real difference to all children who need support at both ends of the spectrum.

"There is already money in the system to make some of these improvements - the challenge is to make sure it is being used properly. We will also contribute £12 million nationally to make sure the recommendations can be taken forward quickly, as well as £40 million for pre-school children, and we will publish a detailed action plan in the Autumn."

Alan Johnson said:

"Speech, language and communication are fundamental aspects of a child's health and well-being. Over the last 10 years, we have increased the number of therapists by over 38% and improved access to professional programmes to help children overcome early speech problems.

"But we recognise more needs to be done. Today's report will support commissioners in their role of identifying local need and buying appropriate services to ensure that help in communicating it is available when it is needed.

"I welcome this report and the challenges it sets for us. We will respond more fully to the issues raised by John Bercow when we publish our Child Health Strategy in September."

The Government has also committed to an independent check of progress in 18 months' time.