Speech and Language UK respond to today’s essential and potentially promising Budget announcement on an increase in investment in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities

“The Chancellor’s investment in the futures of more than a million children with special educational needs is essential. We hope this extra £1bn will be spent wisely, recognising that children with speech and language challenges form the largest group of children with SEND in primary schools. Wise spending should include training teachers and early years staff better, including extending the Early Years Professional Development Programme, so that they can intervene early and prevent the spiralling speech and language challenges in the most deprived areas of the country.  

Alongside preventative work, the Government should reconsider its current policy of only funding a single early language intervention in schools and take urgent action to increase the recruitment of specialist Speech and Language therapists to help the 1 million children with lifetime speech and language challenges.  

This is a promising start – we now need to see this investment mirrored in Government policy on teacher training, behaviour and attendance policies and staffing ratios in early years settings. We look forward to working with this Government to make sure that this £1bn real-terms increase really leads to a strong and solid foundation for 1.9 million children across the country” 

Jane Harris, Chief Executive, Speech and Language UK 

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For media enquiries, contact Simon Walsh, Speech and Language UK’s Media and Publicity Manager, via media@speechandlanguage.org.uk or call 07824 446989.  

Background 

1 in 5 children in the UK are currently struggling with talking and understanding words. Speech and Language UK is calling on the government to commit to:  

Train everyone who works with children: to spot children who are struggling with talking and understanding words and  support them as soon as this is clear. Create tools for schools and nurseries: to give teachers free tools to monitor and track the development of a child’s speech, language and communication skills.   

Give schools and nurseries guidance on programmes: to let teachers and early years staff know what type of help works best.  

Give families the information they need: so that all new parents know how to support children’s language development alongside information on diet and vaccinations.  

Change guidance on early years support: so that Family Hubs offer support as early as possible, rather than restricting funding to children aged three and over.  

Create a proper workforce strategy for Speech and Language Therapists: so that children and families with lifelong speech and language challenges can get help within weeks rather than month or years.  

Who are Speech and Language UK?  

For at least 1.9 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feels like an impossible hurdle. We work to give every child the skills they need to face the future with confidence. We design innovative tools and training for thousands of nursery assistants and teachers to use in their classrooms. We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. And we put pressure on politicians to prioritise help for speech and language challenges.  

We demand a country in which every child with challenges in talking and understanding words has the skills they need to face the future with confidence. Together we can achieve it.