Specialist teams to tackle post-pandemic school speech therapy backlog
The Government will deploy specialist teams to primary schools to tackle the backlog of children waiting for speech and language therapy since the pandemic.
It is hoped earlier targeted support will help those who struggle to talk and understand words before problems escalate.
More than 40,000 children had been waiting 12 weeks or more for speech and language therapy as of June 2024, the Department for Education said.
A lack of early identification can have a devastating impact on children's social skills, attendance, and academic performance.
The Government has backed the Early Language Support for Every Child (Elsec) programme with £3.4 million funding this year, which it said will benefit up to 20,000 more children.
Early intervention is particularly important for children with special educational needs and disabilities (Send), as numbers have skyrocketed from 1.3 million in 2020 to 1.67 million in 2024 – with one in four of these children requiring extra help with speech and language.
Minister for School Standards Catherine McKinnell said: 'When challenges with speech and language go unnoticed, it can have a devastating impact on children's attainment, attendance, social abilities and future life chances.
'Elsec is turning this around for so many pupils – and particularly those with Send – helping them find their voice and thrive at school and with their friends and family.
'This type of approach is exactly what we want to see in a reformed Send system that delivers the support children need at the earliest stage and restores parents' trust in a system which has let them down for too long.'
Steve Jamieson, chief executive of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, said: 'We're delighted that the Department for Education and NHS England will fund the Early Language Support for Every Child programme until March 2026.
'It has shown that when speech and language therapists, therapy support workers and education staff work together, they can identify children's needs earlier and put timely support in place.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
23 minutes ago
- Sky News
Plans to tackle mental health crisis 'not ambitious enough', charity boss tells Sky News
Government plans to strengthen mental health services are "not ambitious enough", a charity head has told Sky News. Dr Sarah Hughes, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, spoke to The UK Tonight with Sarah-Jane Mee after a report on mental health cases at A&E reaching crisis levels. Sky's health correspondent Ashish Joshi reported that waiting times for these cases have risen, and overnight beds in mental health units are down almost 3,700 in a decade. 8:26 Dr Hughes called the report "incredibly important insight into what's happening," before adding: "One of our wonderful campaigners waited 87 hours on a stretcher when she was incredibly distressed. "These are scenes are happening up and down the country, and I'm afraid to say that whilst I'm devastated to see them, I'm not surprised." She then said that while "there are all sorts of services" across the UK for mental health, they are "nowhere near the level that we need". "We are seeing thousands and thousands of people go into A&E every month for very serious mental health challenges, and this can be resolved quite easily by beefing up what's available in the community," Dr Hughes said. "By making sure that community mental health services are resourced so that people are caught far earlier, that we don't hit crisis, that they're able to get the support they need well before they get into trouble. "We know what works: We know that with proper investment that we could avoid this situation." The charity boss also said that while new initiatives from the government on services would be welcomed, "fundamentally, without mental health support, we're not enabling [people] to thrive". "In fact," she said, "we're putting them into incredibly vulnerable situations day in day out. They are carrying the risk here. "We know that mental health staff in A&Es are also really struggling. They want to do a good job, and they can't. They're not resourced to." Plans to tackle spike in cases 'not ambitious enough' New Freedom of Information data gathered by the Royal College of Nursing shows that over the last five years, waits of 12 hours or more for a mental health bed have increased by more than 380%. When asked about whether NHS and government plans will help tackle the sharp rise, Dr Hughes said: "We already know that they don't and they won't. "We are expecting a real-terms cut in terms of the funding around mental health going forward. We are not convinced or persuaded that we've got the share of spend that's right for mental health. "We're concerned that the plans for mental health are not ambitious enough. We're not really persuaded, I think, that the policies surrounding mental health either are going to help reform and so on. "All of these things that are going on demonstrate a lack of understanding." In response to Ashish Joshi's report, the Department for Health and Social Care told Sky News: "We know people with mental health issues are not always getting the support or care they deserve and incidents like this are unacceptable. "We are transforming mental health services - including investing £26m to support people in mental health crisis, hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Couple take legal action after daughter dies hours after birth
A couple are taking legal action against a health board after their daughter died hours after her birth. Liliwen Iris Thomas died in October 2022 just 20 hours after she was born at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff due to complications during labour. Her parents, Emily Brazier and Rhodri Thomas, have launched a civil action against Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. The couple, from Cardiff, who are also parents to daughter Carys and son Ellis, have spoken of the devastation at the loss of Liliwen. They said Ms Brazier's pregnancy had been classed as high-risk and had been monitored accordingly during the antenatal period. But when she went into labour she was left alone to give birth, they claim. 'I have very hazy memories of my labour but then I vividly remember peeling back the covers and seeing Liliwen there, completely still and lifeless,' she said. 'That image will be with me forever. I still have flashbacks and nightmares and have been in counselling since it happened.' Mr Thomas said he was not present when Ms Brazier went into labour due to the maternity unit not allowing partners on the ward overnight, unless their partner was in active labour, which at the point of him leaving she was not. 'I should have been there, I could have been Emily's advocate,' he said. 'I would have pressed the call bell and alerted midwives that she was clearly in active labour and needed extra monitoring and help.' Shortly before midnight on October 9, Ms Brazier said she was given pain relief and left with gas and air before stirring from her drowsiness after 2am to discover her daughter had been born. 'It was absolute panic from that point, they took Liliwen away and rushed me up to the delivery suite, I had lost a lot of blood and needed stitches, IV fluids and a blood transfusion,' she said. 'All this happened while I was still on the induction ward, with only curtains around my bed separating me from four other women. It must have been horrendous for them too.' Liliwen was treated in the neonatal intensive care unit but died later that day. Since her death Ms Brazier, who at the time was studying to be a nurse, has opted against a career in the profession and has been diagnosed with PTSD. 'So many happy memories and special family moments are tinged with sadness,' she said. 'I dread family events and Christmas as Liliwen will never be there, she will always be the missing piece. 'I look at the faces of my living children and long to know what Liliwen would look like now at two-and-a-half years old. I will never get over her death, I feel stuck in time. 'I will never be the same person again. Holding your child as they take their last breath, leaving them behind after their last ever cuddle, walking out of the hospital with an empty car seat, there are so many painful memories seared into my brain. 'I have lost my child; it's every parent's worst nightmare and we live the nightmare every single day.' The couple are being supported in their case by lawyers Slater and Gordon. Lara Bennett, a senior associate at the firm, said: 'We are supporting Emily and Rhodri in every way we can to secure justice for their daughter after the most unimaginable and traumatic ordeal.' A spokeswoman for the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: 'Our sincere thoughts and heartfelt condolences remain with Liliwen's family during this incredibly difficult time. 'The health board is fully engaged with the inquest process and it would be inappropriate to comment further until the inquest concludes.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Tammy Beaumont loving life at the top of the England order with Amy Jones
Tammy Beaumont is relishing her opening partnership with Amy Jones after the pair made back-to-back centuries in England's 143-run victory over West Indies in the second one-day international in Leicester. Beaumont secured her 12th ODI century, just five days after hitting one in Derby alongside Jones, who reached the milestone off just 76 balls, as England posted 366 for six after the 202-run opening stand. West Indies, without captain Hayley Matthews who was ruled out with a shoulder injury, were dismissed for 223 in the 46th over with Realeanna Grimmond hitting a maiden half-century on debut. Beaumont said: 'It's really nice to be batting with Amy at the minute, it's going really well. 'She got the promotion back and we know each other really well. I couldn't have asked for it to go better really, and I think just so proud of her backing up that first century at Derby to do it again today and even better style. 'For her to take that lead role there and kind of look after me as well as go and play like that was just outstanding and I joke with her, I was like, we've got to try and go for the record if we're going to keep batting getting over 200. 'I know we've scored a lot of runs together and I think we've already got a few records for that within England which is just great. 'We compliment each other so well. Obviously, the height difference, but it means we hit different lengths in different areas but I think it makes it quite difficult to bowl at as a pair.' Beaumont was hit with illness before the match and is proud of the way she battled through it to guide her team to another big win. She added: 'I call it man flu, my husband's going to hate me. I'm kind of proud of how I managed it mentally, and kept finding a second and third wind at times. 'I found a bit of gas from somewhere. While Amy was there, my job was to support her and take the pressure off and just get her on strike and then almost my job changed when she got out.'
