Between
October 2019 and February 2020, 407 professionals attended the Universal Talking
Takes Off training. Those who attended the training were asked to complete a
short survey rating statements regarding their understanding of Speech Language
Communication Needs (SLCN) as well as their confidence in identifying SLCN,
before and after the training. Analysis of the results showed that after the
training, attendees felt significantly more confident in their understanding
and skills. Attendees also reported to
find the training useful and enjoyable, and particularly welcomed the ‘Take
Away Bag’ which contained free resources such as books and games, a toolkit,
and screening tools to help identify speech and language needs in young children.
Three
months after the training, we followed up with a sample of attendees to ask how
they used the learning and resources in practice. Attendees said they used the
toolkit when talking to parents and helping parents to support their child’s
communication skills at home. Attendees also reported they felt better equipped
to support children ‘in house’ before referring to specialist services.
Attendees showed various ways in which they support TTO, from encouraging
others to attend the training, to sharing promotional materials, to creating
communication friendly spaces in their settings, to hosting coffee morning for
parents to discuss the importance of speech and language.
More than 400 practitioners from a range of professions
have accessed the Talking Takes Off Takeaway training and many of those have
gone on to access our enhanced training offer, which includes Communication
Champions training, bilingualism, enhanced communication support, Communication
Friendly award and selective mutism.
The takeaway pack includes a range of advice, information
and practical strategies that can be used to support the developing
communication skills of all children aged 0-5 and we have had some really
positive feedback on how the packs are being used in our community. The training
has been evaluated as part of the wider Talking Takes Off evaluation and we are
pleased to report development in practitioner’s understanding and confidence of
supporting Speech, Language and Communication needs as a result. We look
forward to continuing to offer this training termly moving forward.
The training also gave us the opportunity to introduce the
new Early Years Communication and Language Toolkit to our local practitioners.
This is a locally developed screening tool, information and resource pack that
can be used to guide practitioners in assessing children’s communication
skills, supporting the child and the parent with advice and giving information
on onwards signposting and referral options as needed. This toolkit is being
used across Bedfordshire and information gained from using the toolkit can be
used to support a referral in to Speech and Language Therapy. The final draft
was introduced from September 2019 when we had our pilot period, many thanks to
all those who took part and fed back, allowing us to release the final version
in January 2020.
From the summer term 2020, we will be introducing full
training on using the toolkit as well as visiting team and network meetings to
discuss use of the tool.
https://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpg00Sally Cornishhttps://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpgSally Cornish2020-03-30 14:52:492020-03-30 14:52:51Talking Takes Off training and toolkit
Talking Takes Off was funded as a one-year programme with a grant from the Department for Education through the Early Outcome Fund. The aim of this grant was to improve young children’s communication and language development in the earliest years of life. Partners have worked hard in delivering the key parts of the programme in a very short time period. The next step is to ensure that the work that has been started, continues and is embedded in practice for professionals and parents feel that they can access the support they need.
Talking Takes Off is a key part of Flying Start and as such, some of the work programme will sit here and there is also a very strong connection to the SEND Written Statement of Action, where parents access to Speech, Language and Communication services was identified as an area for work.
The Programme Board has developed a sustainability
plan to allow us to plan going forward. We are also fortunate in that Emily
Martin a Speech and Language Therapist from Cambridge Community Service who has
been working on Talking Takes Off this year, will be continuing to work full
time on the programme over the next year. This will allow us to continue to:
offer a range of training alongside
other professionals
support the embedding the new Early
Years Communication and Language toolkit for practitioners which includes the
new screening tool and the new graduated pathway.
deliver new interventions to parents as
part of our new early year’s communication and language pathway.
Talking Takes Off promotes communication as ‘a conversation everyone should be having in Luton’. Much has changed in the world over recent weeks and the role of good communication is now even more important for us all, including our children, in these challenging times.
As professionals we are all adapting to new ways of working and looking to online resources as important tools and ideas we can recommend to the families we work with, for them to use with their own children.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if one of the positives to come from this challenging time was that children and parents/carers remembered time spent talking, playing and reading together in a shared communication.
With this in mind the Talking Takes Off team thought you may be interested in some of the links below which take you to some great resources to share with your own children or with the children of key workers. There are also links to professional development opportunities which can be accessed remotely.
We may have had to cancel some of the face to face training
we had planned for the next few months; however this situation has offered us
opportunities to think differently and use the wealth of modern technology
available to look at how we can continue to deliver Talking Takes Off training
using online services. This will enable us to offer everything you would get
from face to face training sessions, but in the virtual world. Keep an eye out on
the Flying Start website for details of Talking Takes Off online training and
webinars.
We hope you enjoy using these resources and that the
importance of communication continues to motivate you personally as well as
professionally.
Speech, Language and
Communication Framework: A free online
CPD tool which sets out the skills and knowledge for the workforce to support
children and young people’s speech, language and communication. www.slcframework.org.uk
https://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpg00Sally Cornishhttps://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpgSally Cornish2020-03-30 14:29:292020-03-31 13:52:15Talking Takes Off communicates during Coronavirus
In 2019 Luton Council successfully secured
funding of £452,000 from the Department for Education (DfE) for its Early
Outcome Fund (EOF) programme to support speech, communication and language
development in babies and young children from the antenatal period through to
when they start school. This yearlong programme, Talking Takes Off, has provided
clear support and guidance to all families to give their children the very best
start in life. It has delivered additional support for those parents and young
children where there were identified needs. The programme has been delivered as
part of Luton’s Flying Start strategy, which provides prevention and early help
services from pregnancy to five. This funding has also linked with Luton’s
Investment Framework in terms of ensuring all children achieve better educational
outcomes to make sure they are in the best possible position to take advantage
of future employment opportunities in the town.
Throughout the year the core team has worked
with a range of partners including maternity and paediatric services, health
visiting teams, speech and language therapy services, children’s centres,
primary care settings, dentists, Adult Learning, the SENS service, early years
providers, schools, libraries and the Local Parks service. Staff have been offered
appropriate training supporting early communication and language development so
they can use this as part of their work with babies, children, and share skills
with parents.
What has Talking Takes Off achieved, developed and
offered?
Early identification
and support for families
New Early
Years Communication and Language toolkit – includes a quick screener and a comprehensive screening tool to help
early identification and offers signposting information and useful resources
and advice for professionals and parents. The toolkit also contains the new early
year’s pathway for speech, language and communication support in Luton. To see
the new tool click here
A newon line GP
screening tool and top ten practical advice for GPs to use with parents who
are concerned about their child’s development has been launched for all Luton
GP’s. The screening tool facilitates referral to universal, targeted and
specialist services, ensuring that all parents have their concerns fully
addressed and supported.
New services as part
of the new pathway
Talking
Takes off for Communication – a
six-week course for parents and children focused on the importance of parents
and the home learning environment. This programme is designed for children who
are identified as needing additional support to build communication skills. Early
findings include positive parental satisfaction and reported improvement in
their children’s speech and language.
Talking
Takes Off drop in with a Speech and Language Therapist – A therapist offers informal and early advice within
an existing Children’s Centre stay and play session.
Talking Tots – a parent workshop and follow up stay and play
session run by a Speech and Language Therapist to advise families on parent –
child interaction and offer early, targeted advice for families. The programme
aims to reduce parental concern and increase parental confidence in supporting
their child’s communication development.
Talking Takes off
training offer
Free universal training to 449 staff from across services in Luton. The training has focused on why early communication and language is so important, an introduction to the Building Blocks for Communication and sharing the new screening tool, pathway and resources.
Free-targeted communication and language training – courses on bilingualism, selective mutism and enhanced communication and language skills have been delivered to 75 practitioners who required more detailed training on how to support families and their children.
Talking Takes Off Communication champions – 24 trained in 2019 and by the end of June 2020 49 professionals will have been trained to support their colleagues on the key messages in their workplace. In-house training has already reached 53 more professionals.
Strategic Communication Champions –strategic leaders from across key local agencies have agreed to take on this role and actively promote the importance of early communication and language in their organisations.
Data and information
A Joint
Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) on speech
language and Communication has been developed to help us all understand the
needs in Luton. This resourcehas
beenrecognised by the Council for
Disabled Children as an example of best practice in the region. To access the
document gotoLuton Speech, Language and
Communication Needs Assessment – Full Version
Luton
Assessment Tracking System (LATS) This
tool has been developed over the year to
further support our understanding of progress of children in our early year’s
settings.
Use of strategic
data – work has been undertaken by
the Business Intelligence Team to support the development of data sets to
enable a strategic approach to our understanding.
Luton as a
communication friendly town
Increasing the number of ICAN Ambassadors – these are recruited from diverse communities across Luton and trained to deliver key messages to support early communication and language development. There are now 74 ambassadors of which 30 are highly active in their role.
Twenty-two early years’ settings working towards a Communication Friendly Settings Award. This awardinvites early years’ settings to reflect upon three areas of practice; the environment, adult interaction and the settings development. Settings over a 6 month period collect evidence against each element of the programme to support their completion of the Award.
Farley and Northwell have established local Talking Takes Off Community groups to support how parents and professionals can develop a local response to support communication and language in the early years.
Look for a Book – finding, reading and hiding books in North Luton – supported by Luton Council and volunteers. Messages through Facebook suggest it was well received by parents and children. Communities are being offered advice and support to hold their own scheme.
While you Wait Book Boxes – Books to be placed where people wait such as surgeries and hospital appointments, currently 31 boxes to be given to a range of partners including Luton Council Customer Services, Active Luton, the Edwin Lobo Centre, Audiology and Dental Clinics, The Flying Start Children’s Centres and Community Centres.
Talking Takes Off has had a comprehensive approach to marketingand communications – positive results and outcomes include:
Talking Takes Off branding developed
Local TV interview to outline the project
Successful and well attended launch in Luton town centre with TV, radio and press coverage
A range of posters with key communication messages – also in Urdu, Romanian and Polish displayed across venues in town. We also have three celebrity endorsed posters.
Quarterly newsletter for professionals
Promotion at local events
Creation of web and social media pages
Promotional video in Polish
Evaluation
Luton Borough Council is
working with the University of Bedfordshire to measure the success of Talking
Takes Off. The findings suggest that TTO made
a direct impact on the home learning environment and showed that the training
has significantly improved people’s confidence, understanding and knowledge.
Sustainability going
forward
Talking Takes Off was funded
as a one-year programme with a grant from the Department for Education through
the Early Outcome Fund. The aim of this grant was to improve young children’s
communication and language development in the earliest years of life. Partners
have worked hard in delivering the key parts of the programme in a very short
time period. The next step is to ensure that the work that has been started continues
and is embedded in practice for professionals, and parents feel that they can
access the support they need.
Talking Takes Off is a key part of Flying Start and as such, some of the work programme will sit here. There is also a very strong connection to the SEND Written Statement of Action, where parents access to Speech, Language and Communication services was identified as an area for work.
The Programme Board has
developed a sustainability plan to allow us to plan going forward. We are also
fortunate that Emily Martin, a Speech and Language Therapist from Cambridge
Community Service who has been working on Talking Takes Off this year, will be
continuing to work full time on the programme over the next year. This will
allow us to continue to:
offer
a range of training alongside other early years professionals
support
the embedding of the new Early Years Communication and Language toolkit for
practitioners which includes the new screening tool and the new graduated
pathway.
deliver
new interventions to parents as part of our new early year’s communication and
language pathway.
https://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpg00Sally Cornishhttps://www.flyingstartluton.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/FS_Logo.jpgSally Cornish2020-03-30 09:45:042020-04-01 07:38:18Luton’s Transformation of Speech, Language and Communication services end of project report
Talking Takes Off programme evaluation
/0 Comments/in News /by Sally CornishBetween October 2019 and February 2020, 407 professionals attended the Universal Talking Takes Off training. Those who attended the training were asked to complete a short survey rating statements regarding their understanding of Speech Language Communication Needs (SLCN) as well as their confidence in identifying SLCN, before and after the training. Analysis of the results showed that after the training, attendees felt significantly more confident in their understanding and skills. Attendees also reported to find the training useful and enjoyable, and particularly welcomed the ‘Take Away Bag’ which contained free resources such as books and games, a toolkit, and screening tools to help identify speech and language needs in young children.
Three months after the training, we followed up with a sample of attendees to ask how they used the learning and resources in practice. Attendees said they used the toolkit when talking to parents and helping parents to support their child’s communication skills at home. Attendees also reported they felt better equipped to support children ‘in house’ before referring to specialist services. Attendees showed various ways in which they support TTO, from encouraging others to attend the training, to sharing promotional materials, to creating communication friendly spaces in their settings, to hosting coffee morning for parents to discuss the importance of speech and language.
There are still space available for the TTO training. If you would like to attend the training, please visit www.flyingstartluton.com/professional/talkingtakesoff/
Talking Takes Off training and toolkit
/0 Comments/in News /by Sally CornishMore than 400 practitioners from a range of professions have accessed the Talking Takes Off Takeaway training and many of those have gone on to access our enhanced training offer, which includes Communication Champions training, bilingualism, enhanced communication support, Communication Friendly award and selective mutism.
The takeaway pack includes a range of advice, information and practical strategies that can be used to support the developing communication skills of all children aged 0-5 and we have had some really positive feedback on how the packs are being used in our community. The training has been evaluated as part of the wider Talking Takes Off evaluation and we are pleased to report development in practitioner’s understanding and confidence of supporting Speech, Language and Communication needs as a result. We look forward to continuing to offer this training termly moving forward.
The training also gave us the opportunity to introduce the new Early Years Communication and Language Toolkit to our local practitioners. This is a locally developed screening tool, information and resource pack that can be used to guide practitioners in assessing children’s communication skills, supporting the child and the parent with advice and giving information on onwards signposting and referral options as needed. This toolkit is being used across Bedfordshire and information gained from using the toolkit can be used to support a referral in to Speech and Language Therapy. The final draft was introduced from September 2019 when we had our pilot period, many thanks to all those who took part and fed back, allowing us to release the final version in January 2020.
From the summer term 2020, we will be introducing full training on using the toolkit as well as visiting team and network meetings to discuss use of the tool.
Talking Takes off going forwards …..
/0 Comments/in News /by Sally CornishTalking Takes Off was funded as a one-year programme with a grant from the Department for Education through the Early Outcome Fund. The aim of this grant was to improve young children’s communication and language development in the earliest years of life. Partners have worked hard in delivering the key parts of the programme in a very short time period. The next step is to ensure that the work that has been started, continues and is embedded in practice for professionals and parents feel that they can access the support they need.
Talking Takes Off is a key part of Flying Start and as such, some of the work programme will sit here and there is also a very strong connection to the SEND Written Statement of Action, where parents access to Speech, Language and Communication services was identified as an area for work.
The Programme Board has developed a sustainability plan to allow us to plan going forward. We are also fortunate in that Emily Martin a Speech and Language Therapist from Cambridge Community Service who has been working on Talking Takes Off this year, will be continuing to work full time on the programme over the next year. This will allow us to continue to:
So you will see more of Talking Takes Off over the next few months. As before you can find out about training at https://www.flyingstartluton.com/professional/talkingtakesoff/ for universal training and https://www.flyingstartluton.com/professional/talkingtakesoffenhanced/ for enhanced training.
Talking Takes Off resources are available at https://www.flyingstartluton.com/talkingtakesoff/
Talking Takes Off communicates during Coronavirus
/0 Comments/in News /by Sally CornishTalking Takes Off promotes communication as ‘a conversation everyone should be having in Luton’. Much has changed in the world over recent weeks and the role of good communication is now even more important for us all, including our children, in these challenging times.
As professionals we are all adapting to new ways of working and looking to online resources as important tools and ideas we can recommend to the families we work with, for them to use with their own children.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic if one of the positives to come from this challenging time was that children and parents/carers remembered time spent talking, playing and reading together in a shared communication.
With this in mind the Talking Takes Off team thought you may be interested in some of the links below which take you to some great resources to share with your own children or with the children of key workers. There are also links to professional development opportunities which can be accessed remotely.
We may have had to cancel some of the face to face training we had planned for the next few months; however this situation has offered us opportunities to think differently and use the wealth of modern technology available to look at how we can continue to deliver Talking Takes Off training using online services. This will enable us to offer everything you would get from face to face training sessions, but in the virtual world. Keep an eye out on the Flying Start website for details of Talking Takes Off online training and webinars.
We hope you enjoy using these resources and that the importance of communication continues to motivate you personally as well as professionally.
Public Campaigns:
bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people
www.hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk
www.small-talk.org.uk
Local information:
The Talking Takes Off webpage https://www.flyingstartluton.com/talkingtakesoff/
Cambridge Community Service Speech and Language Therapy webpage https://childspeechbedfordshire.nhs.uk/
Speech, Language and Communication Framework: A free online CPD tool which sets out the skills and knowledge for the workforce to support children and young people’s speech, language and communication. www.slcframework.org.uk
CPD Online short course: A free online short course for practitioners to develop an understanding of speech, language and communication. www.thecommunicationtrust.org.uk/onlineshortcourse
Luton’s Transformation of Speech, Language and Communication services end of project report
/0 Comments/in News /by Sally CornishIntroduction and context
In 2019 Luton Council successfully secured funding of £452,000 from the Department for Education (DfE) for its Early Outcome Fund (EOF) programme to support speech, communication and language development in babies and young children from the antenatal period through to when they start school. This yearlong programme, Talking Takes Off, has provided clear support and guidance to all families to give their children the very best start in life. It has delivered additional support for those parents and young children where there were identified needs. The programme has been delivered as part of Luton’s Flying Start strategy, which provides prevention and early help services from pregnancy to five. This funding has also linked with Luton’s Investment Framework in terms of ensuring all children achieve better educational outcomes to make sure they are in the best possible position to take advantage of future employment opportunities in the town.
Throughout the year the core team has worked with a range of partners including maternity and paediatric services, health visiting teams, speech and language therapy services, children’s centres, primary care settings, dentists, Adult Learning, the SENS service, early years providers, schools, libraries and the Local Parks service. Staff have been offered appropriate training supporting early communication and language development so they can use this as part of their work with babies, children, and share skills with parents.
What has Talking Takes Off achieved, developed and offered?
Early identification and support for families
New services as part of the new pathway
Talking Takes off training offer
Data and information
Luton as a communication friendly town
Evaluation
Luton Borough Council is working with the University of Bedfordshire to measure the success of Talking Takes Off. The findings suggest that TTO made a direct impact on the home learning environment and showed that the training has significantly improved people’s confidence, understanding and knowledge.
Sustainability going forward
Talking Takes Off was funded as a one-year programme with a grant from the Department for Education through the Early Outcome Fund. The aim of this grant was to improve young children’s communication and language development in the earliest years of life. Partners have worked hard in delivering the key parts of the programme in a very short time period. The next step is to ensure that the work that has been started continues and is embedded in practice for professionals, and parents feel that they can access the support they need.
Talking Takes Off is a key part of Flying Start and as such, some of the work programme will sit here. There is also a very strong connection to the SEND Written Statement of Action, where parents access to Speech, Language and Communication services was identified as an area for work.
The Programme Board has developed a sustainability plan to allow us to plan going forward. We are also fortunate that Emily Martin, a Speech and Language Therapist from Cambridge Community Service who has been working on Talking Takes Off this year, will be continuing to work full time on the programme over the next year. This will allow us to continue to:
Visit www.flyingstartluton/talkingtakesoff
Telephone 01582 547980
visit the Flying Start Facebook page @FSLuton