Friday 9 October 2015

We NEED your help!

The Communication Trust (TCT) is widely recognised for its provision of research and resources to support the workforce who delivers interventions for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).


A particular focus of TCT’s work, with funding from the Department for Education, has been to support the ongoing dissemination of the Better Communication Research Programme (BCRP). One aspect of this work, the development of the ‘What Works’ database, illustrates TCT’s concern to base guidance and support for practitioners on research evidence. TCT has also been commissioned to provide guidance concerning the support of the workforce regarding the involvement of children and young people with SLCN in decisions that concern them. This is in response to the Children and Family Act 2014 and the related Code of Practice which requires that children and young people must be involved in “discussions and decisions about their individual support and local provision” in order to increase participation and inclusion of children and young people, the early identification of needs and the delivery of high quality support. TCT has already developed a resource to support professionals to implement the Code of Practice (“Communicating the Code”) which contains a chapter on the involvement of children and young people with SLCN.

TCT intends to develop practical guidance for practitioners to ensure that children and young people with SLCN are fully involved in discussions and decisions about their individual support and about local provision. It is the intention of TCT that this guidance be informed by independent research that investigates the experiences of children and young people with SLCN and their parents of current practice regarding their involvement since the introduction of the Code of Practice and their views of best practice for their involvement in developing their individual support particularly around the setting of outcomes and in developing local services. The Bristol Speech and Language Therapy Research Unit (BSLTRU) are working with the TCT to achieve this.  But we need your help!

Would you be willing to complete a short on-line survey (click here), or maybe take part in a telephone interview (about 30 minutes; email lydia.morgan@speech-therapy.org.uk, or call 0117 340 6529).
Both the survey and the interview are for the parents or carers of a child or young person aged from 0-25 years who has speech, language and communication needs.  This survey is part of a study led by Prof Sue Roulstone (susan.roulstone@uwe.ac.uk) from the Bristol Speech & Language Therapy Research Unit and the University of the West of England, on behalf of The Communication Trust.

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