Early Years Communication Champion Programme

A Communication Champion is a key advocate for the development of speech, language and communication for all children within an early years setting. They are part of a peer network of Communication Champions who learn from each other and receive regular training and encouragement from specialist speech and language therapists.

This enables them to be confident in their own skills and knowledge and be a leading light within their setting empowering colleagues and families to confidently provide the appropriate level of support to children in their care. A Communication Champion is a key advocate for the development of speech, language and communication for all children within an early years setting.  

They are part of a peer network of Communication Champions who learn from each other and receive regular training and encouragement from specialist speech and language therapists. This enables them to be confident in their own skills and knowledge and be a leading light within their setting empowering colleagues and families to confidently provide the appropriate level of support to children in their care. 

The team

Communication Champion

Qualities and skills:

• willingness to access and participate in termly workshops and networking sessions delivered by the CYP SLT team
• passionate about speech language and communication needs (SLCN)
• interested in how communication underpins the development of many other skills
• good communication skills to share knowledge (from termly workshops) and support others in developing their skills.

Practitioner roles and responsibilities

Named person(s) within a setting who has access to:

• an introductory video to SLCN
• termly workshops/networking sessions (approximately 90 minutes per term)
• a designated place on the CYP SLT website to access resources.

The named person will be expected to:

• support other practitioners to use strategies and specific interventions to support children with SLCN.
• share learning from workshops with other staff.
• be a positive role model for supporting SLCN within the setting.

Please note: the Communication Champion will not carry out all intervention but support others to do so. They will, of course, work as part of the setting team and it is important to recognise the roles of all staff.

SENCo

Roles and responsibilities:

• ensure policy and practice is in place for SLCN
• keeps record of number of children with SLCN
• ensure setting shares information with parents
• works closely with other senior staff to work on the whole setting approaches
• ensure all staff know current procedure around referral to speech and language therapy.

Other staff in setting

Roles and responsibilities:

• continue to implement recommendations and strategies from the Speech and Language Therapy Team/Communication Champion
• know who the named Communication Champion is to go to in the setting for further advice
• ensure communication and language remain a focus throughout the setting.

Link speech and language therapist (from the CYP SLT service)

Named as the local point of contact for pre-school, day nursery and childminder Communication Champions. Contact will be via email address. The therapist will provide information and advice where needed.

Local Authority Early Years’ Service

• aware of settings with a Communication Champion and who that is
• aware of the link therapist is from CYP SLT service
• promote joining the Communication Champion Programme (where appropriate)
• continue to promote the benefits of supporting speech, language, and communication.