Getting it right for communication: RCSLT response to SEND green paper

As well as our detailed response to the 22 questions (PDF) asked by the Department for Education in their formal consultation, we are also publishing a joint policy statement (PDF) with the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)  (and an easy read summary (PDF)) which sets out in high level terms what needs to happen to improve support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs – and why getting it right for communication is so crucial.

Why getting it right for communication is crucial

To get it right for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), we must get it right for communication. If we don’t, we will fail the majority of children and young people with SEND. And we know what the consequences of that will be for them and their families – and the impact it will have on their wellbeing and mental health, their health outcomes, their education, their home and family life, their social life and friendships, their employment prospects, their life chances and the risks of them becoming involved in the criminal justice system.

Enablers of success: what needs to happen

For children and young people with communication needs to get the right support, in the right place, at the right time, the government needs to take action urgently in six key areas:

• funding (PDF);
• workforce (PDF);
• joint commissioning (PDF);
• early intervention (PDF);
• accountability (PDF); and
• professional development (PDF).

We call on the government to work with us, with relevant charity partners and other organisations, and with children and young people who have communication needs, and their families and carers, to deliver the six enablers of success.

Getting it right for communication is everybody’s business. So together, let’s seize the opportunity the SEND Review green paper gives us to improve the lives of all children and young people with SEND and their families. They deserve nothing less.

• Download the RCSLT and ASLTIP policy statement (PDF)
• Download the easy read summary (PDF)
• Download the RCSLT’s detailed response to the Department for Education’s consultation (PDF)