Schools, settings and FE
We are seeking the views of settings, schools and colleges of FE regarding the needs and provision for children and young people's speech, language and communication skills.
We will be meeting with senior leaders from across the sector but also want to offer the opportunity for much wider engagement.
There is an online survey for settings, schools and colleges of FE that can be accessed at the following link: Survey link. It should take no more than 10 minutes to complete and will make a really important contribution to this work.
If your early years setting or school would be interested a funded licence for The Balanced System for Schools and Settings please email us at victoria@bettercommunication.org.uk, Elizabeth.Pole@kent.gov.uk and Hester.Mackay@kent.gov.uk. We will be running information sessions in the autumn term so that you can find out more before signing up.
For families:
Share your experiences of support for speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
We are looking to speak to parents and carers (who live within the Kent Local Authority area) about their experiences of support for their child’s SLCN. The insight you provide will contribute to Kent’s journey to improve support for SLCN, and we hope that over time, we can use interviews to demonstrate improved experiences of families and the impact of the Balanced System for SLCN.
The interview will last up to 45 minutes and will be delivered via TEAMS. The approach will be informal and relaxed in style, and no personal data will be collected – you will just be asked for your child’s year of birth and the area you live in. We will record the interviews in order to enable us to transcribe the information you share, but you will be given option of consenting to further use of the interview (such as for training purposes). A member of Kent PACT staff may also attend.
Please contact Elizabeth.pole@kent.gov.uk if you would like to share your story.
If you are the parent or carer of a young person aged 16-25 with SLCN, who would be willing to share their views about their communication skills and the support they have received, we have some specially designed resources which use a visual rating scale to support them to express their views. There is a simpler version and a more complex version (the simpler version requires the young person’s level of understanding to be at a three key word level). We would be grateful for any parents/carers willing to complete these with their young people, but can offer some availability to meet with the young person directly over video call if preferred. Here is the link to the instructional video, and the resources themselves. Please contact elizabeth.pole@kent.gov.uk or gemma@bettercommunication.org.uk for queries/support.
Resources
Watch Gemma's video introduction to the rating scales
1. YPA Visual Rating Scale Instructions
2. PPT Virtual Activities Good Not Good
3. PPT Virtual Activities Never Sometimes Always Good
4. PPT Virtual People Good Not Good
5. PPT Virtual People Never Sometimes Always Good
