Background

Background to the development of the Worcestershire SLCN Pathway

The SLCN Pathway Working Groups were established in January 2010 to bring together the positive work that was already happening in Worcestershire and to look at ways to support the workforce as well as parents in identifying and making provision for children with SLCN.

Worcestershire SLCN Review

At the same time, the Joint Commissioning Services to Children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs Review, led in partnership by NHS Worcestershire and Worcestershire County Council, was being carried out.

The purpose of the SLCN Review was to:

• Understand the complexity of need and services across both the LA and PCT;
• Identify positive practice and address gaps and inequity across the county;
• Review current provision across the Local Authority (LA) and Primary Care Trust (PCT);
• Develop a coherent strategy with clear information, pathways, protocols, performance monitoring and outcomes;
• Develop a jointly commissioned model of SLCN services for children in Worcestershire.

The Review identified key issues to be addressed and made a number of recommendations to be included in the SLCN Pathway. For more information about the Worcestershire SLCN Review, please refer to the following documents;

• Key Messages from the Needs Assessment and Service Mapping Exercise Joint Commissioning Services to Children and Young People with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (PDF 267 KB)
• Needs Assessment and Service Mapping Executive Summary (PDF 501 KB)
• Needs Assessment and Service Mapping Report (PDF 1.23 MB)
• Service Redesign: Proposed Model of Service Delivery (PDF 469 KB)

In June 2011, the Worcestershire SLCN Pathway was launched and the Outcomes of the SLCN Review shared with services, schools, settings, parents and practitioners across Worcestershire. For details go to 'Outcomes of the SLCN Review, redesigned services and launch of the online Speech, Language and Communication Needs Pathway' (PDF 6.59 MB).

SLCN Pathway Consultation and Launch

Many of the tools within the Pathway were trialled by settings, schools, parents and support services throughout 2010 - 2011. At the end of January 2011, representatives from the following groups were invited to consult on the SLCN Pathway:

• Parents
• Settings
• Schools
• Children's Centres
• Early Years and Childcare Services
• Speech and Language Therapy Service
• Integrated Specialist Support Service
• Educational Psychology Service
• Learning Support Team
• Health Visitors
• Joint Commissioning Group

In June 2011, the Worcestershire SLCN Pathway was launched and the Outcomes of the SLCN Review shared with services, schools, settings, parents and practitioners across Worcestershire. Click to view a copy of the SLCN Launches PowerPoint Presentation (PDF 2.01 MB).

Worcestershire Initiatives

There are a number of other initiatives within Worcestershire that have influenced the development of the SLCN Pathway and are referenced throughout this document, including:

• 'Worcestershire Good Practice Guidelines: Developing Speech, Language & Communication: Making a Difference for Children and Young People', produced in 2008 by Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire NHS to provide guidance and inform good practice across Worcestershire. Information from this document has been updated and merged within the SLCN Pathway.
• 'Language for Learning across the Curriculum' (Hayden and Jordan, 2007) was distributed to all primary schools across Worcestershire in 2008. This book is a practical guide for supporting pupils with language and communication difficulties across the Key Stage 1 & 2 curriculum. Language for Learning (External Website) provides training, courses and resources for staff from Early Years to Secondary level and are led jointly by a speech and language therapist and a specialist teacher. 
• The research and development work carried out in 2010-2011 by the specialist working group for the 'World Class Commissioning for Children with Speech, Language & Communication Needs Worcestershire Pathfinder' project - focusing on services to children with SLI (specific language impairments, a subgroup of SLCN).
• The 'Worcestershire County Council Policy on Education Inclusion' (WCC, 2010) and the development of the strategy for implementing that policy.

Current Practice

The Worcestershire SLCN Pathway is based on good practice and settings and schools should be familiar with much of what is suggested.

The Pathway builds on general principles of Quality First Teaching, a concept developed in the National Strategies (External Website) initiative, and considers elements of 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' (DfES, 2004), the previous Government's SEN strategy which aims to embed inclusive practice in every school by developing teachers’ skills in meeting the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability).

The Individual Child Pathway supports the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice (DfES, 2001) which describes a ‘graduated response’ to identification, assessment and meeting the needs of children with special educational needs.

It is intended that the SLCN Pathway will be updated as needed, to reflect changes in legislation and national and local initiatives.

© Worcestershire County Council and Worcestershire PCT 2011.

This page was last reviewed 17 April 2013 at 14:47.
The page is next due for review 14 October 2014.