Every Lambeth Child a Talker

A new programme, delivered by Lambeth Primary Care Trust and Lambeth Council, will give practitioners access to training and materials so they can help young children develop their speaking and listening skills more effectively.

The £40 million government-funded Every Child a Talker initiative will allow speech and language therapists to support professionals working with young children to improve language development and detect speaking and listening problems at an early age.

The local version of the programme, called Every Lambeth Child a Talker is already underway with intensive training taking place in 20 early years settings across the borough.

The two-year programme will:

• improve children’s early language development (initially for children in targeted settings but eventually across the whole of Lambeth)
• establish early language lead practitioners in 20 targeted settings who will offer expertise and support to other practitioners in their own and linked settings, as well as parents 
• increase practitioner knowledge and understanding of children’s early language development and how to support it 
• increase parental understanding of and involvement in their children’s language development by creating stronger home learning environments
• embed Every Lambeth Child a Talker into speech and language therapy services in Lambeth Primary Care Trust 
• give practitioners opportunities for regular networking and practice sharing with colleagues
• allocate funding for settings resources and access to backfill for staff involved
• develop free materials and an Every Lambeth Child a Talker website for parents and early years practitioners.

In the second phase of the project, the 20 settings will link with other early years settings to share best practice.

For more information on Every Lambeth Child a Talker please contact Naomi Musolino on 020 3049 6348 or Sharon Synmoie on 020 7926 9658.

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