Published: 25 March 2008
Interim Report from Bercow Review Published
Children and young people must be given the support they need to overcome speech, language and communications difficulties so they enjoy the same opportunities to learn, socialise and succeed as anyone else, according to an interim report presented by John Bercow MP to the Secretaries of State for Health and for Children, Schools and Families.
The Bercow Review, which the Government commissioned in September 2007, aims to improve services for children and young people from birth to 19 who have speech, language and communications difficulties, which could range from a delay in speaking to a severe stammer, or could be related to other disabilities such as autism or cerebral palsy.
Over 2,000 people responded to the Review's consultation, with almost 1,000 responses from families.
The government claims to have invested in measures to address children's speech, language and communication needs, for example through the Children's Centres programme and the numbers of speech & language therapists have increased by over a third between 1997 and 2006.
However, families highlighted that concerns about services remain.
Some families feel their children are not a priority for local services and they have to struggle to obtain help.
Information can be hard to find and services hard to access. Many feel agencies do not work together effectively or share a common language. Others found it difficult to maintain continuous support, especially as some professionals are stretched for time and resources - while others don't have the training to step in.
The interim report highlights the main issues and has identified five key themes:
· Speech, language and communication are essential life skills and a fundamental human right - they should be a priority for all in the system
· Early identification of problems and intervention are essential to avoiding social and economic problems later in life
· Services should be a continuous process from an early age - not just the odd sessions or for very young children - and designed with the needs of the family in mind, making them easy to access
· Joint working between services and with families is critical. Local authorities, primary care trusts and other services need to cooperate more, and
· The current system is patchy - there is in effect a 'postcode lottery'
John Bercow said:
"I am very pleased to present this interim report to Ed Balls and Alan Johnson. Thousands of people have contributed to the Review and my colleagues and I on the Review team are especially grateful to the many families who have taken the time to tell us of their experiences.
Although there are some skilled professionals and very good facilities, the overall position is highly unsatisfactory.
Access to information and services is often poor, services themselves are very mixed, continuity across the age range is lacking, effective joint working between the health and education services is rare and there is something of a postcode lottery across the country.
Above all, local commissioners attach a low priority to the subject and this must change.
In this interim report, I set out the principal issues which need further consideration and the next steps I will take. Both the DCSF and DH Ministers and officials have co-operated fully with the Review and I look forward to making final recommendations in July 2008."
The report describes a series of possible 'next steps', which the final review will consider:
· The possibility of a Year of Speech, Language & Communication
· Whether there are enough speech and language therapists
· Bolstering the effectiveness of Children's Trusts to improve access to services and to improve co-operation between local councils and PCTs
· Providing local authorities and PCTs with an 'audit tool' to see what children's needs are in each area
Building on the Education and Skills Committee report: Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding (October 2007), the DCSF has set the terms of reference for Brian Lamb, Royal National Institute for Deaf People director, to lead an inquiry into how best to increase parental confidence in the special educational needs (SEN) assessment system.
This is alongside a package of measures supported by £18m of additional investment over 2008-2011 outlined in the Children's Plan. This package will hopefully improve the skills of the workforce in meeting children's special educational needs and focus on the outcomes being achieved.
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said:
"It is vital that children and young people with speech and language difficulties are identified at the earliest possible stage and the right support is then put in place.
If these problems aren't identified and treated early on it can have a fundamental impact on children and young people throughout their lives. I want Children's Services to work together with Primary Care Trusts to provide speech and language services that meet the needs of children and families.
In recent weeks I have visited the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering in London with John Bercow and the West Green Primary speech and language unit in Haringey and I saw there the huge difference speech and language therapists and support staff make to the lives of children and young people with communication difficulties.
I want to see the good services I have seen replicated in every area so I am therefore very pleased that John Bercow undertook to carry out this review. I thank him for his work so far and look forward to reading the final report and recommendations later this year."
Further information
Bercow Review website and Interim report
Special Educational Needs: Assessment and Funding (October 2007)
Speech and language therapy : Directgov
Royal National Institute for Deaf People
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