Ed Balls and Michael Palin have launched a new programme to support teachers to help children who stammer and announced its roll out to schools across the country. 

Ed Balls has committed £500k to ‘kickstart’ the appeal to help the Michael Palin Centre expand their services in London & the South and to support a new centre of excellence in the North of the country.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls said:

“Children should not be held back by a stammer and that’s why I am really pleased to launch this programme today. The training and information that schools will receive as part of this programme will mean they can better understand and support pupils who stammer.

“I am also grateful for all the expertise and knowledge that therapists at the Michael Palin centre were able to offer. I am therefore making available £500,000 to enable the Michael Palin Centre in London to expand services and increase training of therapists so they can help more children.

“I want to make sure that every child is able to progress and reach their potential. If children with a stammer get the best possible help as early as possible so they can very often overcome any difficulties and make the most of their talents and do just as well as their peers.”

Funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the programme offers information, advice and training materials and follows the Bercow review of speech, language and communication needs, where communication was highlighted as a key skill children need to succeed.

Produced by the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children, a world leader in this field, the programme aims to reduce the impact that stammering can have on children’s psychological development and their ability to form friendships so they can engage fully in education and achieve their potential.

The programme is designed to do this by equipping the education work force with skills to support children who stammer; engaging speech and language therapists; encouraging better collaboration across different sectors of the children’s workforce services; and to make sure strategies are in place to help prevent any discrimination or disadvantages these children may face.

Communication problems can lead to serious disadvantages in later life – from initial frustration at not being able to express oneself, to bullying, reduced educational achievement, fewer job prospects and even the descent into criminality. The Government has committed a total of £12 million investment to implement the Government Action Plan, Better Communication.

Frances Cook, Centre manager at the Michael Palin Centre says

“We are delighted that the Stammering Information Programme was launched by Ed Balls and Michael Palin today. We are also delighted that £500,000 will be provided to expand much needed specialist speech and language therapy services to help children and young people who stammer in London and the South and to help develop a second centre of excellenece in the North of England.”

There are currently between 200 and 250 new referrals to the Michael Palin Centre in London each year and approximately five per cent of children will stammer at some time during the development of their speech and social lives. Stammering usually starts between the ages of two and five when language skills start to develop and generally more boys than girls stammer.

Roll out sessions of the stammering programme will begin in December and take place across England over the next three months. The sessions give practical advice on supporting children who stammer and will include discussion time with a speech and language therapist.