Disability and Special Educational Needs: Speech and Language Therapy

(asked on 17th March 2023) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children with Special educational needs and disabilities receive Speech and Language Therapy support.


Answered by
Claire Coutinho Portrait
Claire Coutinho
Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero
This question was answered on 28th March 2023

To ensure children and young people receive the support they need to thrive in education, the department is developing new national special educational needs and disabilities and alternative provision standards. These will cover early years, school, and post-16 provision. They will set out what support should be available and who is responsible for providing it, to give families confidence and clarity on how the needs of children and young people will be met.

To improve access to speech and language therapy, we are funding the Early Language and Support For Every Child (ELSEC) pathfinders in partnership with NHS England. This will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and will fund one of the local areas within each of the nine Regional Expert Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better identify and support children with speech language and communication needs in early years and primary schools.

To support the supply of more speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to the NHS, since September 2020 all eligible undergraduate and postgraduate degree students have been able to apply for a non-repayable training grant of a minimum of £5,000 per academic year, with further financial support available for childcare, accommodation, and travel costs.

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