Information use project goal
There is high pressure on services to offer support for early communication and language development, with concern about children’s early language development following the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis with surging poverty also impacting on early language skills. In Oldham efforts are focussed on ensuring that young children are growing up in environments that support language and communication, that all families are engaged in their young children’s language learning, and that support is in place as early as possible when there are concerns.
This project aims to improve the collection and use of information on environmental and child factors related to speech, language and communication development. This will be done by exploring how better to document, share and use the insights of young children, families and professionals who work with them. Improved information which includes these voices will enable earlier identification of concerns about a child’s early communication support, lead to earlier signposting, and help understanding of how to ensure early communication supporting environments for all children. Improved information will also provide an earlier and more holistic picture of existing communication needs, which will help the planning and commissioning of services that are more adequate to meet varying levels of needs.
Next steps
We will first map out which information on early communication support and development is currently collected from families and across services, from the antenatal phase to age two. We will do this by reviewing datasets and having conversations, group discussions and observations with families, practitioners in midwifery, health visiting, family support and early education, and those in leadership roles in the local authority. An essential part of this process will be to explore where and how the voices of children, families and professionals are currently included in and inform the collection and use of information. We will also map out where and how relevant information is shared between professionals with different roles, and where enhanced sharing of information could improve a wider understanding of communication support in families. Building on these steps, researchers and staff will develop and introduce new mechanisms to flag up concerns around early speech, language and communication.
Future plans
Over several cycles of work, researchers and staff will then implement, trial and improve the developed system to flag up early concerns, and put into place and trial routes of actions to respond to early identification of concerns. Feasibility, acceptance, and meaningfulness will be explored. Learning from Oldham and Rochdale projects will inform ongoing development of the Greater Manchester whole system approach to identifying need and supporting children and families.
The team
The research team work flexibly across sites however Prof. Leon Feinstein, Dr Katharina Ereky-Stevens and Dr Caitlin Shaughnessy are key members of the team working with Oldham. In the site, key team members include Paula Healey, Laurence Rafferty, Janette Olsen, Amaara Khan, and many more. Engaged in the project from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority are Miriam Loxham and David Ottiwell.
