Supporting change

Communication is everybody’s business and we all need to play our part.

I CAN and the RCSLT are committed to working in partnership with national and local decision makers, commissioners and other agencies to address the challenges highlighted in Bercow: Ten Years On

The report contains a set of recommendations to government and local leaders to ensure change is sustainable and embedded, structured around the themes that emerged from the evidence:

Communication is crucial: Everyone must understand speech, language and communication better.

A strategy for system change: A clear unified message from the top is essential if change is to happen.

An accessible and equitable service: Children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) should get the support they need, wherever they live.

Support that makes a difference: Decisions about SLCN support should be made based on what we know will make the greatest impact.

Early identification and intervention: It is essential that the signs of SLCN are spotted early and acted on.

The full set of recommendations can be downloaded here.
We are asking everyone to play their part in helping to ensure we make change happen.

How you can get involved

Everyone can take a bold first step. We have developed some practical actions for those involved in supporting children and young people, for parents/carers and for children and young people. To support this, we’ve written tailored briefings of the report, information sheets and resources. Follow the link below to find what you need.

Commissioners, leaders and managers can change systems locally responding to one of our Calls to Action. Download these here.

key features of effective practice

Throughout the review, people told us what really made the difference for them. We have pulled this together into key features of effective practice.

General Commissioners Leaders Schools

Awareness raising Service models Early intervention