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Communication champions
- Professionals and Clinicians
- Speech, language and communication
7.6% of children (2 children in every class of 30) start school with a Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). In some areas of the UK, more than 50% of children are not reaching the expected levels in communication and language when entering school.
Communication champions help children and young people from 2 to 18 years old. They are link practitioners in early years settings, children's centres and schools.
What is a communication champion
A communication champion is a staff member who works in early years, social care and educational settings. They will have completed training to become a communication champion.
Communication champions are passionate about speech, language and communication in children and young people. A communication champion be the main point of contact in their workplace for all things speech, language and communication.
It’s a great opportunity to ensure that the children in your care are getting the help and support they need.
Benefits of communication champions
Helping children and young people with their communication skills is the key benefit of being a communication champion. Knowing that you are making a tangible difference in children and young people.
While helping and supporting children and young people in your workplace is a benefit in itself, there are other benefits that being a communication champion can bring.
Communication champions
- Highlighting your ability to take a lead role in a key area to children's success.
- Being supported to deliver staff training.
- Develop your transferable skills.
- Contributes towards your continuing professional development (CPD).
Setting
The Ofsted inspection handbook states: Inspectors should consider how effectively senior leaders use performance management and their assessment of strengths and areas for improvement within the setting to provide a focus for professional development activities, particularly in relation to increasing children’s vocabulary and cultural capital. [P20 90]
If communication and language has been identified as areas for develop in your setting, a communication champion would be an excellent way to evidence this.
The role of a communication champion
Communication champions will:
- be able to identify children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
- develop activities and strategies to help children’s communication and language skills and bring the best practice approach for communication and language
- help colleagues with understanding the importance of children's communication. They will be able to answer questions about children's speech, language and communication needs
- highlight training needs of the wider team and themselves to management
- signpost parents and colleagues to local support, this can include contributing to the parent information board.
- keep up to date with their knowledge of speech, language and communication.
- support with referring children with speech, language and communication needs to the Bedfordshire and Luton speech and language therapy team
Creating communication champion teams
A communication champion team is the group of trained communication champions. Communication champion teams are used in a school settings. You do not need to create a team if you are a early years professional such as a childminder or a health visitor.
For schools with over 100 pupils we recommend that there are at least 3 communication champions in a team. This will usually be a SENDCo, a teacher and teaching assistant.
For schools with less 100 pupils, you may have a smaller communication champion team.
Communication champion teams in Bedfordshire Borough and Central Bedfordshire may be eligible for the communication friendly awards.
Training
To become a communication champion in a school you will need to do some speech, language and communication training.
The training you do as a communication champion will contribute towards your continuing personal development (CPD).
We have training available to train early years and educational professionals. Early years professionals are not required to do any training, however we would recommend taking our Talk for all course.
Training courses available in your area:
Bedfordshire Borough and Central Bedfordshire
Communication champion training - Primary school (4 to 11 years old)
Talk for all training - Early years (1 to 4 years old) - This is an optional course for early years professionals.
Luton
Elkan training - Primary school and secondary school (4 to 16 years old)
Forums
These forums are a study group where you can speak with other communication champions and to keep up to date with your knowledge of speech, language and communication. Once you are a communication champion, you will be notified about the options available in your area.
Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024
