Introduction

This chapter will note how the entire children's workforce requires a clear, comprehensive framework of skills and knowledge about speech, language and communication. It outlines the development in England of such a framework, which has been constructed by The Communication Trust for online use, and illustrates its practical application with case studies. The Speech, Language and Communication Framework (SLCF) allows any practitioner working with children, such as teachers, psychologists or speech and language therapists to evaluate their own knowledge and identify gaps and areas for further development. It signposts training and other ways of gaining skills and knowledge relevant to the individual's profile, and suggests ways of transferring these into practice. The SLCF is designed to give teachers, including student and practising teachers, clear pathways for professional development in speech, language and communication.

The need for the children's workforce to support speech, language and communication

Speech, language and communication skills are fundamentally important to many areas of children's development, underpinning the current government national frameworks in the UK (HM Government 2004; Scottish Government 2006; Welsh Assembly Government 2005). The central importance of spoken language in relation to other areas of learning, as well as to social and emotional wellbeing has been emphasised in recent reports (DCSF 2008c; 2009b). Given this, the need for the whole of the children's workforce to know about speech, language and communication and be able to support the speech, language and communication development of all children and young people has been highlighted and strengthened (Morgan 2008).