More early speech and language support needed as a result of the lockdowns

Analysis by the BBC shows that the number of reception and year 1 pupils requiring speech and language support at school has risen by 10%. The increase, which is substantially greater than previous years, is partly due to the impact of lockdowns on development of social language and interactions. A number of schools have altered their way of working to ensure that these skills are given priority. One headteacher decried the lack of play-based learning during the pandemic disruption to education.

This rise in demand is adding to the backlog with currently 65,000 children on the NHS waiting list to see a speech and language therapist, with an estimated 4,000 waiting for more than a year.

Due to this the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, with over 110 other SEND organisations, have written a letter to the new Education secretary Gillian Keegan and Health secretary Steve Barclay, urging them to tackle:

• an insufficient number of specialists being trained to meet demand;
• a growing number of specialists failing to be retained by councils or supported to further develop their specialisms, with some moving to the private sector;
• growing need for support in general and in more complex cases in particular; and
• the pressures of COVID-19 exacerbating existing pressure on the specialist workforce and increased waiting times for children