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<p>The department’s vision for children and young people with special educational
needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with speech, language and communication
needs (SLCN), is the same as it is for all children and young people. The department
wants them to achieve well in their early years, at school and in further education,
to find employment, to lead happy and fulfilled lives and to experience choice and
control.</p><p> </p><p>The first response when any child is falling behind in school
is good quality teaching. To support with this, the department is developing a suite
of Practitioner standards, called ’Practice Guides‘ in the SEND and alternative provision
Improvement Plan, which will set out the best available evidence to help professionals
in mainstream settings, including early years staff, teachers and teaching assistants
to identify and support the needs of children and young people they work with, including
for those with speech and language needs.</p><p> </p><p>In some cases, additional,
specialist support may be required to meet the needs of a child, including support
provided by speech and language therapists. The department is working with the Department
of Health and Social Care to take a joint approach to SEND workforce planning. The
department established a steering group in 2023 to oversee this work, which is intended
to be completed by 2025. The government is also backing the NHS Long Term Workforce
Plan, which sets out the steps the NHS and its partners need to take over the next
15 years to meet the needs of the changing population. This includes increasing the
number of allied health professionals such as speech and language therapists.</p><p>
</p><p>In addition, working with NHS England, the department is funding the Early
Language and Support for Every Child pathfinders within the department’s Change Programme
until 2025. The project will fund nine Integrated Care Boards and local areas within
each of the nine Change Programme Partnerships to trial new ways of working to better
identify and support children with SLCN in early years and primary school settings.</p><p>
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