What do you want to prove?
Below you'll find the main themes or Strands of the Balanced System® Framework. You can read more about the Framework here.
Think about what you want to prove and which Strands apply.
Click a Strand to explore the outcomes and Prove its! for each Level and choose what you want to measure.
Family Support
Environment
Workforce
Identification
Intervention
Outcome
All parents and carers are supported with information and resources to encourage their role as effective primary communicative partners for their children. Families and young people are able to make proactive choices with respect to their needs.
Prove it!
How will I know that parents and carers have improved ability and confidence in their role as a key communicative partner?
How will I know that parents, carers and young people have been supported in their understanding of the information, resources and sources of advice available?
What could I measure?
Parents have enough information to develop their own child's speech, language and communication skills.
For example: Informal advice sessions are provided in a range of different ways, such as coffee mornings for parents, signposting to information points
Information or written materials are available to support all parents so that they know where to go if they are concerned about their child or young person's speech, language and communication development.
For example: Information is available in a range of media, including social media, videos, activity packs as well as written information
All parents receive information about speech, language and communication development and needs.
For example: Information about speech, language and communication development and needs is included in other training and advice sessions for parent and families
Outcome
Parents and carers of children and young people with identified speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) access additional specific support to ensure confidence in their role as a key communication partner and educational support for their child or young person. Families and young people with SLCN are supported to make choices and access appropriate support.
Prove it!
How will I know that parents and carers of children and young people with identified SLCN have improved ability and confidence in their role as a key communicative partner?
How will I know that parents, carers and young people with identified SLCN have been supported through targeted information, resources and sources of advice?
What could I measure?
Parents of children who have identified speech, language and communication needs have enough information so that they can support and develop their child's speech, language and communication skills.
For example: Regular access is available to informal advice through drop in sessions and signposting to appropriate websites, access to resources
Parents of children with identified speech, language and communication needs know about the interventions that are available and how they can access these.
For example: Through the Local Offer. Access to specific support linked to targeted interventions run in community settings, nurseries, children's centres, libraries, schools or locally sensitive information is available to support commonly occurring speech, language and communication need and links to learning such as phonological awareness and phonics, language enrichment and word finding.
Parents are supported to understand how speech, language and communication needs affect their child.
For example: Regular opportunities are provided to develop specific elements of communication and learning through parent workshops, coffee morning with specialist advice and support linked to targeted interventions
Outcome
Parents and carers of children and young people with specialist SLCN receive specific specialist support to ensure confidence in their role as a key communication partner for their child and to increase their understanding of the specific communication challenges associated with their child's needs. Young people with SLCN are enabled to be active participants in decisions about their support.
Prove it!
How will I know that parents and carers of children and young people with more complex SLCN have improved ability and confidence in their role as a key communicative partner?
How will I know that parents, carers and young people with more complex SLCN have been supported through specialist information, resources and sources of advice?
What could I measure?
Services support parents of children who have identified speech, language and communication needs with enough information so that they can support their child's speech, language and communication skills in partnership with services.
For example: Access to information to support children with specialist needs is available through a range of media; local pages on social media, signposts to websites, locally sensitive leaflets, posters, DVDs as well as written information about strategies to support specialist level of need
Services provide accessible advice and support to parents and families of children with significant speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Advice sessions and support on a range of speech, language and communication needs available in different locations and at a range of times to suit local need
Parents and families of children with significant speech, language and communication needs have access to local and national groups.
For example: Signposts to websites – national and local as appropriate, including appropriate organisations for specialist speech, language and communication needs such as NAPLIC and Afasic
Outcome
Places where children and young people spend their time for learning and leisure support communication. Environments have appropriate enhancements that make it easier for all children and young people to understand and express themselves.
Prove it!
How can I prove that a learning environment supports speech, language and communication for all?
What could I measure?
Schools, settings and childminders provide a communication supportive environment and parents and families are helped to provide communication supportive home learning environments.
For example: Schools and settings use communication supportive environment audits and adapt accordingly. Parents receive advice on simple strategies for home learning.
Environments such as schools, settings, nurseries, childminders, libraries etc use a range of strategies to support the speech, language and communication development of all children.
For example: Use of visual prompts and symbols, basic staff awareness of strategies for good communication, understanding of impact of noise levels, use of basic signing to support communication
The wider workforce know how to use environment strategies to facilitate children's ability to communicate.
For example: Settings have an action plan to develop their use of communication strategies within in the environment
Outcome
Places where children and young people with identified SLCN spend their time for learning and leisure support communication. Appropriate additional enhancements are made that enable children and young people with identified SLCN to more easily understand and to express themselves.
Prove it!
How can I prove that environments for children and young people with identified speech, language and communication needs are additionally enhanced to support them to understand and express themselves more effectively?
What could I measure?
The wider workforce has access to and use a communication supportive environment audit tool to specifically support children with identified speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Staff working with children with identified needs can adapt strategies to enable access to learning opportunities
The wider workforce includes differentiated speech, language and communication needs supportive activities within planning.
For example: Plans include visual strategies specifically for targeted pupils, this could include task management boards and/or routine boards as well as signs and symbols
The wider workforce use environment supportive strategies for children with identified speech, language and communication needs.
For example: A regular audit of targeted strategies during a learning walk or peer observation and sharing of good practice in staff meetings
Outcome
Places where children and young people with specialist and complex SLCN spend their time for learning and leisure support communication. The necessary adaptations are in place to maximise access in addition to the enhancements expected at a universal and targeted level.
Prove it!
How will I know that environments for children and young people with specialist and complex SLCN are additionally enhanced to support them to understand and express themselves more effectively?
What could I measure?
Specialists support the wider workforce to create communication environments that specifically support children with complex speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Individual specialist adaptations are made; use of new signs, visual task boards, mind mapping learning requirements
Specialists support the wider workforce to use a range of signs and symbols to support children's communication.
For example: Key staff will need regular opportunities to update on new signs to be used with children and young people with complex speech, language and communication needs and have time to share this with appropriate staff
Specialists support the wider workforce to adapt the environment to enable children and young people with complex speech, language and communication needs to communicate.
For example: The wider workforce are given training about the specialist strategies to be implemented and key staff have in-depth training and support to effectively put strategies into place
Outcome
The wider workforce is supported to have a good basic understanding of speech, language and communication including supportive strategies. Setting and school staff are confident in their role as facilitators of communication. The wider workforce has access to appropriate training around speech, language and communication.
Prove it!
How can I prove that the wider workforce have access to information and training so that they develop good basic understanding of speech, language and communication, and are confident and competent in their role as facilitators of communication?
What could I measure?
Settings audit the knowledge and skills of all staff (meal/ break time staff, before and after school care, receptionists) on basic awareness of speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Self audit of confidence and competence in relation to speech, language and communication needs using SLCF as an example
Services offer access to a range of universal level training for the wider workforce regarding speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Access to a range of universal level training or support for all staff regarding speech, language and communication needs including both taught modules and on the job experiential training which can include:
- Awareness that some children have difficulties with speech, language and communication
- The aspects of typical speech, language and communication development
- The link between behaviour and communication skills
- The importance of adult talk in modelling for children's speech, language and communication development
The wider workforce know who to talk to about referral to speech and language therapy or who might need targeted support.
For example: Process for capturing progress against targets and feeding back when these are not achieved
Outcome
The wider workforce is supported to develop specific knowledge and skills to support children and young people with identified SLCN. Setting and school staff are confident and competent to deliver targeted interventions, support parents, adapt the environment and identify children who need additional support.
Prove it!
How can I prove that the wider workforce is confident and competent to deliver targeted interventions, support parents, adapt the environment and identify children and young people who need extra support?
What could I measure?
Key staff are confident and competent to deliver targeted interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Staff have completed a self audit such as the SLCF at a targeted level to understand strengths and areas for development
Identified staff are able to attend training around speech, language and communication needs and support children with identified need.
For example: Access to a range of targeted level training or support for a proportion of staff regarding speech, language and communication needs including both taught modules and on the job experiential training
Key staff are able to recognise when a child needs additional support to communicate and learn effectively.
For example: Staff share progress against targets in a timely way and support referrals to specialist agencies
Outcome
Knowledge skills and expertise are developed in identified members of the wider workforce in order to ensure that, working with specialist support, there are staff that are confident and competent to support the delivery of specialist interventions including individual and small group work, support parents, adapt the environment and identify children and young people who need specialist support.
Prove it!
How can I prove that identified members of the wider workforce are confident and competent to deliver specialist interventions, support parents, adapt the environment and identify children and young people who need specialist support?
What could I measure?
Staff are confident and competent to support children with complex speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Key staff have completed self audit of knowledge and skills using SLCF or similar at a specialist level
Key staff continue to develop their knowledge and skills in supporting complex speech, language and communication needs.
For example: A proportion of staff in each setting have access to a range of specialist level training, support or development opportunities regarding speech, language and communication needs
Key staff are able to recognise when a child needs additional specialist support.
For example: Staff provide evidence against targets of progress or need for additional support
Outcome
Early identification of children whose speech, language and communication needs may require targeted or specialist support is as efficient and accessible as possible. Pre-identification information and advice is available in a given area, school or setting.
Prove it!
How can I prove that in a given area, identification at a universal level is happening early and effectively?
What could I measure?
The wider workforce know how to identify children who might need additional support for speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Using guidelines and identification tools
The wider workforce know how to access information on typical communication development and refer to this.
For example: Appropriate information on levels and stages are accessible to the wider workforce to help them monitor progress of speech, language and communication skills
The wider workforce know who to talk to if they are concerned about a child or young person's speech, language or communication skills.
For example: Through regular liaison meetings and use of referral pathway
Outcome
Efficient and accessible processes are in place that support the identification of more specific SLCN. The wider workforce, setting and school staff are supported to be confident and competent to identify children and young people who may require targeted support and/or referral to specialist services for their SLCN.
Prove it!
How can I prove that children and young people vulnerable for longer term or more specific speech, language and communication needs are identified early and effectively?
What could I measure?
Key staff are able to identify children and young people who need referral to specialist services.
For example: Profiling of children's progress and development and use of guidelines informs timely decisions for referral to specialist support
Key staff are able to access appropriate tools to help identify children with speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Regular liaison meetings between inclusion specialists, SLTs and other professionals, as appropriate, ensures pupils are appropriately monitored and supported
Children and young people are signposted to appropriate identification routes.
For example: informal advice and drop-in sessions that can lead to onward referrals.
Outcome
Children and young people with specialist SLCN have their needs identified effectively and quickly. This includes multi-disciplinary assessment where appropriate.
Prove it!
How can I prove that children and young people with specialist or more complex speech, language and communication needs are identified early and effectively?
What could I measure?
There are effective and timely identification processes, including multi-disciplinary assessment where appropriate, for children with complex speech, language and communication needs.
For example: There is ongoing profiling and monitoring of children and young people's progress and development
The right staff have the in-depth knowledge to make sure identification happens effectively.
For example: Regular liaison meetings with specialists to inform decision making
Feedback from the identification process is shared in a timely way with the child or young person and family as well as others involved in providing support.
For example: Accessible and functional feedback including single multi-professional reports where appropriate
Outcome
Homes, settings and schools are supported to develop the language and communication skills of all children and young people through language enrichment and supportive activities.
Prove it!
How can I prove that homes, settings and schools have developed children and young people's speech, language and communication through language enrichment and supportive activities?
What could I measure?
Settings provide language and communication supportive activities.
For example: A wide range of opportunities are provided to develop speech, language and communication skills through everyday activities
Settings identify and teach key communication skills for all children to learn.
For example: Core vocabulary is highlighted and supported
Settings implement strategies to improve communication skills for all children.
For example: A range of appropriate approaches are used to promote speech, language and communication skills
Outcome
Children and young people benefiting from targeted interventions will have access to evidence based targeted interventions to develop core speech, language and communication skills delivered in the most appropriate functional context. These might include 1:1 and / or small group interventions that are typically designed by specialist practitioners and delivered by speech and language therapists or those with appropriate training.
Prove it!
How can I prove that children and young people are accessing targeted interventions appropriately and make progress in their functional speech, language and communication?
What could I measure?
Settings provide a rolling program of interventions to improve children's speech, language and communication needs for those children with identified speech, language and communication needs.
For example: There is a plan of provision with clear targets and outcomes for children with identified speech, language and communication needs
Settings provide small group interventions for children with identified speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Social skills groups, language groups, phonological awareness groups etc
Settings provide integrated interventions for children and young people with identified speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Staff know how to use appropriate strategies to support learners beyond 1:1 and small group interventions
Outcome
Children and young people needing specialist intervention for their SLCN receive appropriate and timely provision in the most functionally appropriate context for their needs. Progress measures will include activity, participation and well-being goals in addition to goals relating to their core SLC impairment.
Prove it!
How will I know that children and young people access specialist intervention when they need it, and make progress in their functional speech, language and communication?
What could I measure?
There are a range of specialist support and intervention packages for children with speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Interventions which are tailored to specific speech, language and communication needs as part of the overall functional needs of the child or young person
There is regular access to appropriate interventions for children with complex speech, language and communication needs.
For example: Clear provision map showing range of universal, targeted and specialist interventions available to support complex speech, language and communication needs, numbers accessing provision, targets and outcomes achieved based on measures of impact
Specialist interventions are provided in settings for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, effectively supported by speech and language therapists and/or advisory teachers.
For example: Jointly commissioned services including Speech and Language Therapists, Educational Psychologists, Specialist Teachers etc
