Core level: training and resources
Planning next steps in your professional development
Completing the Skills Discovery Tool is only the beginning of your professional development journey. Next, you can explore our training and resource recommendations to help you identify learning opportunities that are relevant to your role and the children and young people you support.
Before you do, read our guidance on choosing high-quality training, finding evidence-informed programmes and approaches, and other ways to develop your knowledge and skills.
Here you will find training and resources for: Core level competencies
Develop the foundational knowledge and everyday skills needed to support all children and young people’s speech, language and communication development. This will help you recognise and build on their communication strengths, and notice when additional support may be needed.
Knowledge and understanding of speech, language and communication development
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can explain the meaning of: expressive language, receptive language, speech sounds, social communication, non-verbal communication.
- I can explain how strengths in speech, language and communication development support children and young people’s relationships, participation, learning, literacy, behaviour, and wellbeing.
- I know where to access evidence-informed guidance about typical speech, language and communication development for the age range I work with.
Prevention and early identification of need
These are the competencies for this area:
- I observe and track the progress of children or young people’s speech, language and communication development over time, using approaches appropriate to my role.
- I can describe at least two risk factors for speech and language challenges.
- I can describe some signs that a child or young person may need additional support with their speech, language and communication development, including behaviour.
- I can describe what I do next when I have concerns about a child or young person’s speech, language and communication development, as appropriate to my role, including the tools or resources I use and who else I involve.
Communication-supportive practice for all children and young people
These are the competencies for this area:
- I notice and build on each child or young person’s communication strengths, interests, preferences and ways of communicating.
- I can adapt the physical environment to be communication-supportive for all children or young people.
- I create opportunities for children or young people to initiate communication, and I notice, respond to and build on their communication attempts during everyday interactions.
- I plan and use communication-supportive strategies within everyday routines, activities and interactions to support all children or young people’s speech, language and communication development.
Bilingualism
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can describe at least two advantages of bilingualism.
- I find out and consider all languages a child or young person is exposed to.
- I encourage families to communicate with their child in the language(s) they use most naturally and confidently.
Working together with children, young people, families and other professionals
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can have discussions with families, and signpost them to evidence-informed information, about the ages and stages of speech, language and communication development.
- I can meaningfully gather the views of the child or young person and/or their family regarding their strengths and challenges relating to their speech, language and communication development.
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Contact Us
Speech and Language UK
Unit A The Cube Building
17-21 Wenlock Road
London
N1 7GT
Unit A The Cube Building
17-21 Wenlock Road
London
N1 7GT
General enquiries
020 7843 2510
info@speechandlanguage.org.uk
Media enquiries
media@speechandlanguage.org.uk
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Speech and Language UK is the operating name of I CAN Charity, a registered charity in England and Wales (210031) and Scotland (SC039947), which is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (00099629). Registered address: Unit A The Cube Building 17-21 Wenlock Road London N1 7GT
With thanks to our late patron the late Queen Elizabeth II
The skills discovery tool may recommend training, resources and organisations that can help you develop your knowledge and skills. Before investing your time or resources, consider whether a course, programme or approach is right for you and the children and young people you support.
When considering training or an approach, ask yourself:
- Is it based on current research and evidence?
- Are the claims realistic and proportionate?
- Are the trainers suitably qualified and experienced?
- Can the approach be adapted to different children, young people and contexts?
- Does it encourage professional judgement rather than promoting a single solution for every child, young person or situation?
Be cautious if training or an approach:
- promises quick, guaranteed or dramatic results
- claims to work for every child or young person
- relies mainly on testimonials, social media popularity, influencer endorsements or personal stories rather than evidence
- discourages questions, critical discussion or scrutiny
- lacks transparency about qualifications, costs, evidence or outcomes.
Use your professional judgement, review the evidence and always consider whether an approach is appropriate for the children and young people you support.
What Works database
If you want to explore the evidence behind speech, language and communication programmes, we recommend using our What works database.
It brings together information about a wide range of programmes and approaches and summarises the evidence available for each one.
Endorsed by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, our What Works database can help you make evidence-informed decisions.
The database does not tell you which programme to choose. Instead, it helps you understand the available evidence so you can combine it with your professional judgement and knowledge of the child or young person.
Formal training is only one way to develop your knowledge, skills and confidence. You can also learn through:
- observing or shadowing colleagues, including speech and language therapists
- coaching, mentoring and peer support
- supervision, appraisal and professional discussions
- reflecting on your practice through activities such as:
- recording yourself (with appropriate consent)
- keeping a reflective journal
- seeking feedback from colleagues, children, young people and families
- professional networks and multi-agency working
- reading professional guidance, research and evidence-informed resources
- applying new learning in practice and reviewing its impact.
The most effective professional development often combines formal training with opportunities to practise, reflect, receive feedback and learn from others.