Enhanced 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: Enhanced level competencies
Develop the knowledge and skills required to:
- strengthen universal support and inclusive practice
- respond to risk factors and early concerns about speech, language and communication development
- plan, provide and review additional targeted support for children and young people with or at risk of having speech and language challenges, where appropriate to their role
- work in partnership with others to help children and young people who require additional support.
Deepening understanding of speech, language and communication development
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can describe to families and other professionals what typical development may look like in the age group I support in the following areas: receptive language, expressive language, attention and listening, speech and social communication.
- I can describe how challenges with speech, language and communication development can create barriers for a child or young person within their relationships, participation, learning, literacy, behaviour, and wellbeing.
- I can explain the relationship between behavioural, social and emotional difficulties and speech and language challenges, and refer to relevant research.
Identifying and responding to challenges
These are the competencies for this area:
- I gather and consider information about the child or young person’s communication skills across all of their languages, communication partners and contexts, and seek appropriate advice where needed.
- I can respond to risk factors, early signs or concerns by strengthening universal provision, introducing additional targeted support, and involving other professionals or agencies as appropriate to my role.
- I can describe the broad range and variability of speech and language challenges, including that they may be short-term or lifelong, may occur without a known cause or may be associated with another condition, as relevant to my role.
- I know where to access reliable, evidence-based information about specific speech and language challenges, and can share or signpost this information to children and young people, families and others, as relevant to my role.
Planning and delivering additional support and inclusive practice
These are the competencies for this area:
- I use a range of evidence-informed responsive interaction strategies and adaptive teaching approaches according to the child or young person’s communication strengths, needs, preferences and responses.
- I regularly review and adapt strategies and approaches based on how well they are supporting a child or young person’s participation and communication.
- I support children or young people and families in ways that value and support diverse thinking, learning and communication styles, including neurodivergence.
- I can use strategies and adapt how I support behaviour and social and emotional needs in children or young people with speech and language challenges.
- I can justify my choice of an evidence-informed programme or approach by drawing on the child or young person's strengths, needs and goals, family priorities, the evidence base, environmental considerations, and trusted sources of information.
- I can support children or young people to access and use agreed augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods in everyday interactions and activities, under the guidance of a specialist where required.
- I contribute to planning and reviewing support for children and young people’s speech, language and communication skills during transitions between people, groups, classes, settings, services or stages of education and life.
- I use feedback from children and young people, families and colleagues, as well as structured reflection using tools like video reflection or peer observation, to evaluate and improve how I support speech, language and communication development.
Bilingualism and speech and language challenges
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can explain which factors raise concern about possible speech and language challenges in bilingual children and young people, and which do not.
- I can respond to questions from a child, young person or family about whether being bilingual causes speech and language challenges.
Collaborative planning and support
These are the competencies for this area:
- I work collaboratively with children and young people, families and other education, health and care professionals to: a) set and review goals based on functional outcomes b) problem-solve c) plan realistic and achievable support for speech, language and communication development.
- I can signpost families and children and young people to high-quality information, resources community support and relevant agencies.
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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.