Lead practice and improvement 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: Lead practice and improvement level competencies
The knowledge and skills at this level focus on leading and improving practice, supporting the development of others, and driving positive change in speech, language and communication support across a setting, service or organisation.
Not every competency will be relevant to every role. Some focus on expert practice and supporting others, while others focus on leadership, workforce development and service improvement.
Applied expertise in speech, language and communication
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can explain and apply specialist speech, language and communication concepts in ways that are accurate, accessible and relevant to the child or young person’s everyday communication and participation. Examples of terms/concepts include: vocabulary, syntax/grammar, fluency, voice, phonology, neurotypical, neurodivergent, neurodiversity-affirming, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC).
- I can advise families and other professionals on typical speech, language and communication development in children and young people, drawing on evidence-informed guidance and recognising the boundaries of my knowledge and role.
Recognising and responding to persistent speech and language challenges
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can describe the main features and possible impact of a range of speech and language challenges to children and young people, families and other professionals. Examples include developmental language disorder (DLD), speech sound disorders (like childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)), stammering, selective mutism, social communication differences.
- I can recognise when a child or young person’s speech and language challenges may be persistent or lifelong (rather than short-term), explain this sensitively to the child or young person, families and other professionals, and advise when specialist assessment or support may be needed.
Developing and improving communication-supportive practice
These are the competencies for this area:
- I model skilled, responsive interactions and strategies with children and young people and use observation, feedback and coaching to strengthen the practice of others.
- I can advise other children or young people, families and other professionals on evidence-informed approaches, guidance and resources to support children and young people with a range of speech and language challenges. Examples include developmental language disorder (DLD); speech sound disorder; stammering; selective mutism; and social communication differences.
- Following specialist assessment and advice where required, I can advise and support children and young people, families and other professionals on how to use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods across everyday interactions, activities and environments.
- I can advise families and other professionals on culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to supporting speech, language and communication skills in bilingual children and young people.
Partnership working and advocacy
These are the competencies for this area:
- I can work with children or young people, families and other professionals to evaluate progress and participation, and use their views and other evidence to adapt goals and support.
- I can help colleagues and families understand how speech and language challenges may affect behaviour, wellbeing and participation, and support them to adapt their interactions, expectations, environments and approaches.
- I can support children or young people and families to identify and communicate their strengths, challenges, preferences and what helps them, and ensure this information informs planning and support.
Leadership and service improvement
These are the competencies for this area:
- I use prevalence statistics alongside local demographic and service information to recognise possible under-identification, unmet need or unequal access to support, and to inform priorities for improvement.
- I can work with leaders and decision-makers to embed communication-supportive approaches in policies relating to behaviour, wellbeing and inclusion.
- I can lead or contribute to sustained improvement by embedding communication‑supportive approaches across everyday practice, provision, policies and services.
- I can advise others on relevant national policy, legislation and guidance relating to children and young people with speech and language challenges and explain the implications for practice and provision.
- I can support other professionals to adapt their interactions, teaching, environments and activities to remove barriers to communication, participation and learning.
- I can lead or contribute to observations, audits, practice reviews or learning walks to evaluate communication-supportive practice and provision, and support others to act on the findings.
- I can contribute to strategic planning and service improvement for speech, language and communication support, including prevention, early identification, and the coordination of universal, targeted and specialist support, as appropriate to my role.
- I can plan and support workforce development that reflects practitioners’ roles, existing skills and the needs of the children and young people they support.
- I can use evidence from practice reviews, data and the views of children and young people, families and professionals to prioritise, monitor and sustain service improvements.
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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.