Lincolnshire’s innovative approach to supporting children’s early language development has been held up as a model for other areas to follow.
Since September 2024, Lincolnshire Community Health Services have been offering new speech and language drop-in sessions in Lincolnshire County Council’s 10 family hubs. These are complemented by invite-only sessions for children with higher needs.
The sessions are designed to provide early advice and support closer to home and without the need for referrals or waiting lists. Feedback from families that shown that the sessions have led to:
- increased expressive communication and confidence in children
- improved use of words and reduced frustration
- better engagement and interaction during play and routines
The project has been such a success that the Local Government Association (LGA) is now encouraging other areas to adopt a similar approach.
Cllr Natalie Oliver, executive member for children’s services at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Early language skills are not just important for communication – they also play a critical role in a child’s emotional development and readiness for school.
“In Lincolnshire, there’s high demand for speech and language support – particularly for pre-school children – which has put pressure on traditional clinic-based services. This fantastic project has made it much easier for families to get the support they need and also given them the confidence to support their child’s language skills at home.
“The drop-in sessions mean families don’t have to spend time on waiting lists before they receive the support they need. And by getting support earlier, there’s a better chance to prevent any SEND needs escalating, improving outcomes for our children.
“We’re now working on rolling out the sessions to our four new family hubs, and some early years settings and schools too, to build on this success.”
Nerea Odongo, group chief nurse for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals Group, said: “We know how important speech, language and communication skills are for a child's development, wellbeing and readiness for school.
"These sessions have enabled families to access support at the right time, in places they already know and trust, without the need to join a waiting list. Working closely with our Family Hub colleagues has helped us reach more children earlier.
"Families are feeding back to us how valuable they have found the sessions in empowering them with the skills and confidence they need to support their child's development at home.”
You can read the LGA case study at www.local.gov.uk/case-studies/lincolnshire-family-hubs-speech-and-language-drop-ins-co-location-model
The speech and language project forms part of Lincolnshire’s Best Start in Life Strategy and Local Plan 2026-31 which is designed to support more children to achieve a good level of development in their reception year.