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£500,000 to kick start national fundraising appeal -

 

- Appeal to expand services and increase training of therapists and establish a second centre of excellence on the north of England -

 

Ed Balls and Michael Palin today launched a new programme to support teachers to help children who stammer and announced its roll out to schools across the country.

 

Visiting Thornhill Primary School today, Ed Balls also announced that he will be supporting a new national fundraising appeal to develop services across the country for children who stammer. Ed Balls committed half a million pounds investment to kickstart the appeal to help the Michael Palin Centre expand their services in London and the South and to support a new centre of excellence in the North of the country.

 

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls said:

 

“Children should not be held back by a stammer and that’s why I am really pleased to launch this programme today. The training and information that schools will receive as part of this programme will mean they can better understand and support pupils who stammer.

 

“I am also grateful for all the expertise and knowledge that therapists at the Michael Palin centre were able to offer. I am therefore making available £500,000 to enable the Michael Palin Centre in London to expand services and increase training of therapists so they can help more children.

 

“I want to make sure that every child is able to progress and reach their potential. If children with a stammer get the best possible help as early as possible so they can very often overcome any difficulties and make the most of their talents and do just as well as their peers.”

 

Funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the programme offers information, advice and training materials and follows the Bercow review of speech, language and communication needs, where communication was highlighted as a key skill children need to succeed.

 

Produced by the Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children, a world leader in this field, the programme aims to reduce the impact that stammering can have on children’s psychological development and their ability to form friendships so they can engage fully in education and achieve their potential.

 

The programme is designed to do this by equipping the education work force with skills to support children who stammer; engaging speech and language therapists; encouraging better collaboration across different sectors of the children’s workforce services; and to make sure strategies are in place to help prevent any discrimination or disadvantages these children may face.

 

Communication problems can lead to serious disadvantages in later life – from initial frustration at not being able to express oneself, to bullying, reduced educational achievement, fewer job prospects and even the descent into criminality. The Government has committed a total of £12 million investment to implement the Government Action Plan, Better Communication.

 

Frances Cook, Centre manager at the Michael Palin Centre says

 

“We are delighted that the Stammering Information Programme was launched by Ed Balls and Michael Palin today. We are also delighted that £500,000 will be provided to expand much needed specialist speech and language therapy services to help children and young people who stammer in London and the South and to help develop a second centre of excellenece in the North of England.”

 

There are currently between 200 and 250 new referrals to the Michael Palin Centre in London each year and approximately five per cent of children will stammer at some time during the development of their speech and social lives. Stammering usually starts between the ages of two and five when language skills start to develop and generally more boys than girls stammer.

 

Roll out sessions of the stammering programme will begin in December and take place across England over the next three months. The sessions give practical advice on supporting children who stammer and will include discussion time with a speech and language therapist.

 

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'

The department provided a grant of £340,000 to the Michael Palin centre in London over three financial years to develop and pilot an effective Stammering Information Programme.

 

Schools will be sent training materials including a DVD with interviews with young people aged four to 18 years. In their own words, they describe how their stammer affects their daily life and the sort of practical support that helps from school staff.

 

The Michael Palin Centre in London opened in 1993. It provides practical help, advice and support for children who stammer. It has helped more than 3,000 children to achieve their full potential through better communication.
The Centre has a team of 9 specialist speech and language therapists.
In July Ed Balls and Care Services Minister Phil Hope announced a £5million package of measures to help improve services for children and young people with communication problems. This is part of a £12 million investment to implement the Government Action Plan, Better Communication.
The package of measures includes:
• Recruitment of a Communication Champion to raise the profile of these issues, drive delivery of reforms, improve local performance and lead the National Year of Speech, Language and Communication (2011-2012).
• Sixteen pilot areas – backed by £2million investment - have been chosen to identify good practice in providing support for children with speech, language and communication needs through the joint working of organisations such as PCTs and local authorities. This will be used to develop a national framework to improve the way services are delivered for children across the country.
• The University of Warwick has been selected to lead a consortium delivering a three year, £1.5million research programme on the cost-effectiveness of interventions for children with speech, language and communication needs and to improve the evidence base.
• Twelve organisations working to support children with alternative and augmentative communication needs have been chosen to share grants totalling £500,000 this year as part of Becta’s commitment to provide £1.5 million of funding over the next three years. These grants aim to support delivery and provision of services.

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk