Parenting Interventions, Home Learning Environment and Play / Speech, Language and Communication

Parenting Interventions, Home Learning Environment and Play

We will expand our parenting and home learning environment offer (through a test and learn approach) to include evidence-based programmes and use outreach models and family feedback to improve implementation and access for our priority families.

We will prioritise the importance of play as a foundation for early development, ensuring that high quality, inclusive play opportunities are embedded across all services to improve outcomes for young children and their families

Priority Actions

1. Expand Access to Evidence-Based Parenting Support:
   • Recruit/coordinate parent champions to help identify and engage with families that are most likely to benefit from Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network support
   • Commission three evidence-based programmes focused on communication, Personal Social Emotional Development, cognition and physical development
   • Implement test-and-learn delivery models to improve accessibility for priority families
   • Offer flexible delivery formats including group, home-based and blended approaches.
2. Improve Outreach, Inclusion and Equity of Access:
   • Target families experiencing deprivation, SEND, inclusion health groups, have English as an additional Language, rural/isolated families and those with low Home Learning Environment engagement
   • Provide tailored, culturally relevant outreach and communication via Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network and Voluntary and Community Sector partners.
3. Develop a Flexible Digital Parenting Support Offer:
   • Create six digital programme offers including videos, interactive modules and online workshops.
4. Improve Data, Equity Monitoring andx Information Sharing:
   • Enhance ethnicity and vulnerability data collection
   • Develop shared datasets and dashboards across Health, Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network, Early Year settings and Voluntary and Community Sector providers.
5. Develop and Implement a Countywide Play Strategy:
   • Finalise and publish a countywide Play Strategy
   • Share accessible messages on the developmental importance of play
   • Provide parents with low/no-cost play ideas using everyday materials
   • Deliver universal and targeted play sessions, workshops and digital content
   • Embed inclusive play-rich environments across community spaces.
6. Implement a Consistent Outcomes Framework Across All Interventions:
   • Develop outcome/evaluation tools to measure parental confidence, Home Learning Environment behaviours and child development.

Outputs

• Parent Champions/Community Connectors recruited/coordinated
• Enrolment and completion rates for parenting programmes and digital offers
• Play Strategy finalised and launched
• Parenting workforce training completed and programme delivery initiated
• Implementation of cross-programme outcomes framework
• Development of shared data dashboards and equity monitoring tools
• Structured parent feedback systems implemented
• Universal play-based sessions delivered across Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network, libraries, parks and community settings.

Impact Measures

• Improved parental confidence measured using a consistent evaluation framework
• Demonstrated impact of parenting and Home Learning Environment programmes on family behaviours
• Increased engagement of priority families, reducing inequalities in early development
• Year-on-year increase in percentage of children achieving GLD at end of Early Year Foundation Stage
• Improved child outcomes in communication, Personal Social Emotional Development, cognition and physical development
• Increased participation in home-learning activities across all demographic groups.

Speech, Language and Communication

We will enhance speech and language support systems to identify and support children with additional communication needs early.

Priority Actions

1. Enhance Early Identification and Universal Support:
   • Implement consistent Speech, Language and Communication tools by age 3 using Every Child A Talker, Wellcomm, Early Talk Boost or Speech and Language Therapy ‘pre-referral screening tool’
   • Embed Early Talk Boost practice across settings to strengthen universal and targeted Speech, Language and Communication Need provision (SLCN).
2. Deliver Targeted Interventions and Workforce Training:
   • Deliver Early Talk Boost pilot and monitor child outcomes
   • Provide a comprehensive SLCN training pathway for all Early Year practitioners
   • Support and enhance the delivery of the Early Language Support for Every Childcprogramme of work by working with approximately 18 settings/schools per academic term and monitor/report impact.
3. Strengthen Specialist and Integrated Support Pathways:
   • Streamline referrals into NHS Speech and Language Therapy using screening tools
   • Ensure children with ongoing needs transition smoothly into Early Language Support for Every Child / Speech and Language Therapy programmes.
4. Improve Multilingual Support and Inclusive Practice:
   • Translate key SLCN resources into priority community languages
   • Provide parent-facing workshops and play-based language sessions
   • Develop Efficient Screening and Data Systems
   • Implement efficient screening processes to maximise Early Language Support for Every Child capacity and reduce duplication.

Outputs

• 85% of children screened for SLCN by age 3 using either Wellcomm/Every Child a Talker, Early Talk Boost or Speech and Language Therapy pre-referral tools
• Early Talk Boost delivered across selected EY settings with termly progress tracking.
• Every Child a Talker and core SLCN resources translated into priority languages
• Monthly SLCN drop-in sessions in each Best Start Gloucestershire's Family Hubs Network locality by 2028
• Clear referral pathways established for Speech and Language Therapy, Every Child a Talker and community-based interventions
• Data systems established for screening, intervention tracking and impact reporting.

Impact Measures

• Increased proportion of children progressing from red → amber → green on SLCN assessments
• Reduced referrals to specialist Speech and Language Therapy due to earlier identification and intervention
• Improved Communication & Language Early Learning Goals at end of the Early Year Foundation Stage
• Increased parent confidence in supporting speech and language at home.