By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
Councillors discussed the measures that are being taken to improve the speech and language of young children in the wake of the pandemic.
A report says speech and language development of children under-five fell ‘consistently’ below the national average in parts of Nottingham.
Nottingham City Council carried out an extensive consultation with parents, carers, and the early years workforce to find out the challenges facing the area.
Around half (51 per cent) of families knew who to contact if they had a concern about their child’s speech, language, and communication (SLC).
But less than half (47 per cent) understood all the health and education assessments that their child will have before they are five years old.
The council says following the Covid-19 pandemic, it anticipates “further challenges” in relation to children’s speech, language, and communication needs.
Data called the Local Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), which was published three years ago, says children and young people in Nottingham are not developing in communication, language and literacy to the best of their potential, with scores consistently below the national average.
The highest concentration of children under five experiencing issues is within the Aspley ward area, with 57 per cent of 0-4-year-olds there predicted to have problems.
The Health and Wellbeing Board met at Loxley House on Wednesday, July 27, to discuss what was being done locally to address the concerns.
Cllr Cheryl Barnard (Lab), portfolio holder for children, young people, and schools, said the pandemic has had an impact on some children’s development.
She said sometimes this lack of development can lead to problems further down the line including leaving school or getting involved in crime.
“Doing things at an early stage is so important. It saves costs further down the line,” she added.
Lucy Hubber, director of Public Health at Nottingham City Council, added: “It is about what we are feeding our children and how are they able to communicate and interact with the world. If we can get that right – we are in good footing.”
The board heard how new figures to be published in September will give the authority a better indication of how the pandemic has affected children’s development across the city.
The council has already made in-roads to address some of the issues, but wants to build on this work.
It says a city-wide strategy for children up to five-year-olds will be “a golden thread” to ensuring families are fully supported with the early identification of these problems.
Over the last 12 months, the council says it has increased participation in the free early years entitlements places for two, three and four-year-olds, almost back to pre-pandemic levels, which also supports the early identification of these needs in the youngest children.
Kathryn Bouchlaghem, early years manager, and Katherine Crossley, early years project officer at Nottingham City Council prepared a report for the meeting.
They state: “From an early age, children who cannot communicate as well as their friends struggle with attachment and attainment and, by the time they are five years old, they are less engaged at school and one-and-a-half times more likely to have mental health problems in later life.
“Children with undiagnosed SLC needs are more likely to be excluded from school and struggle to form relationships with their peers.
“Supporting children to achieve good SLC before they turn 5 is fundamental to support their mental health.
“However, addressing poor SLC across all age brackets should be prioritised and will have significant mental health advantages.”
