Early years: speech, language and communication action plan

Annex B: Connection with the Early Child Development programme

Connection with the Early Child Development programme

This Action Plan also forms part of the wider Early Child Development (ECD) programme. Improving early speech, language and communication is central to reducing developmental concerns identified at the 27–30 month review, and therefore to achieving our Programme for Government commitment to reduce these concerns by a quarter by 2030. By strengthening communication as a foundational skill, we strengthen the whole system of early child development, creating the conditions for children to thrive in learning, in health, and in life.

ECD Impact areas

Support caregivers’ well-being & capacity to provide nurturing care*

Create a culture, environment, economy and society that enhances early child development

Integrate policies and services, ensuring they are evidence based, family centred and responsive to need

SLC Pillars: Alignment to ECD secondary drivers

Leadership

• Local partnerships can break down silos to implement evidence driven policies and apply the GIRFEC principles in ways that reflect local and community needs and lived experience
• Investment is optimised to reflect the evidence on primary prevention, addressing needs, inequity and enabling continuity of support
• Learning system enables evidence into practice reliably and consistently, and data are shared and used to link planning, monito

Families & communities

• Care givers have the knowledge and confidence to provide nurturing care
• People get trusted support at the right time, while needed, including preconception

Skilled & supported workforce

• Workforce supported to have the knowledge, confidence, resources and wellbeing to support families and caregivers to be able to provide nurturing care
• Policies and services that impact on early child development are integrated through a shared evidence base, common narrative and governance and communication structures