News

Almost 30,000 sign petition to save £650,000 annual SLCN funding

Inclusion Government policy
A £650,000 government cut is putting at risk specialist support for children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) – one of the most common childhood disabilities – it has been warned.

From April 1, the Department for Education (DfE) is to discontinue the special contract for SLCN after funding it for the last 10 years.

During this time, the work under this contract has been carried out by the Communication Trust, but the cut will put the charity at risk according to its director Octavia Holland.

The Communication Trust represents a consortium of 56 charities and not-for-profit organisations across England. The annual contract is worth £650,000 a year and makes up the majority of the charity’s funding.

An online petition launched by the National Association of Professionals concerned with Language Impairment in Children (NAPLIC) to try and reverse the decision has reached around 30,000 signatures in six weeks.

Register now, read forever

Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.

What's included:

  • Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast

  • New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday

Register

Already have an account? Sign in here