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Central Bedfordshire Communication Champions
- Professionals and Clinicians
- Training and workshops
- Speech, language and communication
This course is for professionals only
Communication Champions are passionate about speech, language and communication in children. A Communication Champion is the main point of contact in their workplace for all things speech, language and communication.
In Central Bedfordshire, primary, lower and middle school teaching staff and assistants can become Communication Champions. It’s a great opportunity to ensure that the children in your school are getting the help and support they need.
Aim of this course
- Become a Communication Champion!
- Identify children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN)
- Learn strategies and develop activities to help children's speech, language and communication in your place of work
- Recognise when further support is needed
- Act as a point of contact for your colleagues
- Act as a point of contact for speech and language therapists
- Act as a point of contact for parents by championing speech, language and communication for all children
About the Communication Champion course
The Communication Champion course is a comprehensive evidence-based course. A Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a SEND Advisory Teacher will deliver the training.
The course includes:
- up to date information on SLCN for universal and targeted levels of need
- guidance on how to appropriately refer children for specialist support
- tools to help promote speech, language and communication development
Once you have completed the course, you will be recognised as a 'Communication Champion'.
70% of Central Bedfordshire Council primary, lower and middle schools have now accessed this training. We have over 230 Communication Champions in the area.
The role of a Communication Champion
Communication Champions will:
- be able to identify and support children with SLCN
- develop activities and strategies to help children’s communication and language skills and bring the best practice approach for communication and language
- make appropriate referrals when specialist support is needed
- promote speech, language and communication development for all students in their school
- share and implement knowledge, skills and tools with other members of staff
- keep up to date with their knowledge of speech, language and communication
Communication Champion teams
A Communication Champion team is a group of trained Communication Champions. Communication Champion teams are used in school settings.
Schools who have not yet completed the course must send:
- a SENCo or member of senior leadership
- 2 other staff members, ideally a teacher and teaching assistant
All staff must attend all 5 days of training.
We encourage schools who already have Communication Champions to grow your team and replace any champions who have left your school.
For schools with over 100 pupils we recommend that there are at least 3 Communication Champions in a team. This will usually be a SENDCo, a teacher and teaching assistant.
For schools with less 100 pupils, you may have a smaller Communication Champion team.
Schools with a Communication Champion team can apply for the Communication Friendly Award.
Training
Become a Communication Champion by attending one of our Communication Champion training courses. The training you do as a Communication Champion will contribute towards your continuing personal development (CPD).
This training is open to mainstream primary, lower and middle schools.
The course will be delivered over 5 training sessions. The training is delivered by a Specialist Speech and Language Therapist and a SEND Advisory Teacher. You will be provided with course materials.
Cancellation or changes to participants needs to be provided to our team 48 hours before the course starts. Non-attendance or late cancellation (cancelling in less than 48 hours) will be charged a penalty fee of £75 per person, per day of non-attendance.
If you need to cancel, email ccs.beds.childrens.slt.training@nhs.net
Autumn term 2025/2026
Autumn term is fully booked
You will need to be able to attend all the sessions in a term.
These sessions will be 9am to 3:15pm.
18 September 2025
2 October 2025
16 October 2025*
6 November 2025
20 November 2025
This course will be held at Priory House, Chicksands.
*Session 3 will be held at Flitwick Football Club, Flitwick.
Spring term 2025/2026
You will need to be able to attend all the sessions in a term.
These sessions will be 9am to 3:15pm.
20 January 2026
3 February 2026
24 February 2026
10 March 2026
24 March 2026
This course will be held at Priory House, Chicksands.
Course feedback
Don't just take our word for it, our Communication Champions can speak for themselves!
Our courses have helped professionals feel more confident identifying, discussing and supporting SLCN.
216% increase in confidence across key areas like identifying and describing SLCN, discussing SLCN with parents and sharing knowledge with colleagues
98% rated the training as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’
By session 5, 95% of participants had already shared learning with their colleagues
180% increase in confidence in supporting specific SLCN like social skill difficulties, receptive and expressive language issues, speech sound errors and stammering
“Provided us with a lot of relevant information and practical skills to better equip us in supporting our children”
“Excellent training to help any practitioner understand the different areas of speech and language and how you can assess and support children”
Book onto a course
Last reviewed: 1 November, 2024
