Meet Amy Kelly

Amy Kelly, Early Years Practitioner and HLCP at Little Birch Preschool in Dorset, is an experienced Early Years practitioner with a focus on supporting speech, language and communication within her setting. Alongside extensive experience in supporting children’s SLC needs and gaining Level 3 accreditation in Speech and Language Support for 3-5s, Amy embarked on the pilot programme for the Higher Level Communication Practitioner award in October 2024 to develop her expertise further and improve outcomes for the children and families who attend her setting. Amy is also one of the first Early Years HLCPs in the country, marking a significant milestone for early years SLCN practice.

Developing liaisons with SLCN services

Early in the programme, Amy identified the need to build stronger links with her local SaLT and SLCN services. Previous partnerships were limited, and changes in referral processes meant settings could no longer refer children directly. As developing professional links is a key part of the HLCP role, Amy created a clear and proactive plan to overcome these barriers. She focused on developing stronger relationships by attending training and facilitating liaison opportunities.

Over the course of the HLCP programme, and in collaboration with her Manager and SENCO, Amy established a far stronger partnership with her local SaLT team. By actively reaching out, she influenced a significant change in the referral process. The preschool now has a named SaLT contact and receives regular visits, increasing the level of support available to children. This joint working also led to shared training sessions for staff, including colleagues from the on-site primary school.

Amy’s proactive approach has been praised by her SaLT, who described the HLCP role as ‘extremely beneficial’ because it provides a clear point of contact within the setting.

Supporting Families

Amy has also strengthened communication between families and the local NHS SaLT team by supporting the sharing of key information and guidance.

‘In our area, we currently have Ready STEADI Chat sessions available for parents. I have taken the role on to help support these parents by inviting them in for meetings to discuss their children's speech, language and communication needs, giving them assessments and tracking tools, which clearly show what their child is doing well and what their child needs extra support with. The parents are then taking this information with them to a Ready STEADI Chat session. The parents are then more engaged with me and tend to keep me up to date with what is going on within the process.’

Improving Support Across the Setting

Throughout the year, Amy has worked closely with the school SENCO to ensure information is shared effectively and that transition processes are tailored for children with SLCN starting school. She has also taken time to understand the systems and support available locally so she can better guide colleagues and families.

Amy, her Manager and the SENCO all report a dramatic improvement in collaborative working, which has strengthened support for children and families, upskilled staff and raised the profile of SLC across the whole setting.

The Impact of the HLCP Role

The changes made over the past year have exceeded expectations, demonstrating the value of having a dedicated Higher Level Communication Practitioner within an early years setting. Amy’s work shows how skilled liaison, proactive communication and a child-centred approach can make a real difference to speech, language and communication outcomes.

Beth Devereux, Early Education Consultant and Professional Education Advisor at Elklan