March 2015
King’s Speech cast supports local NHS Trust’s campaign to raise
awareness of children’s communication needs
The stage version of an Oscar winning film –including Jason Donovan- has endorsed a
campaign run by Speech and Language Therapists from the county’s main provider of
community and mental health services to raise awareness of communications needs across
the children’s workforce.
About 20 members of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust’s Children Speech and
Language Therapy went to see the stage version of the King’s Speech on 2nd March and were
able to meet the cast after the performance to tell them about their Get Worcestershire
Talking campaign.
The King's Speech, which is now touring the UK, tells the story of the bond between King
George VI and his speech therapist who helped him to overcome his stammer.
The Get Worcestershire Talking Campaign aims to make sure parents and professionals in
Worcestershire have the skills and information they need to support children to
communicate. Research shows that improving language skills is the key to improving
children's life chances.
While about 1% of the adult population -mainly men- stammers, it is estimated that 5% or
more of children under the age of five will go through a phase of stammering at some stage in
their speech and language development. Up to a quarter of these children are at serious risk
of developing persistent stammering without intervention during the pre-school years.
Speech and Language Therapists are the lead professionals working with children with
communication problems. They work in partnership with parents, schools, and other
professionals to reduce the impact of these difficulties and help children achieve their full
potential. Last year, 2,400 Worcestershire children were referred to the service, with over
6,000 children known to the service at any moment in time.
Jacqui Woodcock, Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Service Manager, said:
“Stammering is about more than just struggling to say what you need to say. It can have a
huge impact on children’s confidence and self-esteem. We believe that speech, language and
communication skills underpin children’s development and directly affect their life chances.
“The show has helped raise awareness of stammering and the need for appropriate support.
It was fantastic to be able to meet the cast and tell them all about our Get Worcestershire
Talking Campaign!”
If parents of pre-school children are worried that their child might be stammering, they can
into a Talking Walk-in session for advice. All the dates are on the Worcestershire Speech and
Language Therapy’s Facebook page.
For more information on the Children’s Speech and Language Therapy, please visit
www.hacw.nhs.uk/our-services/speech-language-therapy/childrens/
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