Nottinghamshire County Council have announced that they are planning to cut Speech and Language Therapy funding from £1.3 million to £500,000 per year. That's a cut of over 60%. The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists have condemned the move.

In 2018 the Nottinghamshire Speech and Language Therapy Service for Early Years children was nationally recognised in parliament for their outstanding work. They are a major reason why Nottinghamshire children start school with better than national average abilities in speaking and listening. What they are doing is working well, and yet they are facing cuts.

It is well documented that supporting children to develop their language skills in Early Years supports their long term literacy, learning and mental health. Without early support more children are at risk, and 'fixing' them at a later point costs more. These cuts make no sense at all. 

We are therefore calling on Nottinghamshire County Council to stop these cuts and give children the best start in life. 

Further reading:

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/royal-college-boss-urges-county-3774216

https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/latest-news/nottinghamshire-speech-and-language-services-praised-for-best-practice-in-parliament--1985

If you live in Nottinghamshire we urge you to contact your MP. https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-an-mp-or-lord/contact-your-mp/