Foster carers in Scotland’s knowledge and awareness of speech, language, and communication needs

Abstract

Up to 90% of children experiencing care have speech, language and communication Needs (SLCN) (Clegg et al., 2021). Despite this, there has been no research into foster carers in Scotland’s knowledge and awareness of SLCN, their experience of supporting children with SLCN, or training they receive in this area. Thirty-nine foster carers in Scotland responded to an online questionnaire exploring their experiences. Findings suggested that foster carers are experienced in caring for children with SLCN, with or without a neurodevelopmental condition, and can identify many communication difficulties. They are confident in using strategies to support SLCN. Very few participants had received training specifically for SLCN; those who had found it useful, and the majority of those who hadn’t stated they would value training in SLCN. To uphold Article 12 (the right of a child to express their views and have these listened to and taken seriously in all matters affecting them) of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), recently incorporated into domestic law in Scotland (2024), we recommend the development and delivery of a national SLCN training programme for foster carers, with speech and language therapists being best placed to enact this.