Communication Friendly Settings - Early Years

Communication Friendly Settings - Early Years

Communication Friendly Settings - Early Years

Elklan's CFS Early Years course facilitates staff who have completed Elklan’s Speech and Language Support for 0-3s or 3-5s course to cascade essential knowledge and practical support strategies they have learnt to the rest of the staff within their setting. By completing CFS, the whole setting receives an accredited award and will become an environment which supports the communication and language development of all children.

Education Endowment Foundation
As part of the Department of Education’s Early Years Recovery Programme, certain Stronger Practice Hubs (SPHs) and the EEF are working together to fund Early Years settings’ access to Elklan’s Communication Friendly Settings programme.

All other settings

Stages of the Programme

1

Speech & Language Support for 0-3s or 3-5s

2

Communication Counts

3

Audit & Accreditation

Communication Counts

Communication Counts is a course which has been written by Elklan and is delivered by the LCPs to the rest of the staff in your setting. The course is made up of the key information and strategies from the 10-week Speech and Language Support for 0-3s and 3-5s course delivered in 5x one-hour bitesize sessions. Each session has been tailored to be simple to deliver for the LCPs and easy to implement by the staff. Elklan provides all of the resources for the cascade of Communication Counts and the LCPs are supported by an experienced Elklan Tutor throughout this process.

5 Communication Counts sessions:

1

What is communication?

2

Adult-child interaction

3

The Word Journey

4

The Language Journey

5

Working with families and linking it all together

Challenge Questionnaires

After each Communication Counts session, the staff complete a brief questionnaire on how effective the cascaded methods and strategies have been when used with the children that they work with. This helps to embed the knowledge that is being shared by placing emphasis on deploying Elklan methods into the staff's interactions with children. The data from the questionnaires is summarised in concise reports giving a measure of the impact of the CFS programme on your setting.

Completion & Accreditation

Once the Communication Counts course has been delivered, and the Challenge Questionnaires completed the Final Audit will take place to assess the changes that have taken place in your setting. Upon successful completion of the Audit the LCPs will receive Level 4 qualifications and your setting will receive accredited 'Communication Friendly' status. CFS status lasts for 3 years before it then needs to be renewed.

Cost

CFS Early Years: £1,690 plus VAT

CFS Early Years small setting (<10 staff): £970 plus VAT

How do we get started?

If you wish to undertake Elklan's CFS programme, please contact us.

If you have any questions please book onto a Q&A Webinar

Settings who have completed level 3 training

Settings which have completed required Level 3 training and are ready to commence their CFS journey can do so by asking their Lead Communication Practitioner(s) (LCPs) to select one of the available level 4 Communication Friendly Schools - Early Years course options below. Please note that course places will not be confirmed until approved by a member of Elklan staff. Elklan may require confirmation of eligibility before proceeding.

Accredited Online Training
New Communication Friendly Settings - Early Years courses will be arranged soon - please click here to register your interest.

Please note these courses are only for those settings who do not already have their own Elklan tutor. If you have an Elklan tutor already, please contact them directly to discuss your next steps.

Q&A webinars

We'd welcome an opportunity to discuss how your setting can become Communication Friendly.

Elklan hosts regular Q&A webinars for schools and settings interested in gaining Communication Friendly status. Click on one of the dates below to book your free place.

If your setting has already achieved CFS status and you would like more information about the renewal process, please visit the CFS Renewal section (below).

Testimonials

Thank you for all your support and encouragement. I have loved working with you (Elklan) and receiving this accreditation is excellent. Our whole school continues to have communication and language at the heart of everything we do.
Tracy Derby, Alvaston Infant and Nursery School, 2021, re: Elklan Communication Friendly Settings - Early Years

CFS Gold

Elklan has a brand new offering for CFS schools, CFS Gold. CFS Gold membership enables early years settings to continue their Elklan journey in developing support for children’s language and communication. For the 3 years after gaining CFS status until renewal, Elklan’s new CFS Gold membership provides CPD for your setting's LCPs in the form of Mentor Meetings and Workshops. These sessions will take place in local networks to strengthen local links and the sharing of good practice.

Elklan CFS Gold

Gold Membership Cost: £200 plus VAT per year including the cost of renewal

Gold Membership Cost for small EY and Primary settings: £150 plus VAT per year

For more information: CFS Gold membership

Renewal

 

CFS status lasts for 3 years from the date of completion. In order to begin the renewal process, please book on one of the free information webinars below.

No Q and A webinars are currently available to book. Please check back soon as new dates are organised regularly.

Renewal Cost: £250 plus VAT *

Renewal with CFS Gold membership: Free **

* Applies where settings have retained all original LCPs.

** Settings who have had a CFS Gold membership for 3 years will receive their renewal for free. If Gold membership is held for less than 3 years following CFS completion the renewal will cost £150 plus VAT.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Flyers and other downloads

Evaluation Reports

Accredited Settings

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