Coaching Early Conversation Interaction and Language (CECIL) Nottinghamshire sustainability evaluation

Implementation and process evaluation

Successful development of early language skills, such as vocabulary, is important for a variety of outcomes later in life, including academic achievement, the ability to get a job, and mental health (Kerr & Franklin, 2021; Bleses et al., 2016; Law et al., 2009; Law et al., 2017 Stewart and Waldfogel, 2017). Indeed, poor early skill development tends to negatively impact social mobility in the long term (Stewart & Waldfogel, 2017).

For the Coaching Early Conversation Interaction and Language (CECIL) project phase 1, the Nottinghamshire Healthcare’s Children’s Speech and Language Therapy Team built upon their existing programme to incorporate further coaching elements and focused on supporting early years practitioners in private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings with the aim of improving staff practice and child outcomes around language and communication for two-year-olds.

The phase 1 implementation and process evaluation (IPE) was led by IES and a phase 1 report published (Dawson, Huxley and Garner, 2022). Phase 2 of the project added further sustainability work provided to the settings to help embed the CECIL project and this is evaluated in this report under the title Nottinghamshire CECIL sustainability programme.