City Research Online

Abstract

Collaboration between teaching staff and speech and language therapists (SLTs) working with children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) in mainstream schools, and their parents/carers, is vital to ensure best outcomes for children with SLCN. There is a lack of research from the United Kingdom in this area, including the individual socio-relational factors which have an impact on collaboration. There is also a lack of research combining all stakeholders’ views and experiences, and involving stakeholders in the research process. This two-stage patient and public involvement (PPI) work aimed to gather information about which socio-relational factors are important to those supporting children with SLCN within their collaborative working, in order to inform the focus of a planned programme of research into optimising this aspect of professional practice. The first stage was carried out by an SLT, a teacher who is also qualified as a special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO), a teaching assistant (TA) and two parents of children with SLCN. This group of co-researchers designed, carried out, analysed and supported dissemination of the results of a wider set of advisory PPI interviews and focus groups with mainstream primary school teachers, TAs, SENCOs, SLTs, and parents/carers of children with SLCN. Codebook thematic analysis of the focus group and interview data identified four themes: ‘
communication and accessibility
’, ’
relationships and being understood
’, ‘
expectations and expertise
’ and ‘
beliefs about responsibility for SLCN support
’. These themes provide directions for a planned programme of research exploring inter-personal factors influencing collaboration, ensuring future research is grounded in PPI.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© The Author(s) 2026. This is the accepted manuscript of an article published by Sage. Please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions for information on re-use.
Publisher Keywords:	collaboration, patient and public involvement, speech and language therapist, teacher, teaching assistant, parent
Subjects:	L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC0321 Neuroscience. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry R Medicine > RJ Pediatrics > RJ101 Child Health. Child health services
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Department of Allied Health
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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