Impact

An important part of our work is communicating our findings with those who need them the most, to ensure our research has the maximum impact.

• Our LuCiD experts provide Tiny Happy People with regular evidence based advice on language development. 
• We are developing a number of case studies to showcase our work with practitioners and to highlight the importance of good quality monitoring, evaluation and training in the early years.
• The LuCiD Seminar Series invites language experts from across the world, as well as leading researchers from the Centre, to share their research.
• Member of Strategic Steering Group for Wales Early Language Screening Review & Input to Speech Language & Communication Training for Health Visitors, Wales - Talk with me
• NHS Better Health Start For Life campaign encourages parents and carers to chat, play and read with their children, to develop their communication skills before starting school. LuCiD has been involved in the development of the campaign.
• From time to time, we write 'Ask the Expert' articles for the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists Bulletin magazine. 
• Our Discovering BabyTalk outreach programme ensures our key messages reach families, relevant third sector organisations and the general public. View our resources for families.
• Our LuCiD for Professionals programme disseminates evidence-based information to health and education practitioners. View our resources for practitioners.
• We publish our findings in open access resources and present our research at relevant conferences to ensure that ongoing intellectual progress is accessible for all and furthering understanding of how children communicate with language. View our resources for researchers.
• We also provide policy makers and commissioners information about the causes of poor language growth, the importance of early intervention, and how to choose the best evidence-based practice. View our resources for policy makers.
• LuCiD compiles short evidence briefings to provide policy makers with the evidence for what works to support language development and contributes to local and national policy by providing evidence to knowledge hub organisations and All Party Parliamentary Groups.

Impact Projects

As well as ensuring our findings are communicated, we are also actively seeking out opportunities to address needs identified by our research:

• Story Starters Project was a collaborative project between LuCiD, Beanstalk, and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library UK, aimed at improving nursery-aged children's language development through volunteer-led shared reading, with LuCiD evaluating its impact via a randomised controlled trial.
• Stepping Stones was a five-year LuCiD-led knowledge exchange project that developed and delivered a tailored ESOL course for non-English speaking mothers and their babies, aiming to improve language skills, confidence, and access to services, with LuCiD designing the programme and supporting its implementation across diverse UK settings.