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WellComm Calderdale

Guide for teachers and practitioners who deliver WellComm, a screening and assessment toolkit for speech, language and communication

Updated: 11th December 2025

WellComm is an early identification and intervention toolkit for children aged 6 months to 6 years.

It helps you:                                                                                                 

  • Spot communication needs early.
  • Provide targeted support using the Big Book of Ideas.
  • Monitor progress over time.
  • Share clear information with parents and other professionals.

This three-year project is funded by the Change Programme and will be collaboratively delivered by education and healthcare partners. The project aims to support early identification of speech, language and communication needs. 

The WellComm Toolkit 

Included in the pack is a toolkit. This provides you with a host of quality easy to use interventions you can use with children. The online data wizard will help track progress of children and help the LA to forecast training and support needs. Please note that GL Assessments who provides WellComm complies with Calderdale Council’s GRDP and data sharing policies.

For more information on WellComm, visit: GL Assessment. 
(Please note: this link will take you to information on both the primary and Early Years toolkits).

The WellComm Toolkit is underpinned by robust, evidence-based principles, including:

  • A clear focus on communication and language outcomes as the top priority. This is for all early years settings and schools working with young children. Strong early communication skills are the foundation for learning, social development and later life outcomes.

This directly supports Vision 34, which aims for Calderdale to be a place full of opportunity. One of the key progress indicators for this vision is school readiness. This is measured by a Good Level of Development (GLD) at the end of Reception and average progress 8 scores.

However, there is a national issue of under-identification of children with Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN). This means many children are not receiving the early support they need. This can impact on their learning, wellbeing and long-term outcomes. The WellComm Toolkit helps to address this by supporting early identification and targeted intervention at the earliest possible stage

How-to guides

How-to guide for practitioners

Step 1: Familiarise yourself with the resources

Start by reading The Handbook. Then familiarise yourself with The Little Book of Score Sheets and Rules alongside The Picture Book. Then look at The Big Book of Ideas.

  • The Handbook is a clear, easy to read guidance on how to screen with the WellComm Early Years Toolkit. It also guides you through how to:
    • Interpret the results.
    • Select targeted activities (from The Big Book of Ideas).
    • Provides guidance on making a referral.
    • View an overview of language development which will aid your observations.
       
  • The Little Book of Score Sheets and Rules and The Picture Book provide the framework for the screener. Note that the books are divided by age band with each band denoted by a particular colour. There are also some example score sheets in the Appendix. 
     
  • The Big Book of Ideas helps you support a child’s understanding, grammar, vocabulary, narrative and social skills. It outlines activities for each question/ area covered in The Little Book of Score Sheets and Rules. There are also general strategies which give guidance for children who present with:
    • A stammer.
    • Voice difficulties.
    • Reluctance to talk. 

Step 2: Familiarise yourself with the WellComm Report Wizard

Familiarise yourself with the The WellComm Report Wizard platform then this would be a good opportunity to log on.

Step 3: Complete the training

You can complete the training independently: WellComm Early Years Training or attend an in person training session. 

Step 4: Work with the child

Find a quiet setting to work individually with the child. Use The Picture Book and The Little Book of Score Sheets and Rules. (User instructions are in The Handbook).

At the end of the screening, add up the number of ticks. Use the score guide to ascertain whether the child scores Red, Amber or Green. Screen until GREEN!

If the child scores Amber or Red, move back an age band and re-screen. Keep doing this until the child scores green – this is your starting point.

Once you have drawn up a child’s profile, you will be able to see where their individual needs lie. You may notice a trend for the child. Or you may see that all aspects are developing evenly but at a slower pace than expected for the age. 

It is important to personalise your teaching to meet these needs. The pupil’s profile will direct you through the most appropriate activities in The Big Book of Ideas. These will correspond to the child’s language level. 
 

Text version of flowchart

All children’s screening data must be added to the online WellComm data platform.

  • Autumn screening data submitted by January.
  • Spring screening data submitted by May.
  • Summer screening data submitted by August.

Remember to screen until green!

Screen either:

  • All children 3yrs or beyond on entry to a setting.
  • All Children who have shown concerns in SLC when assessed at 2 yrs either by Health visitor or Setting.

No further action: only when child is assessed in age band of their age.

Connects to:

  • → Green box: No further action: Continue quality interactions and communication-rich practice
  • → Amber box: 12 weeks intervention from the Big Book of Ideas: Rescreen after 12>
    Amber box connect to:
    • → Amber box: After rescreen continue with the Big Book of Ideas:
    • → Green box:  No further action: Continue quality interactions and communication-rich practice
  • → Red box: 6 weeks intervention from the Big Book of Ideas: Rescreen after 6 weeks.
    Red box connects to:
    • → Amber box: After rescreen if any progress is shown continue with Intervention for another 6 weeks from the Big Book of Ideas
    • → Red box: After rescreen if no progress refer to Speech Therapy. But continue to deliver the interventions form the Big Book of Ideas.
       

Step 5: Uploading the results

The WellComm Early Years Report Wizard, can record and analyse a child’s progress. The results of the Screening Tool are uploaded to a secure website. The Report Wizard allows the progress of individuals and groups of children to be monitored. It automatically generates individual, group or cluster reports.

  • Individual reports generate a profile of a child’s current language skills. They provide a list of next steps for teaching targets (based on the items that the child did not achieve). From this list, the user is directed to the relevant activities in The Big Book of Ideas.
  • Group and Cluster reports are for a holistic/management view of overall trends. This is based on a number of categories such as gender, EAL, Pupil Premium etc.

Planning and delivering interventions

Build a short cycle (6–8 weeks):

  • Choose activities from the age band above  where they screened green
  • Deliver 2–3 short sessions per week (10–15 mins)
  • Keep groups very small (1–4 children)

Embedding strategies into daily routines:

  • Model language
  • Comment instead of questioning
  • Offer choices
  • Pause to allow processing time
  • Repeat key words
  • Follow the child’s lead

Recording and tracking

Practitioners should keep track of:

For each child:

  • Baseline score.
  • Colour outcome.
  • Planned intervention activities.
  • Progress notes.
  • Re-screen score.
  • Next steps (continue, close, or refer).

For the setting:

  • Percentage of children green/amber/red.
  • Cohort trends.
  • SEND planning.
  • Impact of interventions.

Working with parents

Share information clearly and supportively:

Tell parents:

  • What WellComm is.
  • What their child’s score means.
  • Examples of home strategies.
  • When you will review progress.

Provide simple ideas:

  • See the those listed in the further support section of 'Using the toolkit with parents and carers' below. 

Any questions or advice please contact wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk

Using the toolkit with parents and carers

The WellComm toolkit is designed to identify and respond to children’s speech, language and communication difficulties in the early years. WellComm actively encourages parental involvement both through the screening process and interventions. 

The following top tips will provide some guidance on how you can involve parents and carers when using the toolkit.

Sharing screening outcomes with parents and carers

You should share screening outcomes with parents and carers because:

  • It's good practice to inform parents that you will be completing screens with every child. This provides opportunities for questions and discussions.
  • Parents and carers often have different insights into their child’s communication strengths and difficulties. It's important to gather this information during the screening process.
  • Screening all children using the toolkit means no individual child is singled out. It's good practice to share screening outcomes with parents for all children.
  • Feedback should discuss the child’s strengths before any concerns.
  • Sharing screening results can be a useful starting point. They can be used to discuss with a parent and carer any concerns you may have.
  • It's important to be sensitive, whilst remaining honest about the outcomes, when feeding back to parents and carers.
  • Reiterate that this is a snapshot of their child’s current language skills. It will always be considered alongside other information available to build a holistic picture of their child.

Supporting parents to develop their child’s SLCN at home

You can support parents through:

  • Collaboration with parents and carers is important to ensure that appropriate targets are selected. It ensures support and strategy are consistent both in the setting and at home.
  • Helping parents and carers understand that children who have the right support have the greatest chance of making progress. This is both at home and in their early years’ settings.
  • Providing handouts from the Big Book of Ideas should be photocopied and shared with parents and carers.
  • Giving parents and carers advice and strategies to try at home. Only giving them 1 or 2 things to work on at a time.
  • Trying to show parents and carers what to do or let them observe you doing the activity with their child. This could be done via videos posted onto online journals and observations.
  • Discussing how advice and strategies can be brought into daily routines. For example, bath time, playing in the garden and dinner time.
  • Reassuring parents and carers that there are many things that can be done to support children to develop their SLCN. And that you will work together to support them.
  • Sharing videos about adult child interaction strategies.
  • Signposting parents and carers to information and resources about SLCN. As well as local services and opportunities that families can access. For example: Family Learning, libraries, local groups and ‘Look, Say, Sing, Play’.

Things to consider when sharing information about WellComm with parents

You should consider:

  • How will you share information about WellComm with parents and carers? This could be done in multiple ways including newsletters, meetings with parent and carers, online journals or apps.
  • Are there opportunities in the day to liaise with parents and carers?
  • Is there space in your setting (informal vs private)?
  • Are parents and carers encouraged to join sessions where WellComm information can be shared or modelled?
  • A Key Person Strategy can be helpful. This is one point of contact for parents and carers, so they know who to talk to.
  • Sharing information between environments (for example, nursery and childminder) is important for children with SLCN. This will ensure that all settings working with a child are focussing on the same area or strategy. This will avoid families being overwhelmed with differing advice from each setting.

Further support for working with parents

You can access further support in the following ways:

Typical ages and stages of communication development:

Any questions or advice please contact wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk

Using the toolkit with children with English as an Additional Language (EAL)

All children can be included in the WellComm approach. The aim of the WellComm toolkit is to identify underlying language difficulties, rather than assessing a child’s second language learning. The following top tips will provide some guidance on how the toolkit could be used to support children with EAL. Please refer to the ‘Further support’ section below. This gives further advice and information for supporting children with EAL in your setting/school.

Carrying out the screen with children with EAL

  • It is recommended that you complete the screen in the child’s  strongest language. An interpreter may be required to support with this (see below)
  • It is also possible to screen bilingual children in English to gather information about how the child’s English is developing. However, this would not necessarily reflect the child’s skills in their home language
  • When screening in English you may decide to start at a lower section than the child’s age-related section. It is advised that the practitioner uses their knowledge of the child’s English skills to choose the appropriate section
  • If you have concerns about a child’s language skills speak to parents/carers. You can find out more information about whether the child has difficulties in their home language. You can also do this if the WellComm screen highlights language difficulties.

Using The Big Book of Ideas to support children with EAL

The Big Book of ideas can be used to support children with EAL with their language development. It is important that the child is supported in all languages. An interpreter may be required to support with this (see below).

  • Share and gather information with parents/carers about interventions. These can then be supported in all environments and reinforced in all languages.
  • Positive adult child interaction strategies are beneficial for the development of all languages. This can include simple language, repetition and use of visuals to support understanding. See ‘Strategies for developing use of language’ (page 209).
  • The Big Book of Ideas is written in English. This can be particularly helpful for parents of children with EAL to see practitioners modelling activities (in person or via recordings).

Using an interpreter:

  • You could link with family members/friends to support with translating information. This can be from the WellComm screen and Big Book of ideas. For further information see GL Assessment's video on WellComm and working with pupils (YouTube)
  • In some cases, a student interpreter may be able to undertake a longer placement with the setting. This is to provide ongoing support for the child
  • When using an interpreter the screening assessment, the assessment must still be led in person by a member of staff who knows the child well. They should instruct the translator step by step on what to say to the child and record their responses
  • Practitioners should be mindful of safeguarding related matters when using an interpreter. This includes the increased chance that a child may say things that they have previously been unable to communicate to staff. Student volunteers all have safeguarding training. This should be supported by good induction by the setting
  • It is recommended that you create a profile for each language that the child speaks. This is so that the variation in skills between languages can be recorded and progress tracked

Further support for children with EAL

You can access further support in the following ways:

Any questions or advice please contact wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk

Using the toolkit with children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

The WellComm toolkit is designed to identify and respond to children’s speech, language, and communication needs in the early years. The toolkit can be useful for supporting some children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The following top tips will provide some guidance on how the toolkit could be used to support children with SEND.

Carrying out the screen with children with SEND

  • Complete the assessment in a quiet, distraction-free area.
  • You may need to complete questions from the screen at different times of the day/ on different days. Rather than doing them all at once.
  • For children with limited attention, you could use games alongside the screener as a motivator e.g. pop-up pirate, building blocks.
  • It may be helpful to have two adults to support children with SEND with the screening process. One to complete the activities with the child and one to make notes and score.
  • Section 1 of the toolkit is mostly based on observations of the child. It can therefore be used with children who do not yet respond to adult led activities. For children with a high level of needs you could begin the screen at section 1. This will identify a target/strategy to support the child’s communication skills.

The toolkit is not designed as an all-encompassing assessment. Use your knowledge of the child and information from parents/carers to decide whether this toolkit is appropriate. 

If you feel the toolkit is not appropriate for a child with SEND, it may mean they need further assessment. They may need support from other services to help address their communication needs. 

Using The Big Book of Ideas

The Big Book of Ideas has a number of useful resources that can be used to support children with SEND.

  • See ‘Strategies for developing use of language’ (pg.209). This highlights some helpful interaction strategies that can support any child’s language development. You could agree on one interaction strategy to focus on with parents/carers. Then try to bring this strategy into the child’s play and everyday activities e.g. snack time, bath time etc.
  • See ‘Shared or joint attention’ (pg. 215-216), which discusses how to share or engage a child’s attention to support with developing their communication skills.
  • When it is not possible to carry out the screen with a child, look through the activity ideas in the Big Book of Ideas for section 1. Choose a strategy/ activity that you feel may support the child’s needs.
  • Watch this video for further advice: Using WellComm to support SEND learners in York (YouTube).   

When the toolkit is not appropriate

  • It is not appropriate for a child who is deaf and using sign language.
  • It is not appropriate to use with children who have Selective Mutism. Or those who are very anxious about speaking in their setting.
  • It is not appropriate to use with children with visual impairment as a number of the questions incorporate pictures.

Speak to their named speech and language therapist with regards to planned screening If the child is known to the therapy team.

Any questions or advice please contact wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk

Submitting data from WellComm screens

You are required to submit WellComm data. You will receive an email termly asking you to update the Online Reporting Wizard. 

You'll be asked to provide the following data for the children screened:

  • Name.
  • Gender.
  • Date of birth.
  • Any identified SEND.
  • English as an Additional Language (EAL).
  • Residential postcode.
  • Date of screening assessment.
  • The colour code the child achieved for their age-related section (green, amber or red).

The data that you return will be used to help make decisions. Decisions about further Calderdale-wide support available for speech, language and communication. Therefore it's very important we get the most complete data from across the borough that we can.

Training sessions and workshops

Training for new users

This training is suitable for all those new to using the WellComm Toolkit. Maybe your team have recently started using the Toolkit. Or maybe you have new members of the team who would benefit from training. 

Training sessions are available directly from the Speech and Language Therapists. They are open to as many staff as is useful for all those providers interested in using WellComm. 

You can also complete the training independently at WellComm Early Years Training.

 Current training dates

  • Friday 16th January at 2pm to 3.30pm - Halifax Town Hall
  • Monday 19th January 10am to 11.30am - Halifax Town Hall
  • Friday 30th January 12.30pm to 2pm - Halifax Town Hall
  • Monday 2nd February 11am to 12.30pm - Halifax Town Hall

To book email: wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk  

Workshops for existing users

Are you currently using a WellComm toolkit in your setting. Do you want to link with others who are also using it? If so, our Specialist Speech and Language Therapist will be leading a series of online WellComm Workshops. This includes support from members of the Speech, Language and Communication Hub. We’d love you to join us.

The workshops provide advice and training around how to use activities and ideas from the ‘Big Book of Ideas’. They also embed strategies into everyday practice. There will also be opportunities for those attending to share their own experience and ideas from using the WellComm toolkit. They can also bring any questions to the group.

Spring term 2026

  • Using the WellComm toolkit with children with SEND. 
    Thursday 16th April 3.30pm to 5pm at Halifax Town Hall.
  • Supporting children with English as an Additional Language. 
    Friday 24th April 2.30pm to 4pm at Halifax Town Hall.
  • Embedding WellComm into everyday practice. 
    Friday 1st May 2.30pm to 4pm at Halifax Town Hall.

Summer term 2026

  • Evaluating progress with WellComm and Looking ahead.
    Wednesday 13th May 2026, 4pm to 5pm at Halifax Town Hall
  • Early Talk drop-in session with the Specialist Team. 
    Please drop in with any questions related to WellComm. 
    Thursday 18th June 2026, 3.30pm to 5pm at Halifax Town Hall. 

To book please contact – wellcomm@calderdale.gov.uk 

Self-directed online learning

Practitioners can access WellComm training independently through GL Assessment's online learning platform.

These self-directed modules provide guidance on using the WellComm Toolkit to:

  • Support the early identification of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).
  • Plan targeted support.
  • Track children's progress effectively using the online data wizard.

Access the training via the links below:

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