Peep TALK in Barking and Dagenham Family Hubs

In early 2025, Barking and Dagenham Family Hubs introduced Peep TALK groups, extending the Peep Learning Together sessions they were already offering to families with children from birth to four. Delivered by Early Language and Communication Workers, the groups also attract many families who speak English as an additional language.

Parents and practitioners consistently comment on how enjoyable and supportive the sessions are, with parents saying they feel better equipped to help their children’s language development at home. Follow-up assessments show the impact: 97% of participating children made progress in their communication skills.

Early Years Specialist Speech and Language Therapist for Barking and Dagenham Family Hubs, Leanne Lampen, shares why Peep TALK works so well:

"Grounded in everyday interactions:

One of the strongest aspects of Peep TALK is its focus on children’s communication happening naturally in the home environment. From a speech and language therapist’s perspective, we know that structural therapy programmes alone are less sustainable unless parents and caregivers feel confident and enabled in those everyday interactions. Peep TALK gives families practical ways to embed communication-rich moments into daily routines.

Strengths-based with parent and child together:

The programme is designed for parents and their little ones to work together. It promotes a positive and interactive way of working with families, building on the things they already do. That means families feel valued, not judged. I often see parent anxiety around language delay; this kind of approach helps to reduce the anxiety and replace it with agency and empowerment.

Flexible early intervention:

The fact that Peep TALK is a first intervention or for families awaiting speech and language therapy is a real asset. This means we can intervene earlier, embed the right messages, and increase the likelihood of better outcomes - before difficulties become entrenched.

Evidence-Informed, practitioner-friendly resources:

Peep TALK was developed in collaboration with Speech and Language Therapists. From the therapist side this is huge: the language is right, the targets make sense developmentally, and we’re not having to retrofit a ‘generic parenting programme’ to communication needs. The support materials – ‘Talking at Home’ handouts, video clips, etc – are exactly what busy parents and practitioners need.

My observations from practice:

• Increased parental understanding:  Families who attended the sessions demonstrate clearer awareness of how their interactions shape language development – for example, describing what their child is doing, giving the child time to respond, rather than a barrage of questions.
   
• Parent confidence increases noticeably. I’ve seen families report they feel more relaxed about their child’s communication growth, and more empowered with ideas for language-rich interactions.
   
• Continues in day-to-day life:  There is improved carry-over into everyday routines: mealtimes, bath times, play times become language opportunities rather than a separate ‘therapy slot’. This is sustainable and realistic for families.
   
• Intervening early:  Because the programme is flexible, we’ve been able to integrate it into mainstream early years settings and community hubs – supporting our aim of universal early years communication promotion rather than waiting for referral to a speech and language therapist (SALT).

In short, as a practitioner deeply invested in early years speech, language and communication, I wholeheartedly back the Peep TALK programme. It aligns beautifully with best practice, SALT frameworks, strengths-based, family-centred approaches, and the real-world demands of busy parents. I’m excited about the difference it is making and look forward to continuing to embed it across our settings. We really love Peep TALK, it’s incredibly effective and every day we see the change it is making."

Our thanks to Leanne Lampen, to Susan Cummins, Early Year Language and Communication Team Manager, and to the practitioners and families from Barking and Dagenham Family Hubs

> Find out more Peep TALK Training so you can use the programme with families in your community.