Close to £1m has been granted to Swindon Borough Council to train specialists in helping very young children with communications difficulties.

Eight councils across the county have been given a share of £6.5m by Whitehall for the new projects and Swindon, which is the lead partner in a joint bid with Gloucestershire County Council, will share £750,000.

Spokesman for the borough council Tom Haworth said: “We are thrilled that Swindon has secured funding from the national Early Outcomes Fund. This has been allocated to support locally identified priorities for pre-school children, with the ultimate aim of improving good early language outcomes.

“In Swindon, we intend to identify children and families that might benefit from additional home and community support. We will specifically target children from birth to 30 months in key localities and aim to work in partnership with parents through a range of exciting opportunities and resources. These activities will enhance our current provision for these children and families and will involve other local partners.

“In addition to improving early language, Swindon’s Early Help teams will benefit from sharing ideas and practices with other successful grant winners from across England. We will also have regular opportunities to share our experiences with our Gloucestershire partners.”

Experts such as health visitors, early years staff and family support workers will be trained to identify children with poor language and communication skills and to make sure the right support is in place so they don’t fall behind.

Swindon and Gloucestershire will support children who are at risk of or display early signs of difficulty in language development through evidence-based early learning interventions, such as the Peep Learning Together Programme which helps parents make the most of everyday learning opportunities like listening, talking and playing.

Education secretary Damian Hinds said: “Ask any parent and they want their child to have the best start in life. But we know that those from a disadvantaged background often start school already behind when it comes to communication and language development.

“This investment will provide better support to families. No-one is born knowing how to be a mum or a dad and parenting does not come with a manual, I want to support families with hints and tips to propel their child’s learning so they can go on to reach their full potential, whatever their background."

Jacqui Watt, Chairman of Swindon SEND Families Voice, a parent carer forum in Swindon that supports families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities, said: "Learning and development is usually at its highest rate in the preschool years so it's fantastic to hear that Swindon will receive this money to put towards early intervention. Research shows that identifying special needs or developmental delays early can help keep children on a path to meeting important learning and developmental milestones. Families can often experience frustration and helplessness and having this early intervention should help to build a supportive environment for the family which is so important."