AFASIC CYMRU INITIATIVES

Working together to tackle speech and language difficulties

Historically, extensive work was carried out by the Speech and Language Therapy Action Group (SALTAG), which culminated in the publication in June 2003 of the 'Working Together' document. This report made a number of recommendations regarding the delivery of speech and language therapy services.

The Welsh Assembly Government's strategy for the delivery of services for children and young people requiring input from speech and language therapy services across Wales was announced at Afasic Cymru’s inaugural conference in October 2004 by the former Ministers of Education and Health. The WAG strategy was to initiate joint working across education and health in the development and improvement of service provision for children and young people with speech, and language and communication difficulties.

Soon after our Conference, the Welsh Assembly Government invited bids from consortiums of Local Authorities, Local Health Boards (LHBs) and NHS Trusts to establish pilot projects across Wales that would explore approaches to the implementation of joint commissioning services for children and young people with speech, language and communication difficulties. The speech, language and communication pilots commenced in April 2005, with four Phase 1 pilots. In 2006 and additional seven pilots joined Phase 2 of the pilot programme. A final pilot joined the programme in 2007 in Phase 3.

In October 2007, CRG Research Ltd. was commissioned by the Welsh Assembly Government to conduct an evaluation of the speech, language and communication pilots. The evaluation can be downloaded here.

Afasic Cymru are in the process of collating all of the evaluations from participating pilot projects to view from our website.