AFASIC CYMRU INITIATIVES - WORKING TOGETHER
Working together to tackle speech & language difficulties - Joint
Co-ordinating Speech & language Services:
Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, together
with Jane Hutt, now the former Minister for Health and Social Services
outlined at Afasic's inaugural conference in October 2004 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. This joint announcement came after
extensive work carried out by the Speech and Language Therapy Action
Group (SALTAG), and in consultation with the wider audience, 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. In November
2004 the Welsh Assembly Government announced details of the Speech
& Language Services Joint Co-ordinating Contract, with the view
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.
The Welsh Assembly Government has received 11 joint (Local Education
Authority (LEA)/Local Health Broad (LHB)/NHS Trust) bids to establish
2 pilot sites, which are to be operational by April 2005. The successful
bids will be announced shortly. The successes of these pilots will
be used as the benchmark for other LEA/LHB/NHS Trusts to follow,
as it is expected that all 22 Local Authority and Local Health Board
areas based on NHS Trust boundaries will be establishing joint intervention
teams across health and education, under jointly commissioned arrangements
underpinned by pooled ring-fenced budgets.
The Welsh Assembly Government have, as part of the pilot project,
agreed to the appointment of a Pilot Project Co-ordinator whose remit
will be to encourage and facilitate the engagement between the key
statutory bodies and initiate partnership arrangements to enable the
formation of jointly co-ordinated speech and language services for
children and young people in Wales. It is expected that this post
will be operational April 2005. [top of page]
National Liaison Officers for Welsh Medium Speech and Language
Services:
It has been announced that as part of the 'Working Together' recommendations
that the post of National Liaison Officers for Welsh Medium Speech
and Language Services will be established as a fixed term contract
to review the current situation regarding Welsh medium speech & language
provision. The National Liaison Officer's main role will be to liase
with all the key stakeholders, including the voluntary sector and
identify the gaps in provision and areas of good practice. The National
Liaison Officer, in consultation with relevant agencies, will be asked
to draw up short and long-term proposals for the development of Welsh
Medium Speech and Language Services. It is expected that the National
Liaison Officer will work closely with the Pilot Project Officer and
the two successful pilot sites. [top of page]
Working Together - Gweithio Gyda'n Gilydd (The speech & Language
Therapy Consultation Document).
Some of you may be aware that Afasic Cymru has been involved with
a detailed audit and consultation report of Speech and Language
Services in Wales. In July 2002 the Minister for Education & Lifelong
Learning and the Minister for Health and Social Services jointly
commissioned a report into the current situation in Wales, in order
to address obvious shortfalls in the service.
The NAFW were able to draw on a representation of interested parties
from across Wales to examine all the difficulties and obstacles
in detail. The Director of Afasic Cymru is happy to report that
the work is finally complete and the consultation period is now
closed in order to evaluate the findings.
In fact you may have seen the document and NAFW conference featured
on the BBC Wales News. We are delighted that S&L Therapy is now on
the national agenda. [top of page]
Press release - 24 November 2004
Pilot projects commissioned for speech and language services Jane
Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning and Jane
Hutt, Minister for Health and Social Services, confirmed today (Wednesday
24 November) that the next phase of the Assembly Governments plans
for the delivery of speech and language services for children and
young people in Wales has got off the ground.
Jane Davidson said; "The Speech and Language Therapy Action Groups
report "Working Together" recommended the need for services to work
together to resolve inequalities in service delivery and develop
appropriate mechanisms to address these inequalities. Whilst we
recognise that the training of additional therapists cannot happen
overnight we can in the short term work together across the agencies
to improve service delivery.
"To take this recommendation forward I agreed, with the Health Minister,
to establish pilot projects across Wales from April 2005 to jointly
plan and commission services for children and young people with
speech, language and communication difficulties. We also agreed
that a joint co-ordinator would be appointed to work across health
and education to establish joint commissioning arrangements at a
local level.
"Letters of invitation for registration as a pilot project in this
phase of the development of the strategy have been sent to the Chief
Executives of Local Health Boards in Wales, Directors of Education
and Chief Executives of NHS Trusts. The recruitment of a co-ordinator
of the projects has also begun.
"The pilots will bring together teams of speech and language therapists,
specialist teachers, SLT assistants and learning support assistants
to work together to share their skills and knowledge. The team will
conduct joint assessments and provide intervention where appropriate
to meet individual needs including in-situ support in schools.
Jane Hutt said: "The Welsh Assembly Government places children and
young people at the heart of its agenda, we believe that all children
and young people in Wales should be given every chance to fulfil
their potential. " We have a unique opportunity to bring together
all the available knowledge there is in this field and to share
our experiences and experiences and practices and debate how we
can work together most effectively to improve services for our children
and young people. "However complex these issues may appear I do
not believe they are insurmountable if we are to give all children
in Wales a flying start in life". [top of page]
Afasic Press Release - 15 October 2004
Jane Davidson, Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, and
Jane Hutt, Minister for Health and Social Services, have outlined
the Assembly Governments plans for the future delivery of speech
and language services for children and young people across Wales.
Speaking at the first Afasic Cymru conference in Wales, in Cardiff
(Thursday 14 October) Jane Davidson reported on the action plan
which has emerged from the Speech and Language Therapy Action Groups
consultation document "Working Together".
The Minister said: "Over recent years I have been aware of the steady
growth in demand for services to children and young people with
speech and learning difficulties. That is why the Speech and Language
Therapy Action Group was set up. A consultation document resulted
from the group’s work and today I can release details of the action
to take forward responses to the report.
"The report was generally well received and one of the recommendations
proposed was the desire for A National Communication Strategy to
renew the emphasis that speech, language and communication plays
in a child’s development and the need for services to work together
to resolve inequalities in service delivery and develop appropriate
mechanisms to address these inequalities. Whilst we recognise that
the training of additional therapists cannot happen overnight we
can in the short term work together across agencies to improve service
delivery, " We are proposing to appoint a joint co-ordinator to
work across health and education to establish joint commissioning
arrangements at a local level. LEAs and LHBs would be required to
work together under a strategic partnership arrangement to assess
local needs and determine how those needs should be met. In essence
this would mean all interested parties at a local level would be
represented.
"We will also be piloting joint commissioning projects from April
2005. This means all parties bringing resources to the table and
agreeing priorities in relation to how these resources can be used
most effectively. The pilots will bring together in an integrated
way teams of speech and language therapists, specialist teachers,
SLT assistants and learning support assistants to work together
to share their skills and knowledge. The team will conduct joint
assessments and provide intervention where appropriate to meet individual
needs including in-situ support in schools."
Jane Hutt said: "The Welsh Assembly Government places children and
young people at the heart of its agenda, we believe that all children
and young people in Wales should be given every chance to fulfil
their potential. All the work the Assembly Government does with
children and young people is guided by the UN Convention on the
Rights of the Child.
"We have a unique opportunity in Wales to bring together all the
available knowledge there is in this field and to share our experiences
and practices and debate how we can work together most effectively
to improve services for our children and young people. However complex
these issues may appear I do not believe they are insurmountable
if we are to give all children in Wales a flying start in life."
Jane Davidson added: "Speech and language therapists have unique
knowledge and understanding of the process of developing skills
in speech, language and communications. But teachers equally have
a unique understanding of teaching and learning skills and how we
can differentiate the curriculum in schools to enable children to
access learning to ensure they reach their full potential.
"I wish to ensure that all teaching staff under the auspices of
Initial Teacher Training are equipped on entering the classroom
to identify children who may be experiencing difficulties. Our teaching
staff can offer valuable advice and support to children, parents
and to other colleagues.
"Exciting and innovative approaches have been used on a smaller
scale using National Assembly assistance but is the first time this
approach has been used on service delivery to such a large extent
within the UK.
"Further guidance to all Local Authorities, LHBs and NHS Trusts
will be developed by 2006 following the evaluation of the pilots."
Notes
1.The Speech and Language Therapy Action Group was established by
the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning and the Minister
for Health and Social Services.
2. The action group was formed from representatives of all the key
stakeholder groups from across Wales and has established a number
of sub-groups to tackle specific issues.
3.The group shared a real desire to change the current climate and
work together to improve service delivery for children and young
people with speech, language and communication difficulties.
4. A summary of the responses to the consultation document "Working
Together" will be available on our www.learning.wales.gov.uk website
very shortly. [top of page]
Afasic Cymru, Titan House, Cardiff Bay Business Centre, Lewis Road, Ocean Park, Cardiff CF24 5BS
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