Written question WQ95744

Speech and Language Therapists provide life-changing treatment, support and care for children and adults who have difficulties with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing. Responsibility for the provision of speech and language therapy services to children rests with health boards following an assessment of need. Decisions about where therapy is provided is a local decision, this may include community settings such as the child’s home or school setting, but therapy may also be provided from hospital or clinical settings if that is more appropriate to the child and their family.

The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) and Education Tribunal Act 2018 identifies the responsibilities for Health Boards, local authorities and schools. Designated Education Clinical Lead Officers are working within Health Boards to embed procedures to ensure appropriate and timely responses to requests from education for assessment and delivery of agreed Additional Learning Provision which may include speech and language therapy. Effective joint working between Health Boards, local authorities and schools is essential to the delivery of interventions including speech and language therapy to enable children to access education.

The Welsh Government’s ‘Talk with Me’ programme exists to support the speech, language, and communication development of children aged under 5 years. One of the programme’s aims is to ensure that the right children are seen by the right person in the right place at the right time: meaning that children needing to access more specialised support will be able to do so more effectively.