Looking to the future for children’s services

31st January 2006

The RCSLT has produced a new position paper to enable it to respond to requests for the profession's position regarding the role of SLTs within the changing context and development of children's services.

Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs within integrated children's services sets out a framework that has been tested by author Marie Gascoigne with UK RCSLT members and others from key groups, such as practitioners in independent practice, the voluntary sector and higher education institutions.

Marie says, "We want people to have an understanding that children's services in five year's time will be radically different to the services we now know, and to have a professional debate that will allow the profession to respond proactively rather than reactively to the challenge that this creates.

"We want people top get out of the present; to think of something radical. We need to think about our role and whether the structures will be the same as they are now."

Supporting children includes a brief summary of theory underpinning intervention for communication disability and analyses a number of key policy initiatives over the past few years.

It sets out 15 recommendations that support four key areas: delivering effective support; planning for maximum impact; systems for strategy and developing the workforce.

The aim of the paper is to capture and disseminate key principles that the RCSLT believes should underpin service commissioning and provision.

"In this way it will provide a framework that UK service planners and managers can use to develop services that will best meet the needs of children with speech, language and communication needs," Marie adds.

The 28-page publication is available as a hard copy by contacting the RCSLT switchboard, tel: 0207 378 1200.