29 March 2006

Children’s services professionals meet tomorrow to tackle issues identified by Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY)

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) will chair a major conference, Shaping the future - meeting children's language and learning needs, at The Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown, on Thursday 30 March 2006.

At the conference, over 180 delegates, including parents, Government representatives, managers, commissioners and practitioners, will discuss solutions to the serious situation outlined in the 2005 Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) report on speech and language therapy provision.

RCSLT Northern Ireland Country Policy Officer Alison McCullough said, "This is an immensely important conference, addressing speech and language therapy needs for children in Northern Ireland. We will be pulling together all of the key-players for the first time and it will be a great opportunity to start making a real difference to services for children."

"At the conference, we will develop plans to support the implementation of NICCY's recommendations. These will enable SLT services to put into action the guidelines on best practise in commissioning and delivering SLT services for children that we have developed. We will be addressing the lack of speech and language therapists and the uneven provision of SLT services for children Northern Ireland."

RCSLT CEO Kamini Gadhok said, "The RCSLT welcomes the commitment made by to Northern Ireland's children's services to improve speech and language therapy provision in Northern Ireland. We will work closely with NICCY and other organisations in Northern Ireland to ensure that care for children with speech and language difficulties improves."



Ends

Notes for editors:

  • Shaping the future - meeting children's language and learning needs takes place at The Glenavon Hotel, Cookstown - 30th March 2006, from 0900-1600. Contact NICCY Media & Public Affairs Officer Jonathon Traynor, tel: 07917 543 953, to discuss media opportunities
  • NICCY's Overview of Speech and Language Therapy Provision in Northern Ireland 2004/2005 is available at: http://www.niccy.org/article.aspx?menuid=384
  • The RCSLT is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK and has over 12,000 members. It is responsible for setting, promoting and maintaining high standards in education, clinical practice and ethical conduct. Visit: www.rcslt.org for more information.
  • On 5 April, RCSLT will launch a position paper prepared by Marie Gascoigne on Supporting children with speech, language and communication needs within integrated children's services.
  • RCSLT CEO Kamini Gadhok and RCSLT Northern Ireland Policy Officer Alison McCullough will be available for media interviews at the conference.

For more information contact:
RCSLT Northern Ireland Policy Officer Alison McCullough, tel: 02890501802 mob: 07867781116, email: alison.mccullough@rcslt.org
RCSLT Head of Policy Nick Smith, tel: 0207 378 3015 email: nick.smith@rcslt.org

For more information contact Steven Harulow, email: steven.harulow@rcslt.org tel: 020 7378 3004