Professional Practice and Policy Committee
The Professional Practice and Policy Committee (PPPC) was established by the Board of Trustees and is accountable to the Board for the consideration of matters of professional practice and policy. It is a governance committee and reports into the Board of Trustees in the governance structure.
The committee considers and make recommendations upon matters relating to professional development and practice, standards, policy and public affairs. It ensures that the perspective of members and service users in the four nations of the United Kingdom is taken into account, in development and pursuit of the strategic aims and objectives of the RCSLT and in supporting the Board of Trustees.
The committee also debates current and future cross-cutting issues in sufficient depth to inform policy decisions by the Board. In the process of consideration, discussion and debate, the committee consults with other RCSLT committees and groups and with the wider membership as it sees fit.
Meet the committee
Eve Baird, General Trustee and PPPC Chair
Eve Baird qualified as a speech and language therapist from the University of Sheffield in 1999, first working as a generalist SLT in Lincolnshire. Developing her interest in working with individuals with complex communication needs and behaviours, she has worked in In leadership and management roles since 2012, including as Rampton SLT service manager, associate director of AHPs for forensic services in Nottinghamshire, and quality improvement and assurance lead in Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT).
Eve is currently the associate director of operations for specialist services in LPFT. with a responsibility for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), adult eating disorder services, veterans mental health services, and mental health services for adults with intellectual disability and/or autism. In addition to her substantive role, Eve also works as a specialist advisor for the Care Quality Commission and was a member of the NICE/SCIE Guideline Committee for supporting decision-making for people who may lack mental capacity.
Alex McNeill, co-Northern Ireland Hub representative
Alex McNeill graduated in Speech and Language Sciences from Newcastle University in 2015. Since then, she has gained experience working in the education sector and NHS, and currently works independently in Northern Ireland. Her first role as a Speech and Language Therapist was in an acute stroke setting, however the rest of her clinical career has been spent working with pre-school and school age children in community settings. As an independent practitioner, Alex enjoys working with children in their schools and homes and working closely with families and other professionals to give children the best possible support with their communication skills.
Alongside her clinical SLT work, she runs ‘Sing and Sign’ groups for parents and babies in her local area. Her aim is to support families to help their little ones to develop their communication skills from as early as possible.
Krystina Stanway
Krystina qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist in 2010 from Manchester Metropolitan University and completed her PhD in 2024. Krystina started working in Adult Learning Disability services but over the years has also worked in Adult Community and Forensic inpatient services. Her clinical work is predominantly complex dysphagia and supporting with risk management and decision-making for those with mental health conditions. Krystina’s PhD and subsequent research focuses on Teenagers and Young Adults with cancer and supporting legacy work and the role of Speech and Language Therapists in supporting this.
Krystina is currently the Assistant Director of Allied Health Professionals at Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust supporting AHPs working in physical health, mental health, and secure services to deliver excellent patient care. Krystina has a particular passion around supporting individuals to reach their potential and developing career pathways in leadership, research and clinical practice.
X: @krystina_cb
Jo Sandiford
Jo qualified from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1992. Her first SLT role was in the paediatric team with Bradford Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust, before moving to Leeds Community Health Children’s SLT service. Most of her clinical career has been working within a multi-disciplinary team, with pre-school children with a range of communication and learning differences, and their families. Jo has enjoyed various clinical leadership and advisory roles. In 2017, Jo moved to Leeds Beckett University (LBU) as a senior lecturer and enjoys being placement lead for LBU and chairing the national universities practice placements group. Jo was lead author on the RCSLT Practice-Based Learning guidelines (2021), and has been involved in establishing the national Practice Education Clinical Excellence Network. She is a keen ally for disabled SLTs and SLT students. In March 2024, Jo submitted her PhD about the experiences of families accessing Education, Health and Care Plans. Jo has worked in Madagascar and India, and is passionate about supporting the growth of SLT in global majority countries.
Louisa Reeves
Louisa Reeves graduated from UCL in 1986 and worked in NHS posts in London, West Sussex, Buckinghamshire and Norfolk, specialising in ASD and DLD. She managed a combined acute and community adult and paediatric service in Great Yarmouth before joining the children’s charity I CAN. Her current role is Director of Policy and Evidence at the charity, now known as Speech and Language UK. In this role she combines her speech and language expertise with knowledge of research and the evidence base to support the development of policy and influencing in the cause of children and young people with speech and language challenges. She is based in the northwest of England and is chair of the North West regional RCSLT hub and a committee member of the North West Speech and Language Network. She is also chair of trustees for One Community Trust a multi-academy trust based in Warrington.
Fiona Lloyd
Fiona graduated in 2008 from the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (now Cardiff Met), and has been working as a speech and language therapist ever since. Over the years, she has enjoyed working in a wide range of settings – from preschools and mainstream and special schools, to supporting adults with learning disabilities and children with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties. In 2023, she became Deputy Head of Speech and Language Therapy in North-West Wales, a role she feels privileged to hold. She is passionate about making a difference through evidence-based practice, nurturing future leaders in the NHS, and finding new and innovative ways to develop services. Promoting the SLT profession in the local community is especially important to her, particularly increasing opportunities for families to access therapy in Welsh.
Alison Williams – Wales member
Since qualifying with MSc in Speech and Language Pathology and Therapy from University College London in 1999, Alison has worked in a variety of Paediatric speech and language therapy departments across the UK. She has worked at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (ABUHB) in Gwent, South Wales since 2008 and took the role of Head of SLT service in 2020. Alison is passionate about evidence-based services that deliver positive outcomes for patients and their families/carers. Alison was seconded to Welsh Government (WG) in 2015 where she consulted on and wrote the Speech, Language and Communication Guidance for Flying Start (WG early years programme)
She was awarded a RCSLT Fellowship in 2016 for her Flyng Start work. Alison has held several senior leadership roles in Wales, including Chair of the All Wales Speech and Language Therapy Advisory Forum (WSLTAF) and the Welsh Allied Health Professionals Committee (WAHPC). She is currently one of five Allied Health Professional (AHP) Leads in ABUHB representing Therapy services to influence the development of AHP services in primary care services across the Gwent.
Fatimah Bint-Hanif
Fatimah Bint-Hanif qualified with a BSc (Hons) in Speech and Language Therapy from Leeds Beckett University in 2023. She then went on to complete an MSc in Psychology, developing a strong interest in social and developmental psychology.
Fatimah began her career working with paediatric populations and now practises in a specialist education setting in Yorkshire. She believes in the importance of neuro-affirming, trauma-informed and person-centred care.
Fatimah is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging, and actively explores how policy changes can drive more equitable outcomes. Fatimah has a particular focus on the experiences of historically underserved communities. She is always keen to engage in research, discussions and initiatives that promote meaningful change.
Fatimah enjoys reading, finding new hobbies, travelling and outdoor adventures – she is regularly seeking new experiences and challenges.
LinkedIn: Fatimah Bint-Hanif
Claire Taylor
Claire trained at Reading University and qualified in 1997. She has worked in various roles across East Anglia over the past 25 years, working in Paediatric, Adult Learning Disability and Forensic Roles. She is currently the Service Lead for the Norfolk and Waveney Paediatric Service. As well as having a passion for the importance of enabling communication she has a particular interest in leadership and system working. Outside of work she can often be found swimming in the Norfolk Broads.
Jo Bradburn
Jo is currently the Deputy Director of Allied Health Professions at Hywel Dda University Health Board. Jo qualified as a speech and language therapist from University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in 2007 later expanding her knowledge with a masters in Advanced Practice. Jo has devoted her career to serving the population of Wales. She has worked across a wide range of clinical settings but found her niche working with adults with progressive neurological conditions in the community. For the last 6 or 7 years, Jo has developed her leadership experience demonstrating a commitment to the advancement of service transformation, advancing professional standards and quality improvement within both the SLT profession and across health and social care. Jo has previously served as a trustee for a local nursery and is currently establishing a committee to develop play opportunities for children locally, recognising the need to address the social determinants of health and create a fairer society. Jo is excited to bring these values and experiences to the PPPC.
