Professional Practice and Policy Committee

Meet the committee

Eve Baird, 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.

Dawn Leoni, Wales representative

Dawn Leoni is currently a service manager within NHS Wales, and is proud and privileged to represent Wales on the PPPC committee. She has been a practicing SLT for 24 years, having specialisms in neurological rehabilitation and head and neck cancer. She has worked in a range of NHS, private and public sector organisations in England and Wales. She has a particular interest in the provision of Welsh language services in Wales. Dawn is passionate and motivated to ensure that professional standards are at the forefront of operational and clinical decision making within the profession, whilst recognising the financial and political context of the speech and language therapy provision. She feels that that her experience enables her to approach situations with a dynamic understanding of the wider cultural and organisational climates and she aims to bring creativity and innovation into her position on the PPPC committee.
Twitter: @dawn_leoni

Lucie McAnespie, Hub Forum Scotland chair

Lucie McAnespie has been Head of Adult Speech and Language Therapy in NHS Lothian since 2012. Her current role is to support and develop SLTs and speech and language therapy services and to act as an advocate for speech and language therapy at broader AHP and strategic groups.

Bronagh McAuley, Northern Ireland Hub representative

Bronagh McAuley graduated from Queen Margaret University Edinburgh in 2010. Since then she has worked in various adult settings across Scotland, England and Northern Ireland, with a particular interest in forensic healthcare, mental health and dementia. Bronagh currently works as a Clinical Lead Speech and Language Therapist specialising in Mental Health, in the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Bronagh gained an MSc in Advancing Practice in SLT in 2019 through Ulster University and undertook research with service users exploring their communication and literacy difficulties within a forensic and mental health learning disability service.
Twitter: @BronaghSLT

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.

Gillian Rudd

Gillian graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2005, subsequently working in Lancashire and Birmingham as a SLT supporting children of all ages with communication needs. She is particularly interested in improving access to an experience of services and has been involved in the Giving Voice campaign since 2011, working in partnership with others to challenge the postcode lottery and inequitable funding arrangements across England. Their petitions in 2018 and 2021 each gathered over 10,000 signatures, resulting in Government responses each time.

In 2014, she completed a PG Cert in Professional Studies in Education with the Open University, continuing her studies with Birmingham City University (BCU) with a MEd Academic Practice in Higher Education in 2017. Gillian currently works at BCU as a Senior Lecturer in SLT and Joint Course Lead for the MSc Speech and Language Therapy programme. She is a Trustee for STAMMA (the British Stammering Association), recently commencing her second term. She is also beginning a Professional Doctorate in Health in September 2022 and hoping to use this to explore waiting lists and service provision within SLT.
Twitter: @GillianRudd

Jan Baerselman, RCSLT Minor Grants Committee Chair

Jan graduated from Newcastle University as an SLT in 1990 and has spent around 20 years working in the NHS. Her specialism in schools, and Masters degree in Joint Professional Practice, led to managing a mainstream schools SLT service in London and part time clinical tutor work at City & Reading Universities. Jan has been project manager on several innovative, influential SLT projects. She founded an independent practice, Talking Outcomes, around 10 years ago where she indulges her clinical interests: Innovative service development; supporting the next generation of SLTs; practise-based research and training for schools. She provides professional supervision for SLTs across the country and love collaborating on anything that improves quality, increases efficiency, or creates positive change.
Twitter: @talkingoutcomes

Lyn Button

Lyn Button qualified as a SLT in 1994 from University College London. Throughout her career she has enjoyed working with adults with neurological, respiratory and critical care conditions. She has worked extensively in the NHS and in the Independent Sector as a clinical specialist and as an AHP leader and senior manager. Lyn also served on the board of the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice supporting ASLTIP members offering a valuable, safe and evidence practice for the public. Lyn has a particular interest in mentoring and leadership, supporting RCSLT with clinical champion and leadership mentoring roles. She is passionate about supporting team members to fulfill their full potential. Lyn leads with compassion, fairness, equality and transparency. Lyn is committed to aim to provide the best possible environment for individuals and the community.

Meriem Amer

Meriem graduated from Birmingham City University in 2017. Since then, she has worked for different NHS trusts as a paediatric speech and language therapist and currently supports children in mainstream primary schools and speech sound clinic in Tower Hamlets working for Barts Health NHS trust. Alongside this, she lectures at City University of London. Meriem enjoy the balance of clinical work, academia and supporting future SLTs and has a personal interest in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and in particular anti-racism within the profession. She is also a member of SLTeaTime, a podcast focusing on discussions related to race and ethnicity within the profession, who were proud recipients of a Giving Voice Award 2021.
Twitter: @amer_meriem

Heeral Davda

Heeral qualified as a Speech and Language Therapist from UCL in 2009. In 2010, Heeral started working for a South London NHS Trust as a community based speech and language therapist working with children. She has worked in various roles, including mainstream primary schools, a resource base in a secondary school and within the early years team as clinical lead, and most recently as a manager. She is passionate about population health and addressing health inequalities and currently has a portfolio career to allow her to pursue a range of interests including consulting on early years strategy, coaching AHPs and various governance roles. Heeral is part of the platform ‘SLTsofColour’, an online network with the aim of supporting students and therapists of colour to navigate their training and experiences in the workforce and providing support and training to allies.

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.

Twitter: @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.

Twitter: @jo_sandiford

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.

Twitter: @lreeves_louisa