Building back better: Speech and language therapy services after COVID-19

Published 16 March 2021, the RCSLT’s Building back better report shares people’s experiences of accessing speech and language therapy during the first UK-wide lockdown.

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The Building back better report

Between November 2020 and February 2021, we conducted a survey of people’s experiences of accessing speech and language therapy during the first UK-wide lockdown (March–June 2020).

The report – Speech and language therapy during and beyond COVID-19: building back better with people who have communication and swallowing needs – tells the stories of the five hundred people who filled out the survey.

  • While some people were able to access speech and language therapy during lockdown, many more were not.
  • The report details the impact on them and their families and carers of not having speech and language therapy, or having less therapy than they had before lockdown.
  • It also sets out what needs to happen to ensure that people with communication and swallowing needs can access the speech and language therapy that they need.

Read the full report

Read the report by section

Next steps

As the RCSLT works to build back better with people who have communication and swallowing needs, we need your help.

Please let us know if you would like to support our national influencing work or if you would like to use the report to influence locally.

Email peter.just@rcslt.org or padraigin.oflynn@rcslt.org to get involved.

Report breakdowns by condition

Where numbers allow, we are producing condition-specific breakdowns of the survey findings.

ADHD

Download the report:

Download the video with key messages from the report:

Autism

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Brain injury

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Cleft lip and palate

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Deafness

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Down’s syndrome

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Learning disability

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Download videos with key messages from the report:

Neurological conditions

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Parkinson’s disease

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

Stammer

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Download the video with key messages from the report:

 

Report breakdowns by English region

Where numbers allow, we are producing breakdowns of the survey findings by English region.

Yorkshire and the Humber

Download the report:

Download the video with key messages from the report:

Sector letter to the Prime Minister

Following the publication of Speech and language therapy during and beyond COVID-19: building back better with people who have communication and swallowing needs on 16 March, a coalition of over 80 organisations have written to the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson.

They have urged the Government to implement the recommendations in the report.

The organisations work across education, health, social care, justice, disability, employment and poverty, and include charities and professional bodies.

Letter

Download the letter to the Prime Minister (PDF)

Policy statement

Download the accompanying policy statement (PDF)

Social media graphics

Graphics are available for promotional purposes.

Download the Twitter graphic (PNG)

Download the Facebook graphic (PNG)

Download the Instagram graphic (PNG)

More information

If you would like more information, please contact peter.just@rcslt.org or padraigin.oflynn@rcslt.org.

Material for parliamentarians

Thank you for supporting our Building back better report.

You may find the following materials useful:

If you would like any more information, contact peter.just@rcslt.org or padraigin.oflynn@rcslt.org.

Resources to support promotion and influencing

Following on from the Building back better report, one way you can support our national influencing and campaign work is by sharing the survey results with key stakeholders. We’ve produced the below videos and graphics for you to use on social media, highlighting key aspects of the survey findings.

Speech bubble pledges

Download printable speech bubbles pledging your support to #BuildBackBetterSLT:

Headlines

Download videos highlighting the headlines of the survey:

Impacts

Download graphics highlighting the impact of changes to speech and language therapy:

Communication and swallowing

Download graphics about the impact of COVID-19 on communication and swallowing:

Face masks

Download graphics about respondents’ experiences of face masks during speech and language therapy appointments:

Telehealth

Download graphics about respondents’ experiences of telehealth:

Most and least deprived areas

Download graphics about access to speech and language therapy in the most and least deprived areas of England:

Future worries

Download graphics about respondents’ worries for the future:

Your ideas

If you had any ideas about resources that would support your influencing, please contact peter.just@rcslt.org or padraigin.oflynn@rcslt.org.

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