Ahead of the UK General Election, RCSLT is calling on candidates to support improved access to speech and language therapy and run communication accessible campaigns. Alongside this we are also sharing an e-action for you to contact your local candidates directly.

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Before the General Election, the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is telling political parties what we think should happen to make the lives of people who have trouble communicating or swallowing better.

  • We want politicians to do communication training so they can communicate with everyone equally.
  • We want the next government to spend more money on speech and language therapy.
  • We want speech and language therapists (SLTs) to be allowed to prescribe some types of medicine without asking a doctor.
  • We want Parliament to be a good place to work if you have a communication difference or disability.
  • We want better help for children with special needs.
  • We want the government to understand how important it is for children to develop good communication skills.
  • We want more people to get support to help them get better after they are ill.

The next pages give more details about these policy calls and helps SLTs and people accessing speech and language therapy to contact candidates in their local area.

We have also put together a summary document of the General Election manifestos.

RCSLT Policy Calls

Ahead of the UK General Election, the RCSLT is issuing a series of policy calls that we think the next government needs to implement to help to deliver better lives for people with communication and/or swallowing needs and their families.

The calls are listed below, but are also available to share online, or print yourself, to help spread awareness.

Some of these calls are specifically from the RCSLT and others are as part of coalitions of which we are a member. They include both UK-wide calls as well as those which are for England only.

UK-wide

  1. RCSLT is calling on all parties and candidates to be communication accessible by undertaking Communication Access UK training.
  2. RCSLT is calling on all parties to invest in speech and language therapy.
  3. As part of the Prescribing Now coalition, the RCSLT is calling on all parties to commit to extending independent prescribing responsibilities to speech and language therapists, and other coalition partners.
  4. As part of the Inclusive Parliament coalition, the RCSLT is calling on political parties and candidates to pledge to change the behaviours, culture, and procedures of Parliament so they are inclusive of people with communication difference.

England only

  1. As part of the SEND in the Specialists coalition, the RCSLT is calling on all parties to invest in and properly plan for the specialist workforce for children and young people with SEND.
  2. As part of the Lets Talk Communication coalition, the RCSLT is calling on parties and candidates to have children and young people’s spoken language and communication to be at the heart of their manifestos.
  3. As part of the Community Rehabilitation Alliance, the RCSLT is calling for parties to:
    • Expand the rehabilitation workforce in the community, making use of the full workforce available, including allied health professionals, to ensure there is access to high quality rehabilitation services for everyone who needs it.
    • Ensure rehabilitation forms a core part of NHS future planning guidance. The next government must make a commitment to rehabilitation as an equal pillar of health care to medicines and surgery.
    • Mandate integrated care boards (ICBs) to improve access to high quality community rehabilitation services with an accountable lead in each ICB to drive forward this change.

Other coalitions of which we are members

Children at The Table (England only) – The RCSLT is a supporter of the Children at the Table campaign. Children at the Table means:

  • Making sure politicians across government work together to improve the lives of babies, children and young people
  • Putting children’s needs and voices at the heart of decision making
  • Investing more of the nation’s wealth in babies, children and young people

Special Educational Consortium (England only) – The RCSLT is a member of the Special Educational Consortium (SEC). SEC has identified three priorities to address the current challenges faced by disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs (SEN) within the education system:

  • Accountability and support
  • Funding and workforce support
  • Listening to children and young people and their families

Other things RCSLT is calling for

We repeat our long-standing calls for:

  1. speech and language therapists to added to the list of professionals who can train as approved mental capacity professionals (England and Wales).
  2. speech and language therapy to be provided in all prisons, secure children’s homes, youth justice teams, and young offender institutions to support people with communication and/or swallowing needs (England and Wales).
  3. reform of the Mental Health Act and embedding speech and language therapists as a core part of the mental health workforce (England and some parts relevant to Wales).

Engaging with candidates – for SLTs

Thank you for your interest in our General Election work.

How you can help

  • YOU CAN ask candidates to run inclusive and accessible campaigns by undertaking Communication Access training
  • YOU CAN ask them to deliver better lives for people with communication and/or swallowing needs and their families
  • YOU CAN ask them to support improved access to speech and language therapy
  • YOU CAN ask them to support the RCSLT policy calls

Before you begin:

  • Check if your work setting has guidance on engaging with candidates and check for any pre-election guidance – this may affect what you can do in work time.
  • Monitor @RCSLTpolicy and @GivingVoiceUK for the latest updates.
  • If you’re in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland:
    • Parties that do not stand candidates in England are unlikely to include wording in their manifestos relating to England in respect to devolved matters such as health and education. These areas will be included in manifestos for the devolved elections scheduled for 2026.
    • Asks related to inclusive and accessible campaigns, investing in speech and language therapy, prescribing responsibilities are appropriate throughout the whole of the United Kingdom, and asks related to justice are appropriate for England and Wales.
    • Follow @RCSLTScot, @RCSLTWales & @RCSLTNI.

 If you have a spare 5 minutes:

  • Contact candidates via social media, asking them to run an inclusive and accessible election campaign by doing the Communication Access training.
  • Share the RCSLT’s top tips and manifesto asks with candidates on social media and ask them to work to implement the RCSLT policy calls that are relevant to your country if elected.
  • Contact your local candidates via our dedicated e-action. All you need is 5 minutes and your postcode – we have set up an e-action for you to email your local candidates directly.

England

If you are in England, use the box below to find your local candidates and begin your e-action.






Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

If you are in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, use the below.





To complete your e-action in Welsh use the below.
I gwblhau eich e-weithred yn Gymraeg, cliciwch isod.




If you have 10-15 minutes:

  • If you are approached by a candidate, start conversations about the RCSLT policy calls and the role of speech and language therapy in general.

If you have half an hour or more:

  • Attend a local hustings event.
  • Ask candidates what they will do if elected to ensure people with communication and swallowing needs get the speech and language therapy support they need.
  • Seek a meeting with your candidate to discuss:
    • the role of speech and language therapy in general
    • the RCSLT policy calls
    • what the candidates will do if elected to ensure that people with communication and swallowing needs get the speech and language therapy support they and their families need.
  • Ask candidates to do the Communication Access training and pledge to work for an Inclusive Parliament if elected.

If you need any help or advice, please contact peter.just@rcslt.org or elissa.cregan@rcslt.org.

Engaging with candidates – for those accessing SLT services

Thank you for your interest in our General Election work.

How you can help

If you want to help:

  • YOU CAN ask candidates to deliver better lives for people with communication and/or swallowing needs and their families.
  • YOU CAN ask candidates to improve access to speech and language therapy.
  • YOU CAN ask candidates to run inclusive and accessible campaigns by undertaking Communication Access training.

Communication Access training is designed to ensure that communications are accessible to and inclusive of those who communicate differently or with difficulty.

All you need is your 5 minutes and your postcode – we have set up an e-action for you to email your local candidates directly.

England

If you are in England, use the box below to find your local candidates and begin your e-action.






Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

If you are in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, use the box below to find your candidates and begin your e-action.





To complete your e-action in Welsh use the below:
I gwblhau eich e-weithred yn Gymraeg, cliciwch isod:

Postcode:




Other things you can do
Other things you can do to help include:

If you need any help or advice, please contact peter.just@rcslt.org or elissa.cregan@rcslt.org.

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