Scotland policy
Policy and campaigns: Scotland
Information about our work in Scotland.
- See also the RCSLT Scotland Twitter handle: @rcsltscot
News
This submission, compiled by SLT experts, Dr. Ann Clark and Annemarie McRae, on behalf of RCSLT in Scotland, sets out the evidence base underpinning RCSLT support for increasing the maximum age of referral to the Children’s Reporter to 18 in Scotland. It is also a great source for evidence relating SLCN among CYP involved in justice procedures.
Scotland’s AAC services: 2020 report
To celebrate Swallowing Awareness Day, RCSLT, Care Inspectorate Scotland and Scottish Care announced publication of jointly endorsed new guidance on supporting people with eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties in Scotland. Download the guidance (PDF) to learn more about:
- good practice.
- signs to help inspectors identify where care services can improve and support them to do this.
- support care providers to better understand and implement good quality care.
The Scottish Government / RCSLT Communication Summit
The Scottish Government / RCSLT Communication Summit was held in Edinburgh on 26 October 2016. The Summit explored how to grow national assets by breaking the intergenerational cycle of speech, language and communication needs.
Download the factsheet on Speech, language and communication capacity: a national asset (PDF)
Updates
Briefings
- Summary of the Integrated Health and Social Care Workforce Plan for Scotland, July 2020 (PDF)
- Programme for Government 2019, (PDF)
- Health & Social Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019, July 2019 (PDF)
- Public bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014 (Word)
- Allied Health Professionals: enabling active and independent living, May 2015 (PDF)
- Positive legal case for public sector speech language and communication service provision for children and young people in Scotland, April 2015 (PDF)
- Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, March 2014 (PDF)
- Allied Health Professions National Delivery Plan in 89 words, November 2012 (Word)
- Presentation on the Allied Health Professions National Delivery Plan – highlighting points relevant to speech and language therapy, November 2012 (PDF)
- Briefing note on the Allied Health Professions National Delivery Plan, August 2012 (Word)
- What do SLTs do?, May 2012 (Word)
- Briefing for the Scottish Parliament Justice Committee on speech, language and communication needs in the criminal justice system, February 2012 (Word)
Consultation responses
- Talk with me: Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) Delivery Plan, July 2020 (Word)
- RCSLT response to Stage 3 of the Independent Review of Learning Disability & Autism in the Mental Health Act, October 2019 (PDF)
- Health & Sport Committee Inquiry into Recruitment and Retention, August 2016 (PDF)
- RCSLT response to Ready to Act: a transformational plan for children and young people requiring support from Allied Health Professionals, November 2015 (Word)
- RCSLT response to draft statutory guidance associated with Children and Young People’s (Scotland) Act 2014, May 2015 (Word)
- Advanced dementia consultation response: developing the 8 pillars model of community support, February 2015 (PDF)
- RCSLT response to Public Bodies (Joint Working)(Scotland) Bill, January 2015 (PDF)
- RCSLT brief consultation on proposals to introduce a statutory duty of candour for health and social services, January 2015 (Word)
- Statutory duty of candour for health and social care services respondent information form, January 2015 (Word)
- RCSLT Speech, language and communication and early years health inequalities: the cycle generation after generation, August 2014 (Word)
- Response to consultation ‘Making justice work for victims and witnesses: Victims and Witnesses Bill’, July 2012 (Word)
- Scottish Parliament’s Equal Opportunities Committee Female offenders in the criminal justice system, March 2009 (Word)
- RCSLT response to extending the use of intermediaries for vulnerable witnesses in Scotland, January 2008 (Word)
Campaigns
- Speech and Language Therapy in Primary Care – Support for adults in the community (PDF)
- Draft manifesto of asks for Holyrood 2016 Election (Word)
- Giving Voice – The Giving Voice campaign aims to ‘give voice’ to people with speech, language and communication needs, to ensure their needs and those of their carers and families, are met. We equip our members to demonstrate locally how speech and language therapy makes a difference to individuals and society, whilst RCSLT officers work to engage decision makers and the media at a national level.
- Youth offenders and criminal justice
- Improvements in stroke care
Contact
Scotland Office
Telephone: 0131 226 5250
Address: 9-10 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh EH2 2AF
Improvements in stroke care – Scotland
- For material relating to the UK as a whole please see our improvements in stroke care page.
The Stroke Charter was produced by the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group on Heart Disease and Stroke. It describes what all local services should aim to provide.
It was written by people who have had a stroke, MSPs and people providing services including SLTs, phyisiotherapists, OTs, nurses and representatives from Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the Stroke Association in Scotland. It remains a useful tool for explaining what people should expect in the longer term after leaving hospital.
Youth offenders and criminal justice – Scotland
Find out more about material relating to the UK as a whole.
- Presentation to RCSLT scientific conference, September 2012 (PDF)
- Handout from presentation to RCSLT scientific conference, September 2012 (Word)
- Report on RCSLT conference ‘Locked Up and Locked Out: Communication is the Key’, November 2010 (Word)
See also our briefing on speech, language and communication needs in the criminal justice system (Word) and our consultation responses on making justice work for victims and witnesses (Word), female offenders in the criminal justice system (Word) and the use of intermediaries for vulnerable witnesses (Word).
Who should I influence in Scotland?
External stakeholders in Scotland you can seek to influence include:
- Health Boards
- Local authorities and Councillors – councillors who lead and or sit on relevant scrutiny committees, Chief Executives, Financial Directors and Directors of Education
- Schools
- MSPs
- Local Health Councils
- Community Justice Partnerships
- Health and Social Care Integration Partnerships
- Integration Joint Boards – chief officers
- AHP Directors
- Scottish Attainment Challenge
Changes for Scotland
Resources to support you in responding to any proposed changes to your service’s structures and priorities.
Nation specific resources
Scotland
The Care Inspectorate regulates and inspects care services in Scotland to make sure that they meet the right standards.
Heath Care Improvement Scotland
Provides clinical standards, guidelines and advice based upon the best available evidence.
Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016
Imposes a Duty of Candour on all health service staff to report incidents that could bring harm or have brought harm to individuals.
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN)
SIGN develops evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the National Health Service (NHS) in Scotland.
Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP)
SPSP is a unique national initiative that aims to improve the safety and reliability of healthcare and reduce harm, whenever care is delivered.