Wales policy
Wales policy and public affairs team
Read this page in Welsh.
Empowered by members’ expertise, the RCSLT Wales Policy and Public Affairs team seeks to secure you a seat at the top table, influencing Welsh government ministers, Members of the Senedd and civil servants.
We build relationships with Members of the Senedd, Welsh Government and key organisations to change legislation and policy.
We campaign for better lives for people with communication and swallowing needs, including working with service users and service user organisations.
We support you to influence locally, providing you with both strategic advice and practical resources.
- Pippa Cotterill – Head of Wales office (days of work – Monday)
- Caroline Walters – External Affairs Manager (days of work – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)
- Naila Noori – External Affairs Officer, (days of work – Monday to Thursday)
Contact us
3rd Floor, Transport House, 1 Cathedral Road, Cardiff CF11 9SB
Telephone us:
Caroline Walters – 029 2002 5585
Naila Noori – 029 2002 5583
Email us: walesoffice@rcslt.org.uk
Follow @RCSLTWales and @RCSLTpolicy on Twitter for latest news and updates.
Priorities for our office
Our priorities for 2024-25 are:
- Preparing for the Senedd elections in 2026
- Workforce including widening access to the profession
- Additional learning needs
- Care Closer to Home
- Youth justice and preventative agenda
- Communication Access UK (CAUK) – Welsh version
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
Opportunities to engage
Could you help us source Welsh speaking service users to create content for the Welsh language version of Communication Access UK?
Having secured lottery funding, we are getting started with creating the Welsh version of Communication Access UK (CAUK). CAUK is an initiative developed in partnership by charities and organisations that share a vision to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties creating a new disability access symbol underpinned by a completely free training package and standards.
We are working in partnership with Atebol to create the resource and our priority is now to find Welsh-speaking service users over the age of 18 who would be willing to be filmed sharing their experiences of communication difficulties for the website. We are really excited about the potential of the project. Once completed, we will organise a national launch for the bilingual package and share with all public bodies in Wales.
We would be extremely grateful if you might be able to share information with Welsh speaking service users. We are ideally looking to speak with a small number of individuals covering a range of conditions with the intention of filming over the Summer. Please see the link to the Communication Access UK website for more of a sense of the initiative. We would be hugely grateful if you could support us with this request. Please do contact caroline.walters@rcslt.org to find out more.
Responses and briefings
Read this page in Welsh.
State of the Nation report
- RCSLT state of the Nation report (PDF) – January 2025
Senedd elections 2026
Children and young people
Child poverty
- Letter to the Senedd Equality and Social Justice Committee in response to the committee’s report on child poverty (PDF) – November 2023
Neonatal
- RCSLT Wales response to the HEIW consultation on perinatal workforce plan (PDF) – October 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the Perinatal Workforce Plan (Word) – October 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the draft Quality Statement for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Wales (PDF)– June 2024
- RCSLT response to the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee consultation on the CP263b Neonatal Services (Intensive Care, High Dependency and Special Care) Service Specification (PDF) – July 2023
- Neonatal services factsheet (PDF) – May 2023
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)
- RCSLT Wales letter to Ian Morgan, Chief Executive Officer, the WJEC (PDF) – November 2023
- Brighter Futures DLD leaflet (PDF) – October 2023
Early years
- RCSLT Wales briefing ahead of the statement on early years provision (PDF) – September 2022
- RCSLT briefing ahead of the statement by the Minister for Education and Welsh Language: Children’s Oracy and Reading (Word) – November 2021
- RCSLT Wales response to the Equalities and Social Justice Committee on Childcare and Parental Employment: The pandemic and beyond (Word) – October 2021
- RCSLT Wales response to the Equalities and Social Justice Committee on Childcare and Parental Employment: The pandemic and beyond (Word) – October 2021
- RCSLT Wales Statement on the Welsh Government announcement on additional funding for early years speech, language and communication support (Word) – July 2021
- RCSLT Wales Statement on the Welsh Government announcement on additional funding for early years speech, language and communication support (Cymraeg) (Word) – July 2021
- RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government consultation on the Talk With Me: Speech, Language and Communication Delivery Plan (Word) – June 2020
- Response to the National Assembly for Wales Children, Young People and Education Committee Inquiry into Flying Start (Word) – October 2017
- RCSLT response to the Children, Young People and Education Committee consultation on the First 1,000 Days (Word) – January 2017
- Speech, language and communication skills: why do they matter? – Welsh version (PDF)
- Speech, language and communication skills: why do they matter? – English version (PDF)
- Developing speech, language and communication skills: what will make the difference? – Welsh version (PDF)
Looked after children
- RCSLT Wales response to the Children’s, Young People and Education Committee consultation on Services for care experienced children: exploring radical reform (PDF) – February 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government consultation on Advocacy for Looked After Children (Word) – June 2017
- RCSLT Wales response to the Equalities, Local Government and Communities Committee Inquiry on Communities First (Word) – June 2017
Additional Learning Needs reform (ALN)
- Summary of Senedd report on whether disabled children have equal access to childcare and education (PDF) – August 2024
- Summary of Senedd report on the implementation of the education reforms (PDF) – August 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the Children, Young People and Education Committee survey on Education Reforms (Word) – August 2022
- RCSLT response to the WG consultation on the draft Additional Learning Codes (PDF) – March 2019
Neurodevelopmental services
Social emotional mental health
- Letter to the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee following oral evidence session as part of the inquiry on access for disabled children to childcare and education (PDF) – November 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry on Children and Young People on the margins (PDF) – March 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the Senedd Cymru CYPE inquiry on access for disabled children (PDF) – September 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee inquiry on Pupil Absence (Word) – June 2022
- RCSLT Wales briefing ahead of the debate on school exclusion (Word) – June 2022
Justice
- Letter to Jane Hutt MS, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (PDF) – April 2025
- Response to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee inquiry on prisons probation and rehabilitation (PDF) – March 2025
- Briefing for Welsh MPs on youth justice (PDF) – November 2024
- Briefing for Senedd Equality and Social Justice committee on young people with speech, language and communication needs within the youth justice system (PDF) – September 2024
- RCSLT written evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on Prisons (PDF) – October 2023
- RCSLT Wales letter regarding the Welsh Government response to 60% Giving Them a Voice report (PDF) – June 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to the Senedd Equality and Social Justice Committee inquiry on women’s experiences in the criminal justice system (Word) – September 2022
- RCSLT Wales response to the Equalities and Social Justice Committee spotlight inquiry to help provide a better understanding of the extent of speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) (Word) amongst young people who have offended, or are at risk of offending in Wales – May 2022
- RCSLT Wales Submission to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee: Prison provision in Wales (Word) – February 2018
School of attendance
Adults
Dementia
- Letter from RCSLT, CPS and COT to Dr Dai Lloyd MS with regards inquiry on dementia strategy (Word) – March 2017
- RCSLT response to NAfW Health, Social Care and Sport Committee Consultation on use of anti-psychotic medication in care homes (Word) – November 2017
- RCSLT and RCOT letter to Dr Dai Lloyd regarding inquiry on use of anti-psychotic medication in care homes (Word) – November 2017
- RCSLT briefing for AMs for the debate on the report on the use of anti-psychotic medication in care homes (Word) – July 2018
- Statement from the RSCLT in Wales ahead of the debate on the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee inquiry on the use of anti-psychotic medication in care homes (Word) – July 2018
Employment
- RCSLT Wales response to the Senedd Cymru Equality and Social Justice Committee consultation on the disability employment and payment gap (PDF) – September 2024
Mental health
- RCSLT Wales response to the draft Welsh Government Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy (PDF) – June 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the Health Education and Improvement Wales and Social Care consultation on the Strategic Mental Health Workforce Plan for health and social care (Word) – March 2022
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry on Mental Health Inequalities (Word) – February 2022
- RCSLT Wales response to the consultation on the WG mental health delivery plan (Word) – April 2016
Workforce
- Written evidence to the Senedd Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee inquiry on apprenticeship pathways (PDF) – January 2025
- RCSLT Wales response to draft Health Education and Improvement Wales Education and Training Plan (PDF) – July 2024
- Letter to the Senedd Children, Young People and Education Committee in response to the Minister’s comments during the scrutiny session on the budget (PDF) – January 2024
- RCSLT Wales response to the HEIW consultation on degree apprenticeships (PDF) – October 2023
- AHP Policy Officers letter to Alex Howells (PDF) – October 2023
- Factsheet for Members of the Senedd on the speech and language therapy workforce in Wales (PDF) – July 2023
- AHP policy officers letter with regards Workforce Implementation Board (PDF) – May 2023
- RCSLT Wales briefing on workforce planning (Word) – May 2023
Primary care
- Response to the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee inquiry on the future of general practice (PDF) – March 2025
General health and social care policy
- RCSLT Wales evidence to Welsh Conservatives Health Roundtable (PDF) – December 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to Welsh Government research on access to AHPs (PDF) – December 2023
- RCSLT Wales response to the HEIW Education and Training Plan, March 2023 (PDF)
- Briefing in advance of the plenary debate on pupil absence on Wednesday 8 February 2023 (PDF)
- RCSLT Wales briefing to the Welsh Government Learning Disability and Implementation Plan 2022-2026 (Word) – November 2022
- RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government consultation on the National Framework for Social Prescribing (PDF) – October 2022
- Joint statement from AHP policy officers ahead of the debate on the Health Committee report on patient flow (PDF) – October 2022
- RCSLT Wales response to Health and Social Care Committee scrutiny session on Digital Health and Care Wales (PDF) – September 2022
- RCSLT briefing for the Minister for Health and Social Services on Workforce planning (PDF) – August 2022
- RCSLT Wales letter to the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding potential meeting (Word) – August 2022
- Response to the HEIW Education and Training plan (Word) – June 2022
- Response to the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry on the plan for Planned Care and Reducing Waiting Lists (Word) – June 2022
- Joint briefing from the professional bodies representing Allied Health professionals in Wales on the Welsh Government’s plan to address the waiting times backlog in Wales (Word) – June 2022
- RCSLT briefing on the Welsh Government’s Plan for Transforming and Modernising Planned Care and Reducing Waiting Lists (Word) – April 2022
- RCSLT Cymru i weithdy Llywodraeth Cymru ar Mwy na Geiriau/RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government workshop on More that Just Words Welsh language in health and care strategic framework (Word) – March 2022
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry into Hospital Discharge and its Impact on Patient Flow through Hospitals (Word) – January 2022
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee Inquiry into the Impact of the Waiting Times Backlog on people in Wales who are waiting for Diagnosis or Treatment (Word) – January 2022
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee scrutiny session on winter planning 2021-22 (Word) – January 2022
- RCSLT briefing on the Welsh Government Co-operation Agreement 2021 (Word) – December 2021
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee consultation on the Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care (Word) – November 2021
- RCSLT AHP joint response to the Health, Social Care Committee consultation on the workforce strategy for health and social care (Word) – November 2021
- RCSLT response to the Health and Social Care Committee on priorities for the sixth Senedd term (Word) – July 2021
- RCSLT response to the Children, Young People and Education Committee on priorities for the next sixth Senedd term (Word) – July 2021
- Briefing on Welsh Government Programme for Government (Word) – June 2021
- Briefing Welsh Government plans for recovery of health and social care (Word) – April 2021
- Briefing on Welsh Government National Clinical Framework- A Learning Health and Social Care System (Word) – April 2021
- RCSLT response to the parliamentary review on health and social care in Wales (Word) – April 2017
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
- Briefing ahead of Children Young People and Education Committee debate on whether disabled children and young people have equal access to childcare and education (PDF) – November 2024
- Joint Allied Health Professionals response to the Welsh Government Strategic Equality Plan 2024-28 (PDF) – February 2024
- RCSLT Wales letter to WHSSC on concerns about speech and language therapy capacity within the Welsh Gender Service (PDF) – August 2022
- RCSLT Wales briefing on the Anti-racist Wales plan (PDF) – June 2022
- RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government consultation on the LGBTQ+ Action Plan (Word) – October 2021
- RCSLT Wales response to the Welsh Government consultation on the Race Equality Action Plan for Wales (Word) – July 2021
- RCSLT Wales AHP joint response to the Welsh Government consultation on the Race Equality Action Plan for Wales (Word) – July 2021
RCSLT Wales factsheets
- RCSLT Wales factsheet – Hard to Swallow, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties – March 2024
- RCSLT Wales factsheet – Adult mental health and Speech & Language Therapy – October 2022
- RCSLT Wales factsheet – Supporting children and young people in the youth justice system – February 2023
Communication Access UK (CAUK)
Communication Access UK is an initiative developed in partnership by charities and organisations that share a vision to improve the lives of people with communication difficulties. Led by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, together, we’ve developed the Communication Access Symbol, a new disability access symbol underpinned by a completely free training package and standards. We hope that these will help individuals and businesses or organisations to better support people with communication difficulties.
CAUK is a priority for our office. Our focus currently is the Welsh language version of the initiative.
Who should I try to influence in Wales?
Read this page in Welsh.
External stakeholders in Wales you can seek to influence include:
- Local health boards – including Chief Executives, Directors of Finance, Directors of Therapies and Health Sciences, Directors of Public Health.
- Local authorities – including councillors, council officials, and Directors of Education
- Schools
- Youth offending teams
- Probation teams
- Member of the Senedd (MS)
- Government officials
Resources
- AcademiWales offers learning and development opportunities for leaders and managers working across the public service in Wales. It also offers tools and techniques for change: a leaders handbook (PDF), which provides a toolkit of methods regularly utilised by change management and organisational development professionals, in a wide variety of settings.
- Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) regulates and inspects services to improve adult care, childcare and social services for people in Wales.
- The Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) is an independent inspectorate and regulator of healthcare in Wales.
- The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) offers clinical guidelines to help improve health and social care through evidence-based guidance.
- The 1000 Lives Improvement Service is a national improvement service for NHS Wales delivered by Public Health Wales.
Past events
RCSLT Connect Wales 2024: One Wales, One Profession
The RCSLT held its first Connect event on Wednesday 12 June 2024. Members had the opportunity to connect with other SLTs, hear the latest policy updates, and further develop their practice.
Download the presentation (PDF)
South Wales hub day
RCSLT Wales held a South Wales member event on Wednesday 8 March 2023.
The theme for the day was building relationships and partnerships.
You can access presentations that took place here:
- Ruth Crowder, Chief Allied Health Professions Adviser, Welsh Government
- Dawn Leoni, Head of Service, West, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
- Sheiladon Aquino, Clinical Lead SLT, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
- Equality, diversity and inclusion workshop
North Wales hub day
RCSLT Wales hosted a North Wales member event on Wednesday 28 June 2023.
The themes of leadership, building relationships and partnerships were explored, and it was a great opportunity for members to network and share thoughts and experiences.
