Northern Ireland policy
Our work in Northern Ireland
Follow @RCSLTpolicy and @RCSLTNI on Twitter for latest news and updates.
Buddy Chat
Buddy Chat is a new communication project for children, designed to be delivered in classrooms across Northern Ireland. Discover more details about Buddy Chat and how you can get involved.
Watch a preview video about Buddy Chat
Northern Ireland Assembly elections 2022
Following the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly elections, the RCSLT NI team will be working with all politicians elected to improve the lives of people in NI with communication and swallowing needs.
Find out what we’re asking for.
RCSLT NI Manifesto
‘Communication at the heart of health and wellbeing’
RCSLT NI are calling on politicians to work with us to improve outcomes for people in Northern Ireland with communication and swallowing difficulties while, also, supporting the work of the speech and language therapy profession.
View our 2022 manifesto:
- NI Manifesto Summary Flyer 2022 (PDF)
- NI Workforce Manifesto Briefing 2022 (PDF)
- NI Communication Access Manifesto Briefing 2022 (PDF)
- NI Children’s Manifesto Briefing 2022 (PDF)
For additional information please contact RCSLT NI on 028 9044 6387 or contact us.
Voice Box Northern Ireland
Voice Box is Northern Ireland’s national joke competition designed to raise children’s awareness of the fun and importance of communication.
Voice Box 2017 was the most successful Voice Box Awards so far with more than 3,000 school pupils taking part. The live grand final was hosted by the Lord Mayor of Belfast on 5 June 2017. All entries from the 2016 and 2017 are included in the Voice Box joke book (PDF).
My Journey My Voice
My Journey My Voice is a powerful exhibition designed to raise awareness about communication disability. It features photographic portraits and audio recordings of individuals who have communication disabilities, as they tell listeners about a favourite journey, in their own words.
Briefings
- The links between speech, language, communication and swallowing needs and people in contact with the criminal justice system – February 2024
- RCSLT NI Briefing Paper on the Independent Review of Education – January 2024
- Briefing to the Independent Review of Education (PDF) – May 2022
- RCSLT NI Evidence Briefing on Domestic & Sexual Abuse and Speech, Language and Communication Needs – April 2023
- Briefing to the NI Education Committee on seclusion and restraint assembly motion debate (PDF) – May 2021
- Seclusion and restraint case study (PDF) – May 2021
- Ministerial briefing: The communication needs of young people in contact with the youth justice system (Word) – February 2021
- Response to Phase 2: Mapping core AHP provision to LAACYP across HSCTs and regional facilities (Word) – November 2020
- Response to Expert Panel in persistent educational underachievement (PDF) – October 2020
- Ministerial briefing: Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) in mental health services (Word) – October 2020
- Briefing to the Health Committee on AHP workforce (Word) – March 2020
- Briefing to the Health Committee on SLT Workforce (Word) – February 2020
- Briefing to the Northern Ireland Affair Committee: Stroke services (PDF) – January 2019
- Briefing: NI Assembly Health Committee review of the impact of the AHP professions to community care (PDF) – November 2016
- MLA briefing (Word) – March 2013
Consultation responses
- Response to the MCA consultation in relation to acts of restraint (PDF) – December 2024
- Response to the draft Programme for Government (PDF) – November 2024
- Response on the Introduction of Safe and Effective Staffing Legislation (PDF) – October 2024
- Response to Independent Review of Children’s Social Care Services (PDF) – December 2023
- Response to Statutory Guidance On The Reduction And Management Of Restrictive Practices In Educational Settings (PDF) – November 2023
- Response to the Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls (PDF) – October 2023
- Response to the Equality Impact Assessment for the Department of Health budget 23/24 (PDF) – August 2023
- Response to Draft Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2023-2030 (PDF) – May 2023
- Response RCSLT NI Autism Strategy 2023-28 Priority Areas (PDF) – March 2023
- Response to Review of Urgent and Emergency Care (PDF) – June 2022
- Response to Adult Social Care Consultation (PDF) – June 2022
- Response to the Advanced Care Planning Policy Consultation (PDF) – March 2022
- Response to Draft NI Cancer Strategy 2021-31 (PDF) – October 2021
- Response to the Health and Social Care NI Future Planning Model – Targeted Stakeholder Consultation (PDF) – September 2021
- Response to the Draft Regional Policy on the Use of Restrictive Practices in Health and Social Care Settings and Regional Operational Procedure for the Use of Seclusion (PDF) – July 2021
- Response to the Draft Adult Protection Bill (PDF) – April 2021
- Response to Draft Mental Health Strategy (PDF) – April 2021
- Response to “Empowering change in women’s lives” strategy for supporting and challenging women and girls in contact with the justice system (PDF) – March 2021
- Response to the Regional Justice and Care Campus consultation (PDF) – January 2021
- Response to the PBNI Draft Corporate Plan 2020-23 (PDF) – October 2019
- Response to Reshaping Stroke Care consultation (PDF) – August 2019
- Response to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee inquiry into education funding (PDF) – September 2018
- Response to the Draft Strategy for Looked After Children (PDF) – August 2018
- Response to Mental Health and Wellbeing Framework 2018-2021 (PDF) – May 2018
- Response to The Future Provision for Children in the Early Years with Special Educational Needs (SEN) (PDF) – May 2018
- Reshaping Stroke Services – Response Questionnaire (Word) – September 2017
- Submission to the Northern Ireland Programme for Government Consultation (PDF) – January 2017
- Response to consultation on draft Special Educational Needs Regulations (PDF) – May 2016
- Submission to the Sign Language Framework, Department of Communities (PDF) – July 2016
- Submission to Improving Health within Criminal Justice consultation document (PDF) – June 2016
- Co-operating to Safeguard Children and Young People in Northern Ireland consultation questionnaire (PDF) – August 2016
- Submission from the RCSLT to the Ad Hoc Joint Committee on the Mental Capacity Bill (PDF) – June 2015
- ‘Supporting the best start in life’ Infant Mental Health Framework and Action Plan 2015-2018 Consultation questionnaire (PDF) – May 2015
2014
- Response to NI Draft Mental Capacity Bill, August 2014 (PDF)
- RCSLT NI submission to The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) in Northern Ireland, July 2014 (PDF)
- Response to Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Employment and Learning inquiry into post special educational need provision in education, employment and training for those with learning disabilities, March 2014 (Word)
2013
- Response to consultation on ‘Who Cares? The Future of Adult Care and Support in Northern Ireland’, March 2013 (PDF)
- Response to consultation on draft Autism Strategy and Action Plan, March 2013 (PDF)
- Response to consultation on Western Education and Library Board development proposals, March 2013 (PDF)
Reports
Campaigns and projects
Giving Voice aims to ‘give voice’ to people with speech, language and communication needs, to ensure that 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.
- NI CEN Sure Start; The role and impact of SLT provision in Sure Start in Northern Ireland (PDF)
- Children’s Services Share and Learn event 2019 (PDF)
Stroke
- Improvements in stroke care
- Results of 2018 NI RCSLT Survey of communication needs after stroke (PDF)
Mental health
- NI mental health workforce proposal – December 2022
- Children and young people’s mental health and speech and language therapy (PDF)
- Adult mental health and speech and language therapy (PDF)
Proposed changes for NI
Care Standards allows for the regulation of a range of health and social care services, and for the development of minimum standards for these services.
Education Training Inspectorate promotes the dissemination of good and innovative practice identified across the education, training and youth sectors.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides guidance, advice, quality standards and information services for health, public health and social care.
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman provides for an independent review of people’s complaints, and ensures that public services improve as a result of the complaints.
Patient and Client Council is the independent voice for people using health and social care services.
Quality 2020 – A 10 Year strategy designed to protect and improve quality in health and social care in Northern Ireland.
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) is responsible for monitoring and inspecting the availability and quality of health and social care services.
‘Up to standard’ (PDF) – A guide to the Quality Standards for Health and Personal Social Services.
Who should I influence in NI?
External stakeholders in Northern Ireland you can seek to influence include:
- Local government departments
- NI Assembly Committees
- Elected representatives – MLAs
- Local Councils – Council officials/Councillors
- Department of Health Lead AHP Officer
- Health and Social Care Board Programme of Care Directors and Commissioners
- Public Health Agency Programme of Care and Allied Health Profession Directors
- Children and young people strategic commissioning programmes
- Children and Young People Care Services and policies
- Children and Young People’s Strategic Partnership
- Schools
- Director of Education
- Local Youth Justice teams – Youth Justice Agency
Resources
Resources to support you in responding to any proposed changes to your service’s structures and priorities.
Nation specific resources
Past events
Northern Ireland hub conference 2018
SLTs from across Northern Ireland came together for an exciting day of CPD and networking on 17 November 2018. The day featured presenters from across the UK and Ireland about how speech and language therapy transforms lives and the evidence base for the vital work SLTs do.
Event presentations:
- Speech and language therapy works – Professor Vicky Joffe
- Transformation – the only way! – Mark Taylor
- Transforming very young lives
- Transforming young lives
- Transforming our world
- Transforming ourselves
- Transforming ourselves: students and NQPs
- Adult swallowing difficulties: regional disciplinary work update – Cathy Jordan
- Nothing about us without us – Angela Crocker and John Toal
- Leading to delivery transformation – David Wylie
Northern Ireland hub forum 2021
Contact
- Contact us via the website
- Telephone: 02890 446385
- Postal address: Suite 506, Scottish Provident Building, 7 Donegall Square West, Belfast BT1 6JH
