Debate contribution: Speech and Language Therapy: Criminal Justice System

Debate contribution by Mr Patsy McGlone on 20 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Patsy McGlone

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

20 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Speech and Language Therapy: Criminal Justice System

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4381120

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the motion and the opportunity to debate this issue. The SDLP believes that speech and language therapy is a cost-effective and important service that can transform lives and empower individuals. If unaddressed, however, speech, language and communication needs can have a long-term impact on an individual's education, employment, social inclusion and mobility with mental health and, as reflected in the motion, involvement with the justice system. At least 30,000 people in the North live with long-term communication difficulties, and that figure is likely to continue to rise, unfortunately. A large percentage of people with learning disabilities have communication difficulties too, along with around a third of stroke victims and a fifth of people with brain injuries. In the criminal justice system, research by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) has indicated that up to 60% of young people who offend in Northern Ireland have low language skills. The RCSLT's screening of a sample of residents at Hydebank Wood College found that 75% of the women and 100% of the men assessed had speech, language and communication difficulties. Studies have repeatedly shown that speech and language therapy results in better language and education outcomes and can be particularly effective with young offenders. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated in the United States that an institution with full-time speech and language therapy provision can have a reoffending rate of less than half the national average. Better communication benefits the criminal justice system too. It enables the provision of specialist support to help to reduce antisocial and offending behaviours. The SDLP is happy to support the motion. However, we would like to see resources made available to support interventions at much earlier points in people's lives. For a variety of reasons — in particular, in areas of deprivation — too many children are ill-prepared for learning by the time they reach school age. In its response to the recent independent review of education in Northern Ireland, the RCSLT highlighted the need for the development of multidisciplinary speech teams, with classroom teachers supported by a range of other specialists in all schools, colleges and other educational institutions. It argued persuasively that early years settings and primary schools should have greater access to play therapists, speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. I am sure that all of us know that from our experiences within our constituency offices. The Education Minister should restart the Healthy Happy Minds scheme, for example, but even in terms of the focus of the motion, there will need to be more investment in the speech and language therapy workforce. The Department of Health's workforce review report on speech and language therapy in 2019 recommended:

"The number of commissioned undergraduate SLT places at Ulster University needs to be increased on a phased basis to 40 places by 2024."

That was after a decrease in numbers from 32 places in 2009 to 23 places in 2018. Last year, that figure had risen at Ulster University to 38 places available, just short of the target. The number of applicants for places has more than doubled at the same time, from 261 people applying in 2019 to 543 last year. The current number of applicants for 2024 is 643. The demand and the need for places is there. The Department of Health has more than a significant role to play, in collaboration with the Department of Justice where it affects the justice system. We need to produce more qualified speech and language therapists, not just to meet the increasing demand in the sectors that are already provided for but, as is indicated in the text of the motion, to expand provision into other sectors where it can have a real and beneficial impact on people's lives.

626 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:42 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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