CALL FOR ACTION! Paul Maynard MP Debate on Thursday 6 June 2013
Future commissioning arrangements of augmentative and alternative communication services
As you will be aware, Communication Matters are currently engaging with MPs and other government stakeholders to try and support the future commissioning arrangements for AAC services and communication aids. We are delighted that supportive MP Paul Maynard has secured an Adjournment debate in the House of Commons on the ?Future commissioning arrangements of augmentative and alternative communication services?. The debate will take place on Thursday 6th June at 5:30 for half an hour. It will provide a fantastic chance to raise issues with a Government Minister but we need your help to get as many MPs as possible to attend the debate and speak up for AAC at this crucial time!
Ahead of the debate we would be grateful if you would be willing to email your local MP and ask them to attend the debate so they can add their support. You can find out who your local MP is by going to the ?Write to Them? website at findyourmp.parliament.uk and entering your postcode. We have also drafted the template email below which you might find helpful.
If you have any queries please feel free to contact Gary Jones on 020 7463 0697 or [email protected]
REMEMBER the more MPs who turn up for the debate the more pressure we can put on the Government to support the AAC sector at this crucial time of reform!
------------
DRAFT EMAIL FOR LOCAL MP
Dear (Insert MP?s Name)
I am writing to you as my local MP ahead of Paul Maynard MP?s Adjournment Debate on the ?Future commissioning arrangements of augmentative and alternative communication services? which takes place in the House of Commons on Thursday 6th June at approx. 5.30pm for half an hour.
As you will be aware, some disabled people can only ?speak? to other people if they are provided with electronic communication aids, referred to as AAC. These aids make use of whatever movements the person can control, to make choices between pictures, symbols, words or letters that are in turn linked to a digitised or synthesised electronic voice. It is estimated that 0.5% of the population may need AAC at some point in their lives (approx. 260,000 children and adults). In addition it is estimated that 0.05% of the population need access to regional specialised AAC services and/or communication aids, (approx 26,000 children and adults) - this technology lasts for an average of four to five years.
As my local MP, I would be really grateful if you were able to attend the debate on the day to add your support to Paul?s work to support the future commissioning arrangements for AAC services and communication aids. As a member of Communication Matters, a UK wide organisation committed to supporting people of all ages who find communication difficult because they have little or no intelligible speech, I am campaigning to promote the costed and consulted solution to the provision of AAC under specialist provision developed by the Government?s Communication Champion Jean Gross. Taking into account the under-provision of local and regional services in relation to the estimated size of the population who require AAC services and the need to build capacity within specialised and local AAC services, I would like to see a phased approach to commissioning of AAC services. For the 0.05% of the population who need access to specialised AAC services and/or communication aids we would like to see these commissioned by NHS England. For the 0.5% of the population who may require AAC at some point in their lives they would like to see them supported by local AAC spoke services operating across health, social services and education.
I would be particularly grateful if you would be willing to raise concerns about the intention by officials from NHS England to use historical budgets to shape future AAC services. This is instead of the Report produced by the Communication Champion during her time in office in which a comprehensive business case was made for the 'Hub and spoke' model of AAC commissioning. I would also be delighted if you would be willing to express concern from the AAC sector about the lack of budget allocated to enable specialist services to provide training and support to local service providers, so that effective local? spoke? services can be established to work alongside specialist nationally commissioned ?hubs?, commissioned by Clinical Commissioning Groups.
I look forward to hearing from you and can provide further information if required.
(Insert Name)