Community equipment and housing adaptations: draft guidance - executive summary

Communication Aids (Augmentative and Alternative Communication - AAC)

Communication equipment may be used by people who have no speech, who are at risk of losing their speech, or whose speech is not sufficient to meet their everyday needs. The purpose of this equipment is to support a person to communicate in their daily life.

Communication equipment is either 'low-tech' or 'high-tech', and people may require to use a combination of these. The range of equipment may change over a person's lifetime.

The Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) National Core Pathway provides a reference guide for health boards and all relevant partners in Education, social care, and the third sector. It specifically highlights the importance of clarity on the processes, and roles and responsibilities in the procurement of equipment, with the aim of streamlining service provision and delivering much improved transparency.

Key Actions

• Health and social care services, working with their Adult & Children's services, and Education partners, should use the AAC National Core Pathway and the AAC Good Practice Model, to develop their local arrangements for the provision of AAC equipment, making best use of all local resources, and ensuring a focus on the principles of improving governance, robust systems, procurement, and financial and performance monitoring.