Adult Communication SIG Virtual Study Day - 17th October 2024

09:00 – 09:20

Adult Communication SIG Committee

AGM

09:30 – 10:15

Joanne Haffey

Assisted Decision Making Act (ADMA) for SLTs

10:15 – 11:00

Joanne Haffey

Assisted Decision Making Act (ADMA) for SLTs - Practical

11:00 – 11:15

Break

11:15 – 12:00

Megan Ryan

"Principles and Practice of an SLT Working within a Memory Service"

12:00 – 13:00

Rosie Metcalfe

"Cognitive Communication Disorders: Management in the Acute Setting"

13:00 – 13:30

Wrap up

Joanne Haffey is a Senior Project Manager in the National Office for Human Rights and Equality Policy, HSE. Joanne is responsible for work relating to assisted decision making and capacity, specifically the development of a HSE National Policy on Assisted Decision Making.

Joanne has 20 years’ experience working in Irish health and social care settings. Joanne brings an array of experience as a professionally qualified social worker, having spent much of her career working in services for people with disabilities.

In 2018 Joanne began working for the HSEs National Independent Review Panel (NIRP) as the service manager, where she coordinated and managed comprehensive independent reviews into serious concerns within the HSE and HSE funded services. In 2022 Joanne joined the HSE’s office of the National Clinical Director of Quality Patient Safety as the Senior Operations Manager, gaining significant experience in the operational management of a national HSE office.

Joanne holds a Bachelor of Social Studies (BSS), National Qualification in Social Work (NQSW), CORU registration, a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Management and Masters in Health Care Management.

At the centre of Joanne’s practice and approach to work are the rights of people in receipt of health and social care services. Joanne is passionate about the voice of the person being at the centre of what we do.

Rosie Metcalfe is a Speech and Language Therapist, currently working in the Progressive, Older People, and General Medical Service at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate qualification in dysphagia from the University of Sheffield, specializing in communication and swallowing disorders.

In her current role, Rosie is the Dementia Champion, advocating for improved care strategies for dementia patients. She currently part of a project on cognitive communication impairment in the acute setting, collaborating with a fellow Band 6 colleague Ellie Hatch to address the complex communication challenges faced by patients in acute care. Her and Ellie aim to use what they have learnt to develop and improve cog/comm provision within their service.

Previously, Rosie was the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Champion at her former trust, where she played a key role in implementing communication solutions for patients with complex communication needs. This experience has enriched her ability to offer diverse, patient-centered interventions.

Rosie’s background includes extensive experience in stroke care, spanning acute, subacute, and rehabilitation settings, where she supported stroke survivors in redeveloping both communication and swallowing functions.

Outside of her professional commitments, Rosie enjoys swimming, running, and reading. 

Megan Ryan is a Clinical Specialist Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) at the Institute of Memory and Cognition in Tallaght University Hospital (TUH). Megan graduated from Trinity College Dublin in 2016 and brings a wealth of expertise in managing communication disorders and dysphagia across both acute care and outpatient settings in both Ireland and Canada. Megan has a particular interest in language and cognition, and  evaluating complex communication challenges as part of her role in the Regional Specialist Memory Clinic at TUH.  Megan is skilled in identifying complex communication needs, providing tailored therapy, and working closely with multidisciplinary teams to support accurate diagnoses and treatment plans.