CAN SPEAK Canberra Speech Pathology

Submission to the Thriving Kids Policy

From: Meagan Nicholls, Owner & Director, Can Speak Canberra Speech Pathology

12th September 2025

Introduction

I, Meagan Nicholls, Owner & Director of Can Speak Canberra Speech Pathology, a large private speech pathology practice in Canberra, submit this document for consideration by the Thriving Kids Policy team. Our practice focuses on children’s communication, language, and developmental support, providing long-term, evidence-based care.

This submission draws on our clinical and community experience, to recommend policy reforms that better support children and families in Canberra, especially with respect to access, funding, workforce stability, and collaboration between the private sector, public schools, and community organisations.

Policy Context: ACT Government Strategies & Frameworks

To situate these recommendations, several ACT government strategic documents are relevant:

• The ACT Disability Strategy 2024-2033 and its First Action Plan (2024-2026), which seeks a “more inclusive and accessible Canberra” by embedding consideration of people with disability across all government functions, to ensure full participation in community life. yoursayconversations.act.gov.au+2ACT Government+2
• The ACT Wellbeing Framework, which identifies ‘Education and life-long learning’ as a domain of wellbeing, emphasising equity of access in early childhood education, and that school years are formative in determining later life outcomes. ACT Government+2ACT Government+2
• ACT Education Directorate policies on Student Support & Wellbeing (including “Student support and wellbeing” services) which allow schools to refer to allied health services, wellbeing programs, and support workers to help students learn and thrive in school. ACT Government
• The policy document Inclusive Education for Children and Young People with Disability in ACT Public Schools, which outlines the current state of supports via public schools, including how many allied health FTEs act across schools and the need for improved inclusion and support within the education system. ACT Government

Can Speak Canberra Speech Pathology
canpeak.com.au
+61 2 6140 3266

These strategies provide strong policy foundations aligned with the goals of Thriving Kids, including inclusion, wellbeing, early identification of developmental needs, and the removal of barriers so that children with developmental and communication vulnerabilities can fully participate in education and community life.

Evidence from Practice & Challenges

Based on our experience in private speech pathology practice, the following issues remain pressing despite the policy statements above:

1. Pre-NDIS wait times were extremely long in the public sector for assessments and therapy, meaning many children missed critical windows of development.
2. Education system deficiencies include insufficient training for teaching staff, lack of capacity or knowledge to implement evidence-based strategies for children with speech, language, and developmental needs; limited allied health coverage in schools; and inconsistent collaboration between schools, health services, and families.
3. Gaps in funding eligibility mean many families fall outside of NDIS criteria or cannot afford private services, but still need support to prevent escalating difficulties.
4. Private sector stability vs. not-for-profit sector turnover: private practices tend to retain experienced professionals and maintain continuity of care; in contrast, many not-for-profit or public allied health services struggle to retain staff, which undermines trust, expertise, and consistency.

Recommendations: Aligning Thriving Kids with ACT Strategic Priorities

To align with the objectives in the ACT Disability Strategy, the ACT Wellbeing Framework, and ACT’s inclusive education policies, I respectfully propose the following additions to the Thriving Kids Policy:

1. Funding for Allied Health in Schools via Private Providers
   • Allocate funding so that families can choose to engage private speech pathologists and other allied health professionals to deliver services within school settings. This supports inclusion, reduces transport and scheduling burdens, and ensures that therapy is embedded in the child’s learning environment.
   • Ensure that such funding is consistent with the goals of the ACT Disability Strategy for accessibility and participation.
2. Group Therapy & Parent Education Programs
   • Provide dedicated funding streams for group therapy (peer/modelling approaches) and parent-education courses delivered by private sector providers who already have established community relationships.
   • These programs not only support children directly but build capacity in the home and community, consistent with the Wellbeing Framework’s focus on early childhood and education outcomes.

Can Speak Canberra Speech Pathology
canpeak.com.au
redacted

3. Bridging Gap for Non-NDIS Eligible Families
   • Introduce flexible subsidies or vouchers so children who do not meet NDIS thresholds but have documented developmental risk or delay can still access allied health services.
   • This supports ACT goals for equity in the Wellbeing Framework and equal participation in education, irrespective of families’ socio-economic status.
4. Workforce Stability and Professional Experience
   • Recognise and appropriately remunerate experienced private allied health clinicians to maintain continuity of care.
   • Create collaborative frameworks where private sector expertise is formally engaged in training school staff and in shared practice with public disability and education services.
5. Formal Collaboration Mechanisms
   • Establish partnerships or memoranda of understanding between the ACT Education Directorate, Health Directorate, private practices (including ours), and community organisations.
   • These formal arrangements should enable shared service delivery, co-design of interventions, reporting and evaluation, and oversight to ensure quality and consistency.

Proposed Implementation & Funding Options

• Pilot programs in selected schools, funded jointly by Education and Health Directorates, contracting trusted private providers to deliver speech pathology and allied health visits, parent workshops, group programs.
• Voucher or subsidy model: families receive vouchers or credits toward private assessments/therapy, managed through schools or community health centres.
• Grants to private providers who deliver community-based parent education, peer support, or group therapy, with accountability for outcomes.

Conclusion

The ACT Government’s strategic documents—the ACT Disability Strategy 2024-2033, the Wellbeing Framework, and Education Directorate’s inclusion and wellbeing policies—already affirm the goals of access, equity, early identification, and inclusion.

The Thriving Kids Policy represents an opportunity to translate these goals into concrete, sustainable service models that deliver to families what they need: accessible, trusted, continuous care by experienced professionals; inclusive educational environments; and proactive support even for those who may not qualify for existing funding schemes.

I urge the parliamentary committee to adopt the recommendations above, and to explicitly incorporate formal collaboration with private allied health providers in the policy design and funding allocations.

I am ready to provide further evidence, data, or meetings to support the implementation of these proposals.

Sincerely,

Meagan Nicholls Owner & Director Canberra Speech Pathology