Ann Birch

About Ann

Ann is a qualified speech and language therapist with 31 years of experience. After 29 years working for the NHS, she now manages a small independent speech and language therapy practice to maintain clinical and professional skills. Ann also has a master’s degree in Language, Literacies and Dyslexia.

She was part-time associate tutor at Cardiff Metropolitan University for 9 years, lecturing on the BSc Speech and Language Therapy Course (Audiology Module). Ann uses Sign Supported English (SSE), British Sign Language (BSL Level 1) and has a specialist knowledge of the communication challenges relating to hearing aid and cochlear implant users.

Ann has been a Registered Intermediary with the Ministry of Justice since 2019. She mainly works with children and vulnerable adults with age-related communication issues, mild-moderate learning difficulties, hearing loss, speech intelligibility issues, speech/language delay, developmental language disorder (DLD), elective mutism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia and dyslexia.

She works as an intermediary with witnesses in the criminal courts and accepts cases facilitating communication with both adults and children in the family courts. She is well-placed to work as an intermediary in suspect interviews and educational tribunals.

She has designed and regularly delivers training for several police forces about the role of intermediaries.

Home location: South West Wales

 

Education

1993: BSc degree in Speech and Language Pathology and Therapy. De Montford University.

2016: M.Ed. Language, Literacies and Dyslexia. The University of Birmingham.

 

Training

2019: Registered Intermediary training – Ministry of Justice

2020: Working with defendants training – Intermediaries For Justice (IFJ)

2021: Law and policing for intermediaries – IFJ and City University Law School.

: Working with pre-school children: Interview to Court – IFJ

2022: Working with interpreters training – IFJ

2023: Working with suspects training – IFJ

: Working in family courts training – IFJ

 

Expertise

  • Child
  • Deafness/Hearing Impairment
  • Unclear Speech
  • Learning Disability or Difficulties
  • ADHD
  • Dyslexia