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I n 1945, the Association of Speech Therapists and the British Society of Speech Therapists amalgamated, establishing the College of Speech Therapists, to promote the study of speech therapy in this country, to seek improvement and maintain a high standard of knowledge, and to unite all members of the profession. Now in our 70th year, the RCSLT has more than 16,000 members. Our four strategic objectives going into 2015 are to: Improve access to speech and language therapy services and outcomes for people with communication and/or swallowing difficulties. Support RCSLT members in their professional lives. Develop the influence and profile of speech and language therapy and the RCSLT. Be an innovative and outstanding professional body. As an organisation, the RCSLT is constantly adapting and improving and we have a great deal to offer our members. We would like to take this opportunity to reacquaint you with and in some cases introduce you to the wealth of information, resources and services we provide. Someone to talk to Since 2013, the RCSLT has had a dedicated enquiry service to help provide advice on professional issues. We receive 400 enquiries a month, so please get in touch to find information on things such as what to do if you are facing service cuts, working overseas, returning to practice, or if you have any queries about a Get the most from your RCSLT membership As the RCSLT celebrates 70 years as the voice of the UK speech and language therapy profession, Raquel Baetz and Steven Harulow take a guided tour of the benefits and services available to members ILLUSTRATIONS BY Bratislav Milenkovic professional practice matter. We can provide a listening ear and put you in touch with colleagues, tools, resources, current projects, or advice from an RCSLT adviser. Email: info@rcslt.org or tel: 020 7378 3012. Help with your CPD As every SLT knows, continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for a safe and The 14 RCSLT Hubs are a dynamic network of individuals and groups that play a key role in professional development successful professional life. The RCSLT provides tools and information to support your professional development so you can meet the Health and Care Professions Council s (HCPC s) CPD standards. Remember, SLTs will need to renew their HCPC registration in summer 2015 and you may be subject to an audit of your CPD. Using your personalised RCSLT online CPD diary and our helpful CPD resources, webinars and elearning tools will help you structure your professional development and evidence your CPD activities. We also provide information for returners to the profession, individuals wishing to work overseas and guidance for those on maternity leave who want to keep up to date with professional developments. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/k5a3kwc to find out more. Money, money, money In these straitened times, the RCSLT provides valuable financial support in the form of grants and awards to help members undertake professional development. For 13»
example, three times a year we provide minor grants of up to 500. This money can contribute to presentations and/or attendance at conferences, conference fees, short courses, academic publications, research into speech and language therapy, and the purchase of equipment and/or books. The next deadline is 11 February. We also have a welfare fund for members in financial distress, periodic funds to facilitate international travel and a Masters in Research Studentships to support practising SLTs to embark on a clinical academic career (the next round for the latter will be announced in Spring 2015). Visit: http://tinyurl.com/n5hxxb4 to find out how to apply for your RCSLT support. Networks, connections, communities The RCSLT also provides CPD support by promoting and fostering connections between members through our events programme, our 14 RCSLT Hubs and more than 100 clinical excellence networks (CENs). Each presents a great opportunity to access a dynamic group of clinicians, researchers and academics. RCSLT advisers support members by responding to enquiries and acting as a respected voice for the profession. They also help us contribute to consultations, influence key policies and add to research and development in their field. RCSLT events RCSLT events are a cost effective way to keep up to date and meet your CPD needs. In 2014, for example, the RCSLT Conference, Mind the Gap: Putting research into practice, in Leeds on 1718 September, saw 436 delegates take part in 66 workshops and parallel sessions. The aim was to bring the profession together to share best practice and disseminate the latest innovation. The programme also reflected the need to put patients, service users and their families at the centre of what SLTs do. Our annual student study day is a highlyregarded national event that launches speech and language therapy undergraduates into being part of the wider professional community beyond university and provides support for those early days as a newlyqualified practitioner. The RCSLT also hosts a webinar programme for members on a wide range Facts and figures 16,000 RCSLT members 100+ CENs 14 RCSLT Hubs 12 magazines a year 6 issues of the IJLCD each year 10,000 Facebook friends 7,000 Twitter followers 350,000 unique website visitors of subjects from Reforms and cuts to Professionalism and Dementia. We have a packed programme for 2015. All our webinars are available via the RCSLT s website, allowing members to watch and listen on the day or later. Visit:www.rcslt.org/news/intro to find out more about our events and webinars. Join your RCSLT Hub The 14 RCSLT Hubs are a dynamic and contemporary network of individuals and groups that play a key role in professional development. They support all members working together to share, contribute and implement the evidence base; innovate and evaluate new practice; collect data and measure outcomes; maintain a strong and empowering professional identity within integrated service delivery; and improve intelligence around innovation and evidence that can flow between local, regional and national levels.the RCSLT s 2014 governance review put RCSLT Hubs at the centre of our activities. We are strengthening the role of the RCSLT Hubs in each country, and especially in England, where an England Hub Forum will provide a voice for the 11 England hubs. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/qyqqghw to find out more about RCSLT Hubs and other professional networks. Building the evidence base RCSLT research networks support the profession in meeting the challenges of evidencebased practice and research. Members can get directly involved in enabling evidencebased practice and research by joining our dynamic research champion network (see pages 22 to 23 of this month s ). In response to huge drivers for evidencebased practice and effectiveness of service delivery within our profession, we have developed a wide range of online resources in our online Research Centre, including a 700strong journals collection that gives members access to published research. We also have dedicated staff to support members in accessing, applying and creating evidence (email: emma.pagnamenta@rcslt.org). They also represent our profession in wider research groups and networks. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/mhbpzxl to access the RCSLT Research Centre. 14
Outcomes and Communicating Quality The RCSLT Outcomes Project is an ambitious development that aims to arrive at a framework and core set of outcomes and outcome measures for conditions and/or settings. The project has already identified the Therapy Outcomes Measures (TOMS) Core Scale as the best fit tool in order to begin gathering consistent data nationally. We hope that anyone who wants to be involved in national data collection will try to start using TOMs from 1 April 2015. Email: amy.ward@rcslt.org for more information. Communicating Quality (CQ), the RCSLT s professional standards publication, will be updated through consultation with members to replace the current CQ3 version and ensure it is fit for purpose. While it is in development, members can access supporting documents and information via the RCSLT website. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/ppzu4ww to find out more. Affordable insurance In 2014, the UK Government introduced legislation that requires HCPC registrants to have professional indemnity arrangement in place as a condition of their registration. RCSLT membership provides affordable insurance cover for members practising in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. This provides cover against thirdparty actions and legal defence costs. You can also access legal advice from our insurer s appointed legal representative. Insurance through RCSLT membership is available to practising members, newlyqualified practitioner members, returners, students and associate members. It also covers nonpractising members and retired members for their period of practice. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/khp93o8 to download the RCSLT insurance guide. Support for services under threat The RCSLT s third survey on the effects of financial cuts, in May 2014, shows speech and language therapy services are continuing to lose posts, are facing a reduction in the banding of staff that remain, and are having to restrict the services they provide in order to save money. All this at a time of increasing demand for speech and language therapy services. We are very keen to help you, so contact the RCSLT (tel: 020 7378 3012) as soon as you find out that your service is under threat. Over the past few years, we have engaged with several services and found that facetoface meetings can be very helpful. The RCSLT s Giving Voice campaign (http://givingvoiceuk.org) has helped members to demonstrate how speech and language therapy makes a difference to people with speech, language and communication needs, their families and the wider society. As part of the campaign, we have produced a cuts toolkit. This contains two key documents. The RCSLT statement on the roles and responsibilities In our 2014 member survey, a third of respondents said they would like to play a more active role in the activities of the RCSLT of registered practitioners is an important statement that reiterates your professional obligations. It is a useful benchmark against which to gauge decisions you are being asked to make. You can also use the RCSLT briefing for decisionmakers to give an insight into the short and longterm impact of poor budget decisions. Visit: www.rcslt.org/members/cuts_ toolkit/intro to access the toolkit. Local influencing The cuts toolkit also provides information on how to engage and influence local budget holders, and how your service users and their parents and carers can challenge cuts. It will also direct you to RCSLT resources, including: The Matrix Report: An economic evaluation of speech and language therapy. The Giving Voice campaign delivery toolkit includes templates for letters to decision makers and advice on how to explain the initiative to your colleagues and communications teams. The Manager s Resource Pack provides information to influence commissioners and others, focusing on achieving financial balance. It includes information relating to the risks of not providing speech and language therapy. The Commissioning Resource Manual supports leaders in the planning, commissioning and delivery of speech and language therapy services in line with government and local priorities. Quality standards for schools as commissioners of speech and language therapy services highlights the quality standards that are priorities for schools to adhere to in the commissioning process. Policy statements and position papers tools to influence the commissioning and organisation of services. These cover topics including adult critical care, the role of SLTs in videofluoroscopic evaluation of oropharyngeal swallowing function and speech and language therapy provision for people with dementia. We re here to help The East Midlands Local Education and Training Board has funded the development of an informative and practical training» 15
programme to support SLTs and their leaders in all settings, as they face major financial, service and workforce challenges. The programme aims to help SLTs get a better understanding of the principal drivers and nature of change, and enables them to have more influence and control over the design and delivery of clinical services. Speech and language therapy services have been working together at RCSLT Hub level to develop this resource. Our workforce planning and development adviser, David Amos, has delivered training in the East Midlands and North West. We have plans to roll out the developing package in other areas soon. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/mxos9rs to watch the East Midlands RCSLT Hub workforce planning session. Campaigning activities We have led a range of campaign activity that has given members information and resources to enable them to demonstrate how speech and language therapy makes a difference to individuals and society. Under the umbrella of our Giving Voice campaign, members can demonstrate SLTs unique value to national and local decision makers, while showing evidence of their efficiency and value for money. Our Giving voice for people with dementia (http://givingvoiceuk.org/ dementia) is one such campaign. It aims to demonstrate the role SLTs play in helping individuals with dementia with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing difficulties, and the support they can provide to carers. We also publish materials and how to guides, designed to help save time and get members campaigning. For example, in the run up to the general election 2015 we have produced template letters to political candidates, factsheets and advice for members (http:// givingvoiceuk.org/generalelection2015). Political influencing We take the concerns of SLTs to the heart of Westminster. Through the All Party Parliamentary Group on Speech and Language Difficulties, we provide an important access point to national decisionmakers. We also have strong relationships with government departments, for example, through the Children and Young People s Health Forum. We conduct research and publish reports regarding key policy topics, such as social disadvantage and speech, language and communication difficulties, and have strong networks of specialist advisers who allow us to draw upon relevant expertise where needed. In the run up to the general election, the RCSLT Policy and Public Affairs Team has been meeting with ministers and opposition politicians to highlight the issues that are most important to our members and the clients they serve. November 2014, for example, saw meetings with 10 Downing Street policy advisers, with Dr Dan Poulter, the health minister responsible for allied health professions (AHPs), and with Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families Edward Timpson. These meetings have been in pursuit of our goals to, on the one hand, show how AHPs can help achieve desirable outcomes for patients and service users, and on the other to improve the system for children with speech, language and communication needs. During 2014, the passing of the Children Your RCSLT resources The RCSLT online We are developing a new website to improve your online experience. This includes using technology to signpost, discuss and share the evidence base; find, reflect and share CPD; develop innovative ideas collaboratively; and provide new and engaging ways to develop and support the RCSLT professional community online. Look out for developments in 2015. The RCSLT also has its own YouTube channel (https://www. youtube.com/user/rcslt) where you can access content, including our leadership videos and upcoming series on dementia. Our social media platforms continue to grow in popularity. We now have more than 10,000 Facebook friends (https://www.facebook. com/rcslt) and nearly 7,000 Twitter followers (https://twitter.com/rcslt). Join the online debate today. RCSLT publications and Families Act heralded a significant shake up of the way children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive support. The RCSLT carried out extensive negotiations behind the scenes to influence the passage of the bill though Parliament to ensure the best outcomes for children and their families. Play your part In our 2014 member survey, a third of respondents said they would like to play a more active role in the activities of the RCSLT. Our continued success depends on your ongoing support and participation. You provide the energy, expertise and assistance to further the work of the profession for the benefit of the people who use your services. Take this opportunity to see how you can play a more active role; whether as part of your hub, as an RCSLT board or committee member, as a contributor to our social media channels or as a member of a CEN. We look forward to hearing from you. The monthly RCSLT is the only magazine for SLTs in the UK and provides members with professional news, features, clinical articles, research, opinion pieces, journal and book reviews, CEN listings, job opportunities and more. The is an invaluable way to keep in touch with the latest developments and with your colleagues throughout the profession. RCSLT members receive six issues of the International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders, our wellrespected, peerreviewed journal, by post each year and have free access to the entire back catalogue. We also have a comprehensive library of online publications, including policy briefings and statements; the RCSLT s Resource Manual for Commissioning and Planning Services (covering the key areas to inform the factual content for any tendering/service planning activity); and a range of clinical position papers covering topics from adult critical care to voice restoration. Visit: http://tinyurl.com/kydeg64 16