The Communication Context - Royal College of Speech and

Transcription

front MAY rcslt
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July 2005 • Issue 639
The official magazine of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
The Communication
Context
rating 60 yea
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rs
Ce
1945
-2005
Mid-june
3/6/05
11:08 am
Page 28
E-learning is fast becoming a major part of continuing professional development in many areas of health, education
and social care. As yet, there is little e-learning material specifically developed for SLTs, and even less debate as to its
relevance to practice and its relationship with other learning opportunities.
This study day will introduce course participants to e-learning, with examples of good practice and lessons from other
professions. We are delighted to have distinguished speakers who are leaders in their field and who can help stimulate
debate on this important new learning tool.
We will consider the following:
n What is e-learning?
n History and development of e-learning
n Diversity of e-learning opportunities
n The BMJ Learning website: lessons for other professions
n Issues for practitioners
n Issues for professional bodies
n Issues for educators
n Just in time learning: an example of good practice
n Experiences of setting up and running a web based masters course
n What is the future for SLTs?
The course is particularly aimed at SLTs who are interested in e-learning and also speech and language therapy
educators who wish to incorporate e-learning into their teaching methods.
Booking fee £15 to cover refreshments. A certificate of attendance will be provided at the end of the course.
RCSLT-JULY- Contents p3
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July 2005 • Issue 639
Picture: Getty Images
COVER STORY:
Join the RCSLT to
examine the
communication
environment
See this month’s editorial (p4)
and back cover
Royal College of Speech
and Language Therapists
2 White Hart Yard, London SE1 1NX
Telephone:
email:
website:
020 7378 1200
bulletin@rcslt.org
www.rcslt.org
President
George Cox
Senior Life
Vice President
Sir Sigmund Sternberg
CONTENTS
4
Editorial and letters
6
News: Warnock calls for abolition of statementing
process; Anne Whateley says farewell to the RCSLT;
Overcoming resistance is key to NHS IT success; Therapy
leads address national ALD issues and more
11 Gill Edelman tells Bulletin about her work as chief
executive of I CAN
12 Rebecca O’Mahoney talks about her activities as a VSO
Vice Presidents
Simon Hughes MP
Baroness Jay
Baroness Michie
Chair
Sue Roulstone
Deputy Chair
Rosalind Gray Rogers
Hon Treasurer
Gill Stevenson
Professional
Director
Kamini Gadhok
Editor
Steven Harulow
Deputy Editor
Annie Faulkner
Marketing
Officer
Sandra Burke
Publisher
Design
volunteer SLT in Indonesia
14 Rhian Rees and Siân Munro describe the latest initiatives in Wales
to address bilingualism issues
16 Alyson Eggett, Anna Westaway and Sarah Bullock discuss their safety
awareness groups for children with moderate and severe learning
difficulties
18 Professional Issues: Supporting newly-qualified practitioners: the
RCSLT NQP framework
20 Sue Stevens looks back at her early career as a student and newly-qualified
speech therapist in the 1960s
22 Any questions: Your chance to ask your colleagues and share your knowledge
24 Reviews: The latest books and products reviewed by specialist SLTs
TG Scott
(A division of
McMillan-Scott plc)
Courts Design Ltd
Disclaimer:
The bulletin is the monthly magazine of the
Royal College of Speech and Language
Therapists.The views expressed in the bulletin
are not necessarily the views of the College.
Publication does not imply endorsement.
Publication of advertisements in the bulletin is
not an endorsement of the advertiser or of the
products and services advertised.
26 Specific Interest Groups: The latest meetings and events around the UK
RCSLT-JULY-Editorial p4-5
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e d i to r i a l & l et te r s
Take part this October
As we head towards October and the
peak of the RCSLTs diamond jubilee
activities, this month’s Bulletin (p7)
provides more details on Speech and
Language Therapy Week, 10-14 October.
We’ve chosen the theme Breaking down the barriers
to communication and hope as many therapists and
support workers as possible will sign up for the
RCSLTs Speech and Language Therapy Week
promotional pack.
The pack will include posters and other
promotional materials and will also provide
information on how to plan your events, write a
successful press release and engage your local
media.
Remember, there will be a cash prize for the
individual, group or unit that can demonstrate the
most media coverage, so start planning your
activities now.
During the week, the RCSLT will be hosting a
one-day conference: The Communication Context.
The details of this are outlined on the back cover of
this magazine.
At the conference the RCSLT is inviting delegates,
SLTs and their multidisciplinary colleagues, to
examine the communication environment – from
supermarkets and cinemas to schools and hospitals.
The aim will be to identify barriers and good
practice, and put forward solutions to the problems
that exist. The output of the day will include a
statement of good practice.
The day’s activities will also count towards your
continuing professional development
activities. We look forward to seeing you there.
Steven Harulow
Bulletin editor
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LETTERS
Bulletin thrives on your letters and emails
Write to the editor, RCSLT, 2 White Hart Yard, London SE1 1NX
email: bulletin@rcslt.org
Please include your postal address and telephone number
Letters may be edited for publication
(250 words maximum)
AfC outcomes are not
inevitable
Amanda Mozley is absolutely right to
express reservations about the impact of
Agenda for Change (AfC) on SLTs (‘AfC
is a poor compromise’, Bulletin, June
2005 p4).
We only have outcomes for quite
small numbers of therapists, from the
early implementer sites and the first
trusts to go for national rollout.
However, on the basis of what we know,
we have significant problems.
At a minority of trusts, the results
have been fine for SLTs, with pay
increases for junior therapists, and
senior therapists maintaining their
salaries. At a larger number of trusts, we
are seeing real difficulties emerging for
therapists at current Band 3 and above
(ie SLTs who were the beneficiaries of
our equal pay victory in 2000).
There is a real danger of losses for
many senior therapists in the short to
medium term, and a compression of the
career structure in the long term – with
very few SLTs in the future being able to
access the salaries that are currently
regarded as routine for experienced
staff. This is not an inevitable outcome,
but we have a fight on our hands.
Amicus asked for many changes to the
profiles, but we achieved only small
concessions. The previous advice to
delay matching no longer stands, as we
will not achieve significant change in the
short-term.
Any SLT who is matched to a band
giving a reduced salary should ask for a
review of the outcome. This is
important. We need to maintain salaries
nationally, and this means we cannot
accept a slow erosion trust by trust.
Therapists on lower basic pay in
London should also seek a review, even
if the lower salary is offset by an increase
in London weighting. Reviews are not a
waste of time and have led to real gains
at some early implementer sites.
It is likely that the profiles for
professional manager (clinical, clinical
technical service) are being generally
under-used, across many professions. If
you on a matching panel, make sure that
panel members are aware of these
profiles. If we can get them used for
other groups, they are more likely to be
used for us.
If you are an SLT manager, it is
probably in your interests to be matched
to a professional manager rather than an
SLT profile. If you think the wrong
profile has been used, and your salary is
reduced, ask for a review.
Amicus has grave concerns that the
AfC outcomes will reverse our equal
value victory of 2000.
We are committed to campaigning
hard for an acceptable outcome for
every member.
Gill George
National Chair, Amicus SLT
Occupational Advisory Committee
email: gillgeorge@ghg.me.uk
www.rcslt.org
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e d i to r i a l & l et te r s
LETTERS
The following is the statement agreed
unanimously by delegates at the Amicus
SLT Occupational Advisory Committee
on 9 June and sent to the Department of
Health as part of its final response on
profiles.
“Amicus continues to have strong
disagreements with aspects of the national
job profiles for speech and language
therapists.
Our requests for profile changes have
Don’t forget your shoulder
pads
Were you in the speech therapy class of
1981-1985 at Manchester University?
Do you remember experiments on
frogs, scary phonetics lectures and
Further education SIG?
Do you work in further education?
Would you be interested in joining a
specific interest group focusing on
www.rcslt.org
been largely rejected, and the evidence we
have provided has not been acted on. We
believe this demonstrates a fundamental
breakdown of partnership working. Even
on communication skills, yet again there
has been no recognition of our expertise.
We have grave concerns that the
Agenda for Change outcomes for speech
and language therapists will reverse our
equal value victory of 2000, and result in
a recruitment and retention crisis
affecting service provision into the future.
Amicus is committed to achieving an
acceptable outcome for every speech and
language therapist. We are happy to meet
with any representative of the
Department of Health to resume
partnership working and resolve our
serious concerns.”
Duran Duran?
We are meeting up in Manchester on
17 September from 1 - 5pm to catch up
on old times.
If you would like to attend contact
Sue Mellor (McKerr) tel: 0161 281 5974
or Cathy Colligan (Liebeschuetz) tel:
0161 434 3019. Email:
denis@colligand.freeserve.co.uk or
mike.mellor@ntlworld.com
shared issues, such as inspection, total
communication and the role of speech
and language therapy in further
education? If the answer to these
questions is yes, please contact me.
Amicus Speech and Language Therapy
Occupational Advisory Committee
9th June 2005
Cathy Colligan, Sue Mellor
Nicola Hayton
email: nhayton@bridgecollege.ac.uk
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The future of special needs education is under debate
after Baroness Mary Warnock, widely recognised as the
architect of the drive towards teaching special needs
children in mainstream schools, delivered a damning
indictment of the system in June
Baroness Warnock, whose report on special
education 25 years ago began the move
towards greater inclusion, called for a “radical
review” of the system in a pamphlet
published by the Philosophy of Education
Society of Great Britain.
Baroness Warnock told the BBC that the
pressure to include pupils with special needs
in mainstream schools had caused “confusion
of which children are the casualties”.
She also called for the abolition of the
statementing process, claiming it was
“wasteful and bureaucratic” and demanded
an independent committee of inquiry to
investigate how the policy is operating.
Instead of putting special needs pupils into
www.johnbirdsall.co.uk
Warnock calls
for abolition of
statementing
process
“Schools should be small enough to provide a reassuring and personal
environment for emotionally-vulnerable children”
mainstream schools, Baroness Warnock
called for a change in the status and purpose
of special schools. These, she said, now
suffer from a “patronising” attitude limiting
their use to children with the “most severe
and complex disabilities”.
She argued that the schools should serve a
wider variety of needs, including autism, but
should be small enough to provide a
reassuring and personal environment for
emotionally-vulnerable children.
“They are regarded as little more than
places of containment, hospitals or day
centres, but with better educational facilities,”
she wrote.
Baroness Warnock also criticised the
system of statementing, saying it had “turned
out to be not a very bright idea”. She said that
when she first proposed the idea first, an
expected 2% of pupils would receive
statements.
“That they are now given to 20% of pupils
reflects the lack of clarity over their
application”, she said.
Baroness Warnock concluded,
“Governments must come to recognise that,
even if inclusion is an ideal for society in
general, it may not always be an ideal for
school.”
What changes would you make to special
needs education? Email: bulletin@rcslt.org
OBITUARY
A life remembered
Rona Williams (nee Thomas) 23 June 1927 – 22 March 2005
Many RCSLT members will be saddened to hear of the sudden
death in March of Rona Williams.
After qualifying from the West End Hospital Speech Therapy
Training School in 1950, Rona first worked in Swansea. While she
was there the Welsh Region of the BBC asked Rona to write a
script for a feature programme on speech therapy.
Rona also wrote a series of articles on speech therapy for a
woman’s journal in the 1950s.
In 1961 Rona had a book published, Speech difficulties in
childhood – a common sense approach for parents and teachers.
She worked at a number of hospitals including Leavesden,
where she treated adults and children with severe learning
difficulties. This led to her submitting a thesis on “A study of
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speech and language disorders and hearing loss in a hospitalised
subnormal population”. Rona received an RCSLT Fellowship for
this work in 1969.
Rona joined the teaching staff of the Oldrey-Fleming School of
Speech Therapy (then in Harley Street, later in Hampstead). She
continued on the staff when in 1974 the school merged with the
West End Hospital Training School to become the National
Hospitals College of Speech Sciences. She retired in 1983.
Rona had a vital, warm personality with a keen sense of
humour. Her friendship and kindness will always be remembered
and much-valued by colleagues and students alike.
Jean Cooper-Robinson and Michael Jackson
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Start planning for Speech
and Language Therapy Week
As part of its diamond jubilee
celebrations in 2005, the RCSLT
has designated 10-14 October as
Speech and Language Therapy
Week
messages, how to get yourself noticed and how to
write your own press release and engage your local
media.
To receive your pack, write to Sandra Burke,
RCSLT, 2 White Hart Yard, London SE1 1NX and
mark your envelope “Speech and Language
Therapy Week Pack”. Alternatively, email:
sltweek@rcslt.org
To maximise the impact of Speech and Language
Therapy Week, and make it a little more interesting
for you, the RCSLT will be offering a cash prize to
the individual, group or department that can
demonstrate the most media coverage.
The Bulletin will also include special features in
November and December, where we will show the
best of your Speech and Language Therapy Week
photographs. So, start planning now and have fun.
May’s book draw winner
Congratulations go to Amy Hallewell, an SLT at University College
London Hospitals NHS Trust, who has won the mid-May Bulletin
Supplement book draw. Amy receives a free copy of A Cognitive
Approach to Assessment and Intervention in Aphasia. A Clinician’s Guide,
written by Anne Whitworth, Janet Webster and David Howard.
www.rcslt.org
Consistent communication
The NHS Information Standards Board
launched the NHS Health Record and
Communication Practice Standards for
Team-based Care on 2 June.The standards
aim to promote the consistent
communication of patient information
and embrace best practice from the
Health Professions, Nursing and
Midwifery, and General Medical Councils.
Visit: www.isb.nhs.uk/pages/default.asp
Speech and language TV
Getty Images
The theme of the week is Breaking Down Barriers to
Communication and will give SLTs and support
workers a great opportunity to promote their
varied work by holding events and activities in
schools, clinics, hospitals, shopping centres and
many other settings.
The important thing to remember is that the
week is your vehicle to enable you to promote
communication, eating and swallowing problems,
the therapists and support workers that treat them,
and the RCSLT.
Specific aims of the week could include:
raising the profile of particular service user
groups;
raising the profile of the profession;
telling people about the benefits of speech and
language therapy;
encouraging healthy behaviour; and
highlighting the role of SLTs within the modern
health service.
The audiences you target will depend on your
specific aims, but could include the general public,
potential SLTs and support workers, other health
professionals, local politicians and commissioners
of services and other key decision makers.
At the beginning of September, the RCSLT will
provide Speech and Language Therapy Week packs,
including posters and information on how to
promote the profession, advice on possible key
NEWS IN BRIEF
The Victory Over Impairments of
Communication, Expression and Speech
(VOICES) Association has launched a
speech and language cable television
and radio show in California to recognise
America’s Better Hearing and Speech
Month last May.The 1 2 3 Talk! show
explores topics surrounding
communication disorders and
development.Visit: www.live365.com
/stations/ourvoices4kids?play
PEVOC6 celebrates 150 years
The sixth Pan European Voice Conference
(PEVOC6) celebrates 150 years of
multidisciplinary voice care at the Royal
Academy of Music in London between 31
August and 3 September 2005.The
conference offers an opportunity to
update voice knowledge and skills; a
highly interdisciplinary programme and
workshops, papers and posters.Visit:
www.pevoc6.com/home.htm
Autism software
Students at Middlesex University’s School
of Computing Science have produced
software to help autistic children’s verbal
language development, based on profiles
completed by each pupil’s classroom
teacher. Senior Lecturer Elizabeth Stokes
would like input from an SLT as to how
these games could be used appropriately
in the classroom to help and encourage
verbal language. Email:
Elizabeth1@mdx.ac.uk
Name change
Immediate past RCSLT chair Caroline
Fraser would like to inform RCSLT
members that she has changed her name
and will now be known as Caroline Sykes.
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Anne Whateley says
farewell to the RCSLT
After three-and-a-half years as RCSLT Deputy CEO, Anne Whateley is
leaving the organisation to return to the NHS.
Anne will take up a new position in mid-July as speech and
language therapy service manager at Islington PCT, the position
recently vacated by Diana Moir.
RCSLT CEO Kamini Gadhok said Anne would be greatly missed by
the officers at the RCSLT HQ and by the many members who have
worked with her.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank Anne for her
contribution to the work of the RCSLT in supporting its members,”
Kamini said.
Anne told the Bulletin she was very excited about returning to the
NHS and contributing what she had learned while working for the
RCSLT.
“I’m looking forward to taking up new challenges and continuing to
contribute as an active member of the professional body,” Anne said.
Therapy leads address
national ALD issues
The national representatives from the network for speech and
language therapy leads in adult learning disability met again in
London on 29 April.
The meeting addressed a number of interesting topics
including:
A survey of the pattern and levels of speech and language
therapy for adult learning disability services being carried
out by the network. We hope to be able to report on the
findings from this following our next meeting in October.
The consultation on service contexts for Communicating
Quality 3. During discussions the changes in culture
influencing our practice since Communicating Quality 2
were very evident.
The national network for communication set up following
the Value Me, Value my Communication conference held in
Nottingham in March. We are inviting Liz Stone, who
oversees this network, to our next meeting in October to
discuss how SLTs can work with them.
Minutes from this meeting have been sent to everybody on the
database of lead therapists.
If you work with adults with learning disabilities in any setting
make sure you are in touch with this important network through
your local representative. If you are unsure who this is,
email: ald@rcslt.org and Vivien Robinson will point you in the
right direction
Sue Thurman, email: Sue.thurman@nottshc.nhs.uk
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Anne, with Kamini (standing), is leaving after three-and-a-half years as
RCSLT deputy CEO
Overcoming resistance is
key to NHS IT success
Allied health professionals (AHPs) must overcome their suspicions
about the National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT)
and recognise it as an essential ingredient in modernising patient
services, according to Jan Dowsett, NPfIT’s national clinical lead for
AHPs.
The programme, which is now called Connecting for Health after
becoming a Department of Health (DH) agency on 1 April, is
investing more than £6 billion by 2010 on modern computer systems
for the NHS to improve patient care and services. However, Ms
Dowsett says resistance to change is hindering its implementation.
Ms Dowsett, whose role is to act as a conduit between the central
programme and clinical professionals working at trust level, comments,
“Healthcare organisations appear to have excessive tolerance of
deficiencies in current practices while exhibiting great sensitivity to
the deficiencies, often hypothetical, of various elements of the
programme’s deliverables.
“Therefore, while there is widespread agreement on the priority that
should be given to developing the use of information technology, the
record of implementation remains patchy.”
Ms Dowsett added that increased use of IT lies at the heart of
modernising the NHS and is key to helping professionals achieve
government targets, for example cancer plans, national access targets
and local development plans.
For more information, email: jan.dowsett@suht.swest.nhs.uk
AHP Bulletin
What do you think about the DH’s plans for IT in healthcare?
Email: bulletin@rcslt.org
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Connect launches regional
Access to Life initiative
Make a big noise during
aphasia awareness week
Speechmatters, the only organisation in
Northern Ireland dedicated solely to the needs
of people living with aphasia, is inviting SLTs to
make a ‘big noise’ about aphasia as part of
Aphasia Awareness Week, 10 - 14 October 2005.
Local BBC celebrity and Speechmatters
patron Noel Thompson will officially launch
the ‘Communicate’ Campaign, which aims to
make ‘aphasia’ a household word. The
campaign will include a high profile launch, a
period of heightened promotional activity,
radio, newspaper and billboard advertising, a
new Speechmatters website, and the
Communicate Gala Ball 2006.
Northern Ireland SLTs might like to consider
combining Aphasia Awareness Week with the
RCSLT’s Speech and Language Therapy Week,
which will run at the same time. Visit:
www.speechmatters.org and www.rcslt.org for
details.
HPC election results
The Health Professions Council (HPC)
received over 40,000 votes from
registered health professionals for its
council elections in May.The registrant
members include SLTs Dr Anna van der
Gaag and Jacqueline Pearce.The new
council will sit for the first time formally
on 12 July, at the HPC offices in London.
Visit: www.hpc-uk.org
Dysphagia online
A new website promises to offer a ‘onestop shop’for individuals suffering from
dysphagia, their carers and healthcare
professionals. Dysphagia online provides
information covering topics including the
Professor Sally Byng launches the regional Access to
Life campaign at the National Portrait Gallery
Getty Images
The communication disability charity, Connect,
launched its £1.5 million regional Access to Life
campaign on 23 May to develop a range of longterm services across the South West of England.
Connect’s aim is create a template for enhancing
services to improve the quality of life for people
living with stroke and aphasia, initially in the South
West and eventually across the whole of the UK.
The initiative will create a multi-agency
partnership between acute and primary care trusts
in Cornwall and the Stoke Association, with
services focused on supporting people to manage
their day-to-day lives on a long-term basis.
According to Connect, this will include
collaboration between agencies already providing
service that people with stroke and aphasia could
benefit from, but are not currently accessing.
The crucial point is that the initiative will fully
involve people with stroke and aphasia in both the
development and delivery of services.
Connect CEO Professor Sally Byng, OBE, said the
charity’s role in this project is to act as a catalyst for
change.
NEWS IN BRIEF
swallowing mechanism, causes and
symptoms of dysphagia, management
options and dysphagia news and
“If we are to make changes to the lives of people
living with aphasia beyond our centre in London,
we need to help the to deliver Connect-style
services themselves,” Professor Byng said.
research.Visit:
For more information visit: www.ukconnect.org
Contact a Family has produced two new
HPC Grandparenting
process ends 8 July
The Health Professions Council (HPC)
Grandparenting process for SLTs ends at midnight
on Friday 8 July.
According to its website, the HPC will not
process any applications received after this date and
will return them to each applicant. This will include
any applications received after the closing date even
if they have been posted to the HPC before the
closing date.
The HPC anticipates a sharp increase in
Grandparenting applications over the last four
weeks of the process that has been running since
July 2003.
“This will mean applications received during the
last three months will be processed at a slower rate
compared to what has been previously achieved,”
the website says.
“Prospective grandparenting applicants can
continue to use the protected titles until such time
as a decision is made about their application. This
also applies during the period of any appeal.”
www.dysphagiaonline.com
Help for disability families
free publications to help health
professionals in their work with families
with children with disabilities. Parent
participation in health settings is a
practical guide to involving parents in
shaping service delivery. Finding
medical information on the Internet is a
leaflet for parents explaining how to
assess the reliability of online medical
information.Tel: 020 7608 8700 for
details.
RCSLT chat room pages
Some of you may have noticed that the
entire contents of the RCSLT noticeboard
pages have disappeared. According to
Ezboard, who administer the facility for
the RCSLT, this was the result of a hacker
attack in early June. Ezboard is
attempting to restore lost data,
but at the time of writing do not know
whether the lost correspondence can be
recovered.
Visit: www.hpc-uk.org/apply/grandparenting/deadline
www.rcslt.org
July 2005 bulletin
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If you have an interest in research or ever
wondered how you would start in the first
place, check out the new services funded by
the Department of Health (DH) Research
Capacity Development Programme.
RDInfo consists of three services providing
access to details of research funding, training
and advice.
RDFunding provides information on
health-related research funding
opportunities. Over 1,250 funding
organisations offer over 4,600 awards.
Register to receive a weekly email containing
new or updated funding opportunities
tailored to your specific areas of interest.
The website has a support link, containing
tips on costing a research proposal, plus a
section on ‘getting started - how to get the
most out of RDInfo’.
Visit: www.rdfunding.org.uk
RDLearning provides information on postqualification courses, workshops, short
courses and conferences available to SLTs.
This includes postgraduate courses, RCSLT’s
short courses and events offered by other
organisations such as Connect – the
communication disability network. The site
holds details of over 5,500 educational events.
Visit: www.rdlearning.org.uk
RDDirect is a signposting service for
researchers. If you need help or advice, tel:
0113 295 1122 or email: info@rddirect.org.uk.
Visit: www.rddirect.org.uk
Join the RCSLT research egroup
For SLT and related disciplines interested in research and development.
To join either email: listserv@jiscmail.ac.uk. Leave the subject line empty and put the
following in the body of the email.
SUBSCRIBE SLT-RESEARCH your first name your second name
(eg SUBSCRIBE SLT-RESEARCH Sarah Smith)
If you add an automatic signature or disclaimer at the bottom of your emails please
add two dashes: -- on the next line below the message. You will receive a message
confirming that your request has been received, click on the link provided to confirm.
Alternatively, visit: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/SLT-RESEARCH and follow the instructions.
To write to the group email: slt-research@jiscmail.ac.uk
To view the group’s archives, visit: www.jiscmail.ac.uk/archives/slt-research.html
SLTs in the media
Speech and language therapy has featured
in a number of newspapers, magazines and
journals over the last few weeks.
On page 163 of the March Reader’s
Digest SLT Jayne Comins outlined her tips
on public speaking and voice projection.
Meanwhile, RCSLT Scotland Policy
Officer Kim Hartley’s smiling face adorns
the inside front cover of April’s Holyrood
magazine. The magazine is dedicated to all
things political in Scotland and Kim’s
article talked about the value that speech
and language therapy can add to
community health partnerships.
Careers in speech and language therapy
featured across a two-page spread in The
Independent on 26 May. ‘The people we
call when words fail us’, featured SLTs Amy
10
bulletin July 2005
Getty Images
New research
services for SLTs
Jensen, Mei Lee, Sunita Mistry Shah and
Ginne Orchard-Lisle. All four recently
answered Bulletin’s call for volunteers to
play a role in promoting the speech and
language therapy profession.
The Times featured selective mutism in
‘Why words fail them’ (no prizes for
headline originality there) on 31 May. The
article interviewed SLT Maggie Johnson,
co-author of the Selective Mutism Resource
Manual with Alison Wintgens.
On June 3, BBC News Online looked at
the thorny topic of Agenda for Change
(AfC). ‘Speech therapists fear NHS reform’,
interviewed SLT Frances Ridgeway, who
is considering leaving her position at the
Royal Nose Throat and Ear Hospital in
London.
“It is a setback. We feel like an
undervalued, hidden profession,” Frances
said.
In the same article Tom Morris, an SLT
based in north London, said he is set to
lose around £8,000 from his annual salary
as a result of the reform.
“I’m now left feeling betrayed and
uncertain as to whether or not my future
still lies within the health service,” Tom
added.
RCSLT CEO Kamini Gadhok told the
BBC that anecdotal evidence was already
being reported of senior therapists leaving
posts because of concerns around AfC.
“There has been an increase in the
number of NHS therapists enquiring
about private work or moving to locum
agencies, where they enjoy better pay,”
Kamini said.
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I n te r v i ew
A work in progress
At the end of March Gill Edelman stood down after eight
years as chief executive of I CAN, the UK charity for
children with communication disability. Here, Gill tells
Bulletin about I CAN’s achievements during this time and
looks to the future for speech and language therapy
What did you do before I CAN?
Prior to I CAN I worked in the health service
as a clinician and manager. I was District
Speech and Language Therapy Manager at
Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte’s SHA
and then at Harrow Health Authority. I was
one of the early migrants into general
management. I took on responsibility for all
of Northwick Park and St Mark’s paramedical
services and completed an MBA, with the
support of the Department of Health’s
‘Women’s Unit’ – established to help women
like me break through the NHS ‘glass ceiling’.
I then took a sideways leap and became
project manager for development of the
Trust’s information system strategy.
How did you become involved
in I CAN?
I applied for the CEO’s post, simple as that.
In Harrow we had worked hard with
education colleagues to develop an innovative
school based speech and language therapy
service so I knew what I CAN was trying to
do at a local level. I had also been involved in
national policy work. I think it was the
combination of this experience, my vision for
the charity and my business and
organisational skills that won me the I CAN
position.
CAN – without personally claiming all the
credit – children’s communication disability
has moved higher up the government agenda
and the charity’s reputation and impact have
grown enormously.
When I arrived, I CAN was predominantly
a southern-based provider of special schools:
a specialist organisation with a good
reputation in this niche, but not well known
outside of that.
I CAN is now a UK-wide provider of
services for children and young people across
the age range and across both specialist and
mainstream settings. The charity is also
an enabler, providing information, training,
advice, consultancy and influencing national
policy.
I think the achievements I’m most proud
of are: I CAN’s national early years network,
developed in partnership with PCTs and
LEAs across the UK; the Joint Professional
Development Framework, a major
collaborative initiative that establishes the
pathway for the joint training of SLTs and
teachers; and building an effective alliance to
get children’s communication disability
higher up the government agenda. I CAN, the
RCSLT, Afasic and others are now working to
get a speech and language action programme
agreed and funded.
However, there are still huge gaps in
services for both children and adults, with
very low levels of awareness about the whole
issue of communication disability.
I believe that the only way we can
counteract this is by combining forces,
drawing on all the available expertise and
resources and speaking with one voice.
What are your main achievements
at I CAN?
And the future?
I am delighted that during my period at I
Well I’ve stepped down in order to have a bit
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more time with my family, but I’m certainly
not retiring. I am already actively involved in
other voluntary sector work. I’m a trustee of
Connect, a charity that’s very important to
me on a personal as well as professional level,
as my mother has a primary progressive
aphasia. I’m working as a freelance
consultant, doing some writing and a mix of
advisory and non-executive jobs, so I’m
certainly keeping busy.
With regard to the profession, my personal
concern is that we need to be more proactive.
We have often been caught ‘on the back foot’,
reacting to challenges, rather than driving
forward our own agenda and seizing
opportunities. If we’re going to have
influence in a modernised NHS, and in a
wider world of ‘joined-up services’ in
education and social care, we have got to be
careful that we are not territorial.
The RCSLT wants to raise awareness of
communication disability and the role of
speech and language therapy. There is no
doubt that raising awareness is important,
but there’s no point raising awareness
without a clear agenda for action. College has
to listen to its own members, but it also has
to listen to children and adults with
communication disability, their parents,
carers and other professionals and the
organisations established to promote and
meet their needs.
A strong alliance of these diverse
stakeholders can harness the knowledge, skills
and resources required, not just to raise
awareness, but also to tackle this issue in
policy terms. This is not something the
profession can do on its own. I think that this
what is lacking at the moment and I would
be very happy to be involved in developing
this strategy going forward.
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VO LU N TA R Y S E R V I C E S OV E R S EA S
Speech and language
therapy in Indonesia
Rebecca O’Mahoney found her work as a VSO volunteer SLT in Indonesia an
enriching experience. And on her return to the country two years later she saw
plenty of evidence that her work there still remains
In 2002, I completed a two-year Voluntary
Services Overseas (VSO) placement in Java,
Indonesia, one of the most diverse countries
in the world. Last February, I returned to
spend another four weeks in the clinic. This
account, I hope, will show that my two years
were not wasted: there is plenty of evidence
that my work still remains.
When I applied to VSO I imagined myself
in the middle of nowhere carrying water on
my head from the local well across a desert.
The reality was very different. My placement
was in Bandung, the fourth largest city in
Indonesia. Bandung is comparatively well
developed and, for a price, you can buy most
things. It was, however, very different to life
in the western world and I know that I will
never complain about the health and
education systems in our country again.
The original aim of my placement was to
work with and train an Indonesian-qualified
speech therapist at the centre where I was
based. So after 10 weeks’ language training
in a city eight hours away, I turned up
enthusiastic and ready to take what was
handed to me only to find that this particular
speech therapist had left the centre the
previous week. This was understandable: he
had been offered a job elsewhere with a wage
on which he could support his new wife and
children.
Yayasan Surya Kanti, the centre where I
worked, is a big multidisciplinary clinic for
early detection of childhood disorders. It
claims to be the only one of its kind in
Indonesia. The children attending the clinic
are mainly under five years of age and present
with wide-ranging difficulties including
autism, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy and
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bulletin July 2005
severe learning disabilities. Professionals
working in the clinic include physiotherapists, psychologists, paediatricians,
developmental assessors, and educationalists.
While I was there, another VSO volunteer
established an occupational therapy
department. This sounds wonderful in theory
but unfortunately the departments had a
long way to go to develop multidisciplinary
working.
“I developed my
confidence in my
skills, and I had
opportunities that
would never have
been available to
me at home at
my level in the
profession”
Thanks to German backers, the centre had
recently moved into large purpose-built
premises that looked much more advanced
than anywhere I had seen in the UK.
However, there were no resources for
maintenance of the building or for paying
decent staff wages.
When I arrived there was no evidence that
there had ever been a speech therapy
department. There was still an Indonesiantrained speech therapist who came in one
day a week, but her time was stretched as she
saw an average of eight children in a
three-hour session. There was no referral
system, consistent note-keeping or report
writing.
Speech and language therapy in Indonesia
is still a very basic profession. There is one
academy in Jakarta providing training for
SLTs. When I went to visit, it did not
appear to have any books written after the
1970s. The other difficulty was that all the
material is translated from English, German
or Dutch, and is not necessarily relevant
to the Indonesian language. There were no
standardised language development ‘norms’
in Indonesia and, therefore, no standardised
assessments for children.
While I was working there I heard stories
of a child with learning disabilities who had
been taken to a local speech therapist, as they
were not talking by the time they were
seven years old.
The mother was told that the child was not
talking because her child’s tongue was too
short and was subsequently given exercises to
pull her tongue in order to lengthen it.
Likewise, the mother of another child with
similar difficulties was told to shape the lips
of her child while she babbled in order to
help her to talk.
All of this meant I had my work cut out to
steer opinions away from the idea that we
work solely with articulation.
In the absence of a trained SLT to work
with, I was assigned two assistants with the
idea that they would eventually be trained up
to take over the department. Rika and Yanti,
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Rebecca with the Yayasan Surya Kanti clinic staff
the two women I was lucky enough to work
with, were fantastic. They were very
enthusiastic about helping and learning
about the children. As a team we set up a
department with an appointment system and
even provided basic input in the form of
language groups to the kindergarten for
children with special needs, which was
attached to the centre.
In the two years that I was there, I trained
Rika and Yanti and became good friends with
them. It was difficult not to admire their
enthusiasm for work, despite their difficult
home circumstances. Together we translated
materials for assessment and therapy and
created our own phonology assessment. By
the time I left, the two were confidently
managing the caseload to the best of their
abilities.
One thing I found very difficult to get used
to was that as a westerner I was expected to
know the answers to everything. As I had
only been qualified two years when I started,
I initially found this challenging. However,
during my time there I developed my
confidence in my skills, and I had
opportunities that would never have been
available to me at home at my level in the
profession.
Voluntary Services Overseas treated me
well, both personally and professionally: they
provided a good level of support and there
was always someone at the other end of a
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phone. Before leaving to go overseas you are
given the opportunity to attend wellorganised training courses that are excellent
preparation.
Through VSO I was extremely lucky to
meet a lot of people from all walks of life and
there was a strong feeling of support across
the volunteer community. This was enhanced
by the annual conference held in Bali.
After 18 months in my placement I was
offered opportunities to train people in other
areas of Indonesia. This gave me the chance to
see more of the beautiful scenery and
fascinating traditions in other areas of the
country, and experience the challenge of
sharing skills with people from very diverse
backgrounds and cultures.
Since returning from overseas I have
worked at The Children’s Trust in Tadworth, a
charity providing care, education and therapy
for children with multiple disabilities
and complex health needs. This has enabled
me to broaden my experience and I have
had access to further training.
I decided to pass on this training to top up
the skills of the women with whom I had
worked in Indonesia, and was kindly give four
weeks’ leave from work. Local charities
provided funding for my flight.
I was pleasantly surprised by what I found
on my return to Indonesia. The speech and
language therapy department had been well
maintained by Rika and Yanti and they had
continued to develop in confidence and
experience. The timing of my visit was
excellent, as Ellen, a new VSO SLT from
Holland had just started working at the clinic
two weeks previously. I was able to hand over
what I had already done so that she did not
have to re-invent the wheel.
Surya Kanti has also sponsored two
students to attend the speech therapy academy
in Jakarta. I had met them when I was there
originally and they are a pleasure to work
with: they are very keen to do well. Ellen will
now be in place to help the newly
graduated speech therapists when they start at
the clinic to make that all-important
transition into working life.
I would highly recommend going overseas.
It has definitely changed my life for the better,
both professionally and personally, and I have
met and made friends with many wonderful
people.
Rebecca O’Mahoney
SLT, The Children’s Trust, Tadworth
romahoney@thechildrenstrust.org.uk
For more details on working for the VSO visit: www.vso.org.uk
July 2005 bulletin
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B I L I N G UA L I S M
A busy year on the
Welsh language front
Rhian Rees and Siân Munro describe the latest initiatives in Wales to address
bilingualism within paediatric speech and language therapists
The results of the 2001 Census indicated an
increase in both the number and percentage
of Welsh speakers in most areas of Wales.
About half a million people, many of whom
are bilingual in Welsh and English, currently
speak the language. This increase is largely
due to the fact that in the 1970s and 1980s
there was a significant rise in the number of
parents selecting Welsh immersion education
for their children.
According to the Welsh Language Board, in
2000-01 over a quarter of children in Wales
were attending Welsh-medium schools. Most
of these came from non-Welsh speaking
homes. Since then the popularity of this type
of education has continued to grow.
At primary level there are also bilingual
schools where pupils are taught a percentage
of the curriculum through the medium of
Welsh. English-medium schools are also
required to teach Welsh as a second language.
Therefore, all children in Wales study Welsh
(as a first or second language) from the ages
of five to 16, and some up to the age of 18.
Welsh/English bilingualism, in some
respects, is similar to other types of
bilingualism in the UK. For example, the
language mixing, attitudinal dimensions and
assessment issues raised in the bilingualism
literature are also pertinent to Wales.
However, the situation in Wales is slightly
different. Although Welsh is a minority
language, children can receive their education
and extra-curricular activities through that
language.
Some children living in areas where the
2001 Census reports that there are high
percentages of Welsh speakers (for example,
60% in Ceredigion) have little need to use
English or to establish its use until they reach
school. Children in Welsh-medium schools
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bulletin July 2005
are not taught English until they are in year
3. Children can also attend Welsh language
nurseries or play groups and students can
study in Welsh for some courses at higher
and further education levels.
The Welsh language situation has
implications for service providers as children
have a right to receive assessment and
intervention through the medium of Welsh
(Welsh Language Act, 1993). For some, Welsh
is the medium through which an effective
service can be provided. The shortage of SLTs
throughout the UK is reflected in the number
of Welsh-speaking SLTs, which may have
implications for service provision.
“Children have a
right to receive
assessment and
intervention
through the
medium of Welsh”
Setting priorities
With this shortage in mind, the speech and
language therapy team at the University of
Wales Institute, Cardiff, (UWIC) called a
meeting for SLTs from all over Wales in
November 1997.
The aim was to consider the education and
training of SLTs, with reference to the Welsh
language. The implications of the shortage of
Welsh assessments, therapy materials and
norms were also issues discussed. At that
meeting there was a strong feeling that the
priority needs were:
support for Welsh-speaking SLTs working
in areas of Wales where they were few in
number (this would be in addition to
other support schemes established
within the profession);
Welsh therapy and assessment materials;
and
a communication network for SLTs
working through the medium of Welsh.
A working group was formed, which has
since become a committee, meeting on a sixmonthly basis. This has SLT representatives
from all of the NHS trusts in Wales, as well as
from the Welsh Language Board and Mudiad
Ysgolion Meithrin (the Welsh language
playgroups’ association).
In addition to the support dimension, the
working group has formed subgroups that
have been working on a number of issues.
For example, a soon-to-be-released
questionnaire will identify the perceived and
actual need for Welsh medium provision; and
the development of a web-based resource
centre in conjunction with the University of
Glamorgan’s Dr Daniel Cunliffe will allow the
exchange of views and information.
Welsh Assembly Government (WAG)
funding has allowed translation and
publication of resources, including Semantic
Links, Early Communication Skills and a
number of Black Sheep Press items. Nineteen
items have been completed to date, with five
nearing completion and another four in the
pipeline.
Also at an all-Wales level is the Welsh
Language Therapy Special Interest Group,
initially set up by SLTs at the North West
Wales NHS Trust. Welsh-speaking and
non-Welsh-speaking therapists are welcome
to participate. The group has covered a wide
range of topics. For example, SLTs have given
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B I L I N G UA L I S M
presentations on Welsh language issues in
code switching, phonological development
and learning disabilities. There have also been
presentations by phoneticians, linguistics and
psychologists and the group also assisted in
an early stage of web site design for the
resource centre.
At an individual trust level, a number of
developments have taken place. In June 2004,
the Pontypridd and Rhondda NHS Trust
speech and language therapy department
won first prize in the Welsh Language in
Healthcare Award.
The judges commended the department
for having the ‘best implemented, new
initiative in Welsh language provision in the
NHS in Wales’.
The department devised and implemented
a protocol for the delivery of a speech and
language therapy service to bilingual
children. This protocol ensures that all levels
of management can be provided in the child’s
first language, as appropriate.
The prize of £1,000 has been used to buy
further sets of materials and equipment,
which have been translated into Welsh.
The North Glamorgan NHS Trust speech
and language therapy department is piloting
a school-based service. As part of this service
it is possible to assess and provide therapy for
children in Welsh within a Welsh-speaking
environment. In addition, the service
promotes collaboration with teachers who
can then support therapy targets through the
medium of Welsh (the language of teaching)
and is, therefore, more readily integrated into
the national curriculum.
In order to support bilingual language
development, therapy activities are sent home
for parents, either in English or in both
languages depending on the language spoken
at home. Therapy and assessment carried out
by the SLT in the school setting target both
English and Welsh.
In addition to these relatively recent
developments, there are other more longstanding arrangements.
The North West Wales NHS Trust offers a
comprehensive Welsh speech and language
therapy service going back over 25 years. The
therapists there have been involved in creating
Welsh language clinical materials as well as
adapting English materials into Welsh.
The trust has circulated some of the
materials to speech and language therapy
services throughout Wales, via the WAG
funding mentioned earlier.
The SLTs in the North West have also been
involved in other activities, such as
recruitment of Welsh speakers to the
profession.
Another long-standing arrangement is the
UWIC Welsh language clinic for children
with special needs, run on behalf of the local
NHS trust.
It is evident that there are issues relating to
recruitment, training, service provision,
collaboration, and on continuing professional
development for SLTs and SLT assistants.
Given the complexity of the situation in
Wales, many authorities recognise that a
coordinated approach is required. With this
in mind, the WAG has funded the post of
National Liaison Officer for Welsh Medium
Speech and Language Therapy Services to
assist the profession in developing a Welsh
language strategy.
Whatever the outcome, 2005 and 2006
promise to be busy on the Welsh language
front.
Rhian Rees – Ceredigion NHS Trust
Siân Munro – University of Wales
Institute, Cardiff
email: SMunro@uwic.ac.uk
References:
The Welsh Language Board. Education. Available
online at: www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk
The Welsh Language Act. London: HMSO, 1993.
Speech and Language Therapy Week
10 – 14 October 2005
BREAKING DOWN
BARRIERS TO
COMMUNICATION
To obtain your promotion pack, write
to Sandra Burke, 2 White Hart Yard,
London SE1 1NX or email:
sltweek@rcslt.org
Mark your envelope / email “Speech
and language Therapy Week Pack”
Packs will be sent out early September.
www.rcslt.org
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S P E EC H T H E R A P Y I N T H E 1 9 6 0 S
A time of freedom
and innovation
Sue Stevens looks back at her early career as a student and newly-qualified speech
therapist in the 1960s
Careers advice was limited in the 1960s, but I
found out about speech therapy and, to the
disgust of my teachers who thought I was
university material, opted for a speech
therapy diploma course.
The first degree course was being set up,
but it was in Newcastle; too far away from
family and friends for me. In those days
applications went direct to colleges, and I
applied to two London courses. The “West
End “, as it was then (now University
College London), accepted me with the
proviso that I lived in their dormitory for the
first year. That did not seem a good way to
enjoy London life, so I opted for the course at
the Central School of Speech and Drama at
Swiss Cottage (see figure one).
In autumn 1963, I joined 15 or 16 others in
what was then regarded as a temporary
building (it is still there) for a three-year
course covering anatomy, psychology,
phonetics, neurology, speech pathology and
therapeutics, and several fascinating short
courses.
Linguistics was just a gleam in the eye of
one tutor, who had been on a weekend
course. Figure two shows a tutorial on the
facial musculature. It is interesting to note
what student fashions were like then… no
trousers, and Central was regarded as the
most avant-garde of the therapy courses. Two
or three students dropped out, but of the
14 of us who qualified, seven to my
knowledge have continued working as
therapists up to a year or so ago. So 50%
working for 30 years was not a bad training
investment.
There were many memorable times during
the three-year course. One was Monday
afternoons, when we all returned to College
after clinics, for relaxation classes. We lay on
the floor while Miss L, a lady of ample
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bosom, peered down and assessed our skills.
Snoring was often to be heard. Relaxation
was aimed at helping us help those with
stammering and voice problems, while public
speaking, which entailed giving short
impromptu speeches, was excellent training
for future teaching demands.
“I had no idea
where the nearest
therapist was, and
do not remember
being at all
concerned by my
isolation”
The equipment competition, at the end of
second year, tested our inventiveness and
imagination, and as there was relatively little
available off the shelf then, it was quite
useful. Miss Joan Van Thal, a doyenne of the
profession, who was pint-sized but had
a passion for large hats, judged the
competition. She also had extremely poor
eyesight, so we were uncertain, which of the
finer points of our inventions she really
appreciated, but you did not dispute her
comments or decisions.
Clinics were varied and memorable. On
Mondays another student and I (yes, paired
placements existed even then) went to a
Victorian school in Kennington, where the
therapist ran groups. These consisted of
children with a variety of problems, ranging
from mild articulation difficulties, through
stammering to severe language delays, with a
few behavioural difficulties thrown in. Its
benefit was to teach us what not to do when
running a group.
St Thomas’s Hospital produced the scene
of therapist and student, both dressed in
white coats, chasing a hyperactive child down
the road towards Lambeth Bridge. Clinics at
Glenthorne Road in Hammersmith, although
in the proverbial broom cupboard-type
accommodation, were enlivened by the
surprised expressions of highly pregnant
women attending antenatal classes when
wolf-whistled by the caretaker’s mynah bird.
Many of our clinicians were indeed
unconventional and inspirational. Clinics
sometimes taught one what not to do,
supervision and teaching were minimal,
clinic visits a rarity, but we learnt
independence and initiative from our varied
experiences. The whole course, although
academically demanding only in fits and
starts, was immensely enjoyable.
My first jobs, two part-time ones as was
often the case, were acquired via the therapist
network. One was in what was then called a
mental subnormality hospital, where I was
employed to establish a service. With no
experience I set to, ordering equipment to fill
my sunny clinic-room, and building up
relationships with teachers, psychologist,
nurses and doctors.
It was a wonderful introduction to genuine
multidisciplinary team working. I had no
idea where the nearest therapist was, and do
not remember being at all concerned by my
isolation.
I did both individual and group work,
came across a multiplicity of disorders and
problems, both physical and behavioural in
adults and children, started to do some staff
teaching and generally gained from the whole
experience. I do not remember supplying
attendance figures to anyone, and had no
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S A F ET Y AWA R E N E SS
The group practised identifying dangers
(eg, on railway lines) and safe places to play
outside. As well as raising awareness of what
things were potentially dangerous, we
worked on understanding why they were
risks and how to interpret signs that warn us
about dangers.
On our community visit, we took turns to
identify any items/situations that could be
unsafe and reviewed these during the plenary
session at the end.
During group sessions, the children made
notable progress in their understanding,
recall and use of key vocabulary/concepts.
They also applied their newly-acquired
knowledge in practical settings with
decreasing adult support.
The children had previously covered the
topics at school, but had struggled to apply
or retain the information. Therefore, we reassessed them in a review session 10 weeks
after the group intervention. This was
similarly structured, with activities to assess
recall of vocabulary and safety rules, plus a
community visit to re-score the checklist on
road safety skills.
The re-assessment showed all the children
had retained the key vocabulary/concepts,
could recall and explain safety rules and were
able to cross the road independently with
indirect supervision. We felt the progress
made was due partly to the OT and SLTs’
specific approach and the personalisation of
the information to the children’s own
environment.
The OT’s role was to identify dangers and
to perform a task analysis of each activity.
The concept of ‘forward chaining’ was used
with each activity broken down into a
sequence of predictable, small steps and
frequently practised. Each time the activity
was done, the child was encouraged to
complete one more step independently,
starting at the beginning and working
forwards, until they could complete the
whole activity without support.
The SLT’s role was to identify underlying
abstract concepts relating to each activity
and adapt activities and resources to
accommodate language difficulties, such as,
introducing Makaton signs and modifying
worksheets to incorporate symbol support.
Again, activities were broken down into
several steps and built up. Using family,
friends and the local environment to teach
these concepts made them more meaningful
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Sessions involve community
visits with a pre-planned
route to enable the children
to practise
table one: advantages and disadvantages of joint group work
advantages
• targets areas of need highlighted by
parents and reduced parental concern
• encourages children to become more
independent
• provides a proven effective approach to
targeting functional communication and
daily living skills
disadvantages
• development of personalised resources is
time-consuming and many signs/symbols
for specific vocabulary were difficult to
find
• needs a high adult-child ratio to
ensure safety during community
visits
• allows shared knowledge and skill mixing
between professionals leading to more
effective personal performance and service
management
• reinforces educational curriculum
• provides a library of safety awareness
resources which can be loaned to parents,
schools and other professionals
and easier to remember for the children.
We felt the group had several advantages
for the children and their parents/carers, for
schools and for therapists, with few
disadvantages (see table one).
We already make use of the resource
library, run a training session for parents on
safety signs/symbols and loan resources to a
special school for personal, social and health
education lessons. The development of ID
cards has tied in with work to produce
communication passports for children with
profound and multiple learning difficulties in
South Tyneside.
We hope to run further safety awareness
groups in South Tyneside with OT and/or
teaching staff, for children with moderate and
severe learning difficulties. We also aim to
further develop our resources and target
functional communication and independent
living skills within other practical settings, eg
self-help and safety in the home.
Alyson Eggett, Anna Westaway
SLTs, South Tyneside PCT
email: alyson.eggett@sthct.nhs.uk
email: anna.westaway@sthct.nhs.uk
Sarah Bullock
OT, South Tyneside PCT
email: sarah.bullock@sthct.nhs.uk
Resources:
Department of the Environment,Transport and the
Regions. Arrive alive: a highway code for young road users.
London: Department of the Environment,Transport and
the Regions, 2000.
Elliot, M. Feeling happy, feeling safe, London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1991.
Home Office.The Never Never Club! 1993.Available online:
www.crimereduction.gov.uk/publicity_catalogue/index.php
July 2005 bulletin
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p rofe ss i o n a l i ss u e s
Supporting newly-qualified practitioners
In June’s Bulletin RCSLT
policy lead Jenny Pigram
outlined the support
framework for newlyqualified practitioners
(‘Improving support for
newly-qualified
practitioners’, p8). In this
article, Jenny reveals more
about the process behind
the new framework
“The RCSLT’s newly-qualified practitioner
(NQP) framework is the product of the
RCSLT’s competencies project and
encompasses areas of competence that
therapists would expect to develop in the first
12-18 months of practice.
The competencies are grouped under eight
headings, linked to the core dimensions and
listed in the NHS Knowledge and Skills
Framework (KSF) (Department of Health,
2004). These reflect current thinking within
the health service and in this way the
completed framework may be useful to inform
the NHS KSF foundation gateway review at
the end of the first year of employment.
A number of newly-qualified practitioners
(NQPs) and their supervising therapists
piloted and evaluated the NQP framework in
the UK during 2003-2004. Their feedback has
shaped the framework into its current form.
A steering group oversaw the pilot of the
Elizabeth Barnett reports:
“Mark has asked me to include my
evaluation of taking part in the competency
project in my role as clinical supervisor for
his community adult neuro work.
In Sheffield we have been making
weekly/two-weekly supervision available for
newly-qualified therapists for some years.
I am sure this met the stated aims in
developing detailed knowledge of a
particular working context, building up a
bank of supervised cases to support future
independent clinical judgements and
providing an experienced ear to assist the
therapist in developing their professional
practice.
The framework meant I could be much
18
bulletin July 2005
framework. Participants completed an
evaluation questionnaire towards the end of
the pilot phase. Participating managers also
contributed to comments via the RCSLT’s
Management Board’s regional networks.
The aim of the questionnaire was to
evaluate the usefulness of the framework and
its accompanying guidance (for example,
whether clear expectations and standards of
practice were set out, and its value in
supporting learning and development). The
questionnaire also asked participants whether
they would recommend that the RCSLT
adopt the framework for national use.
Seventy three completed questionnaires
were returned from managers/supervisors
(29) and NQPs (44). Of these, 97%
recommended that the framework be
adopted by the RCSLT.
Most respondents found the framework a
useful tool to structure support and
discussion, and said it was a constructive way
to evaluate an NQP’s progress and identify
further development needs.
Most services reported they were able to
embed the framework within their existing
induction and support systems for their
NQPs, and where additional systems were put
in place, this was not found to be onerous.
Respondents said they had used the
framework as part of continuing professional
development, for goal setting/appraisal, and
as a self-assessment tool with support.
Eighty nine percent used 1:1 sessions to
review progress and to agree whether or not
the competencies in the framework were
more certain of claiming that the therapist
had, indeed, developed the required
professional competencies (that can only be
gained ‘on the job’), and had the means by
which to continue this development within
the usual levels of departmental
supervision.
The situation can be difficult: as the
therapist has only recently relinquished the
student role and is an autonomously
practising clinician, and needs to feel as
such. This process is valuable in that it is
very much driven by the newly-qualified
therapist, and so the responsibility and
control remain with them.
Some areas were difficult to judge
because of the inability to directly observe
being achieved. Almost all (97%) of
respondents set goals through joint discussion
between the NQP and their supervisor.
The questionnaire asked how competence
was evidenced in the framework. The vast
majority (97%) reported discussion as the
most popular approach. This was backed up
by other methods such as a professional
portfolio (47%), observation (61%), case
note checks (73%) and case presentation
(47%). On average, two or three pieces of
evidence were requested in relation to each
competency.
In response to comments from pilot
participants, amendments have been made to
the content and format of the framework.
The final version is now available to
download from the RCSLT website (visit:
www.rcslt.org/comp.shtml). Copies will also
be included in the information packs sent to
all NQPs about joining the RCSLT.
The framework will be phased in during
2005-2006 with the aim that all those
qualifying in 2006 will be using it during
their first year of practice.”
Reference: Department of Health.The NHS Knowledge
and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development
Review Process, 2004. Available online at: www.dh.gov.uk
Acknowledgements: Many thanks to the steering
group members: Rebecca Flanagan (Therapy Manager,
Warrington PCT) – Chair; Alison Baxendale (SLT Service
Manager, Ashton Leigh and Wigan PCT) and Charlotte
Bishop (NQP, North Middlesex University Hospital).
the therapist in practice. However, I felt I
could get a good insight into these areas of
practice through the structured case
discussions, which were the core element of
our sessions.
Learning points or areas that need
exploring were flagged up and documented
with an action plan identified. This process
made the supervision seem directly
clinically relevant at all times, while
allowing Mark and myself to keep an
objective track of his continuing
professional development.”
Elizabeth Barnett
SLT, Sheffield Speech and Language
Therapy Agency
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p rofe ss i o n a l i ss u e s
Personal perspectives on
the NQP framework
Newly-qualified SLT Mark Jayes and clinical
supervisor Elizabeth Barnett took part in
the RCSLT competency framework pilot
for newly-qualified practitioners. Here
they give their different perspectives
on the experience
Mark Jayes and
Elizabeth Barnett
Mark Jayes comments:
“I have been working for Sheffield Speech
and Language Therapy Agency for the past 18
months. My basic grade post is split between
the agency’s adult acute and community
services. I am currently undergoing training
in assessment and management of dysphagia,
as well as managing my own communication
caseload.
I am part of a group of newly-qualified
practitioners in Sheffield who became
involved in RCSLT’s one-year competency
framework pilot in December 2003. We were
given copies of the framework and also
examples of the types of evidence that might
be used to demonstrate competence. We were
advised, however, that the precise nature and
amount of evidence must be negotiated with
our managers who, ultimately, would be
responsible for recommending our transfer
from the graduate section to full RCSLT
membership.
Initially, it was envisaged that members of
the local group would meet regularly in order
to discuss progress and develop resources
with which to collect evidence. Although we
did not meet regularly (possibly due to a lack
of organisation on our part), we were able
to share some experiences and materials.
Individuals, instead, tended to work more
closely with their line managers and
supporting colleagues.
I received various levels of formal and
informal support during my first year in post.
I had regular meetings with my line manager
www.rcslt.org
to discuss my progress and explore my
developmental needs. My manager also
oversaw my participation in the pilot and was
proactive in setting evidence-gathering
targets. I was allocated a mentor in both
hospital and community settings, and I met
these mentors once or twice each month to
discuss clinical issues and engage directly in
the evidence-gathering process.
I developed a range of materials to
facilitate this process. I created a
questionnaire for SLT colleagues to complete
after joint-working sessions in order to
evidence my communication and
interpersonal skills. This incorporated many
of the competencies directly within a
protocol, which my mentors were able to use
when auditing my case notes or to structure
our case discussions. I also logged learning
outcomes from attendance at mentoring
sessions, clinical meetings and discussions
with specialist colleagues, training courses
and also personal clinical reading and
research.
Collecting evidence proved challenging at
times, not least in terms of the amount of
time required to create and complete
supporting documents. Inevitably, some
competencies were easier to evidence than
others: maintaining client confidentiality
seemed particularly difficult to demonstrate.
I was surprised to feel slightly resentful at
times of the need once more to prove my
skills and knowledge, having only recently
qualified from a rigorous and demanding
training course. I also think my peers found it
difficult, and even embarrassing at times, to
have to assess my competence.
However, the positives clearly outweighed
the negatives. The entire process of evidence
gathering and logging helped me to engage
more easily and effectively in reflective
clinical practice. The competency framework
provided a clear structure enabling me to
identify personal development targets and
also to gain specific feedback on my
performance from colleagues.
Objective-based learning and effective
feedback had formed the backbone of my
training course; being able to maintain these
supports in my first year at work contributed
to greater levels of confidence in my
knowledge and skills, and more realistic
expectations of precisely what I should be
achieving at this stage in my career. I also
found that I had a ready-made set of future
development targets to take to my first
annual appraisal at the end of the project.
My manager was happy to sign my
application for transfer to full membership
after seven months’ participation in the pilot.
I was pleased to recommend to the RCSLT
that the competency framework be used to
guide the development of newly-qualified
practitioners in the future.”
Mark Jayes
SLT, Sheffield Speech and Language
Therapy Agency
July 2005 bulletin
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S A F ET Y AWA R E N E SS
Keeping safe, avoiding
danger
Alyson Eggett, Anna Westaway and Sarah Bullock describe their multidisciplinary
safety awareness groups for children with moderate and severe learning difficulties
The South Tyneside speech and language
therapy service recently completed a survey
of parents’ views of local special schools. Two
key findings were the lack of information
parents felt they received about their child
and a perceived over-emphasis on the
assessment of needs. Historically a schoolbased service, the annual review placed heavy
demands on our time with a bias towards
assessment and report writing. The results of
the survey and an increasingly large and
complex caseload led us to introduce a
number of changes to create a more balanced
range of services to meet all of our service
users’ requirements.
As joint working with other therapy
professionals, particularly in the field of
autism spectrum disorder, is already well
established in our borough we decided to
develop more combined packages of care
with occupational therapists (OT) and
physiotherapists (PT) who were facing many
of the same issues. As a team, we were keen to
address functional communication skills in
practical settings.
We realised children in the seven-to-11 age
range often performed reasonably well in
formal assessments, but were struggling to
cope functionally. They often received
minimum input as a result of their
assessment scores, eg they were on waiting
lists but with a low-moderate priority rating.
We decided to target this age group on a trial
basis, with a view to rolling out packages of
care across the caseload.
Occupational therapists and SLTs identified
five children who would benefit from
activities aimed at raising safety awareness.
The children, aged between 8;6 and 11;4, had
recently been mentioned to one of the
services due to safety concerns. Three
children attended the group. They had mildmoderate learning difficulties and language
16
bulletin July 2005
difficulties. Two were using augmentative
communication systems (sign supported
English and a voice output communication
aid) and had a physical disability.
We completed a baseline assessment before
the group started. This included an informal
assessment of each child’s language skills;
specifically comprehension and use of the key
vocabulary/concepts associated with the
topics to be covered. An observation during a
shopping trip and completion of a checklist
on road safety skills identified whether each
child required physical and/or verbal prompts
or could cross the road independently.
All three children had limited
comprehension of the key vocabulary/
concepts but were not using them
expressively. Two needed some verbal
prompting to cross the road safely, but were
acquiring independence (eg, they
remembered to stop at the kerb without
prompting). One child needed constant
verbal prompting to cross safely.
The two-hour group sessions took place
twice-weekly for three weeks. A one-hour
teaching session introduced key vocabulary
and concepts and/or safety rules, and a 40minute community visit or practice session
practised the application of the rules. These
were followed by a 20-minute plenary
session.
The sessions covered road safety, stranger
danger and playing safely. We used an
individualised range of activities, including
lotto, pairs games, composite pictures and
road play mats, with photographs or replicas
of the traffic, street furniture and amenities
in the local area, to teach concrete vocabulary
(eg, zebra crossing, traffic island and subway)
and to explain more abstract concepts. For
example, we used the road play mat and
accessories to practise finding a safe place to
cross the road.
We discussed the abstract concepts of near
versus far, noisy versus quiet and large versus
small, and related them to the position of the
traffic and the correct time to cross. Craft
activities comparing different materials
enabled us to discuss the concepts of light
versus dark and reflective clothing in relation
to the ‘be seen, be safe’ rule.
We taught road crossing rules using a
symbolised version of the Green Cross Code
and checked comprehension of the rules by
using symbolised worksheets with missing
words and by mixing up the sequence of the
rules for the children to re-order.
Every session involved a community visit
with a pre-planned route to enable the
children to practise using a variety of road
crossings including zebra and pedestrian
crossings and a traffic island.
At the beginning of the group the children
had no concept of what a stranger was. We
added photographs of family and friends
brought by each child to pictures of random
strangers and people who help us (eg,
policeman). We also used a story (Elliot,
1991) to introduce the concept of people we
don’t know and expanded to talk about
‘good’ versus ‘bad’ strangers. We then used
the photographs to sort people into these
categories and discuss whether or not these
were people to talk to.
The children learned three simple rules to
saying ‘no’ to strangers and talked about
who to approach safely for help and how to
do this. They also made an ID card on the
computer using Clicker 4, with important
personal information (eg, their name and
address) to use if they ever got lost. During
community visits we asked colleagues to
approach the children as strangers to check
the children’s understanding of these
concepts and their responses in real-life
situations.
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S P E EC H T H E R A P Y I N T H E 1 9 6 0 S
supervisor. All this freedom could have been
abused, but I, and others, worked hard, the
reward being colleagues’ respect and the
improved well being of many patients (as
they were always called).
My other job was at an acute general
hospital west of London, where there were
three therapists. We all worked the same two
days rather than covering the whole week,
which seems odd in retrospect. The morning
outpatient clinics were mayhem with three
patients booked in every 15 minutes. As
many of them relied on transport, the
appointment system was notional.
Staff and students were in awe of the senior
therapist, whose reputation was redoubtable,
but she was a wonderful example of how to
interact with patients, their families and staff,
especially doctors. The experience taught one
a lot about clinic organisation and even more
about rapport.
So after a year of this variety, it seemed
that travel might broaden the mind and
increase earnings, which were about £700 a
year. There was no problem about having
English qualifications accepted in Canada,
but there were more problems than
envisaged in getting a job. However, after
three weeks I got a post in a rehabilitation
hospital working in a department with two
other full-time therapists.
The great revelations were the amount of
time available for seeing patients, and the
amount of standardised testing the therapists
Figure two: A tutorial on the facial musculature
www.rcslt.org
Figure one: the Central School of Speech and Drama
did. Although I had heard of some of the
aphasia assessments, eg Eisensen, Schuell, I
had never actually used them.
It was salutary to work in a North
American healthcare system, and discover that
care was available, or not, according to your
level of health insurance, quite different to the
NHS at that time.
After nine months, it was on to
Christchurch on the South Island of New
Zealand where I found a full-time post setting
up a therapy service in a mental subnormality
hospital. Again there was no problem about
English qualifications being accepted, indeed
anybody who had trained in England was put
on a pedestal and revered, an unusual and
rather uncomfortable experience for a
reasonably raw therapist.
It was an excellent opportunity to work
closely with other disciplines, particularly
teachers and occupational therapists. The
highlight of the week was Friday morning
when the 18 students from the only therapy
course in New Zealand were bussed to the
hospital for their placements.
This was quite a logistical exercise. I placed
them in pairs in the widely spread different
areas, villas or departments of the hospital,
rotating them after a few weeks. I then used
the bus to visit and observe them. At the end
of the morning we would all cram into my
room for what would now be called a debrief.
I have fond memories of it all, and hope the
students felt they learnt something.
The other point of interest was that
academic workers, as therapists were classed,
were allowed half-an-hour for lunch, while
manual workers had an hour. That seemed
rather warped reasoning to us, but from a 21st
century perspective any lunchtime might be
regarded as a luxury.
Recording this, I realise how idiosyncratic it
all sounds, but it laid the basis for a hugely
enjoyable career in which innovation, constant
learning and the ability to look outwards to
other professions underpinned my practice.
I still appreciate the freedom from
bureaucracy that we enjoyed: not because we
could take advantage but because it allowed
initiative and responsibility to flourish.
July 2005 bulletin
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Page 19
a s k yo u r co l l ea g u e s
Any Questions?
Want some information? Why not ask your colleagues?
Email your brief query to bulletin@rcslt.org. RCSLT also holds a database of clinical advisers who may
be able to help. Contact the information department, tel: 0207 378 3012.
NICU/SCBU protocols
Aphasia research
Have you written or do you have access to NICU and SCBU
Do you have multilingual clients in your clinics with three
protocols on positioning, handling and feeding using
languages or more, for a research project re: recovery in
neurodevelopment care/NIDCAP?
aphasia?
Joanne Robinson
TEL:
02476 246215
E M A I L : joanne.robinson@coventrypct.nhs.uk
Mirka Anderson
TEL:
01763 249 386
E M A I L : mirkieran2000@UKOnline.co.uk
Paediatric FEES
Parents’ training package
Do you use FEES with children? We are considering
Do you know of a training package for parents of secondary
expanding our adult dysphagia FEES clinic.
school-aged children with moderate learning disabilities to
Fiona Shaw
TEL:
01685 872411 ext 4676
E M A I L : fiona.shaw@nglam-tr.wales.nhs.uk
promote language and communication skills?
Chromosome abnormality
Paediatric deafness
Have you worked with a child diagnosed with a deletion
Have you worked with a five-year-old child who has suffered
on chromosome 22q 13.3?
sudden profound loss of hearing?
Charlotte Firth
TEL:
01751 472652
Liz Kraft
TEL:
07748 761 802
E M A I L : elizabeth.kraft@hpct.scot.nhs.uk
Behavioural problem assessment
I treat a young deaf, brain-injured client who uses BSL and
English to communicate. Because of his behavioural
problems he is very difficult to assess. Do you know of
specialist SLTs or services who would be able to help?
Rosey Patterson
TEL:
0121 442 3434/459 0909
Communication equipment
22
Hannah Knopp
E M A I L : Hannah.Knopp@Northamptonpct.nhs.uk
Patient feedback
Do you have an aphasia-friendly questionnaire for patient
feedback or ideas/experience that may help me with this?
Sophie Busk
TEL:
02380 796453
E M A I L : sophie.busk@suht.swest.nhs.uk
Gujerati screening
I am about to start language screening assessments on three-
Do you have guidelines or ideas for assessment, provision,
year-old children with Gujerati as their first language as they
funding and maintenance of a communication equipment
enter nursery within Sure Start programme areas. Have you
development group?
done anything similar?
Alison Howell
TEL:
01603 287117
E M A I L : alison.howell@nnuh.nhs.uk
Tracey Marsh
TEL:
01924 516778
E M A I L : tracey@marsh124.freeserve.co.uk
bulletin July 2005
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a s k yo u r co l l ea g u e s
Working in special schools
Asperger’s syndrome study
Do you know of research, or have useful experience of
Do you work with adults with Asperger’s syndrome, who
different ways of working in special schools? Do you have
would be willing to participate in a pilot study about the
views on the pros and cons of team and solo service
role of SLTs?
delivery?
Hilary Berry
TEL:
0114 226 2041
E M A I L : hilary.berry@nhs.net
Nicola Preston Bell
Email: nprestonbell@wsgfl.org.uk
Kate Jones
TEL:
01444 233550
E M A I L : kjones4@wsgfl.org.uk
Receptive and expressive assessments
Could you recommend receptive and expressive assessments
suitable for comprehensive-aged pupils with SLI, ASD and
Telephone triage
literacy difficulties? Have you come across resources suitable
Have you devised a telephone triage protocol and pathway
for targeting expressive language with this age group?
for paediatric community referrals?
Jayne Hitchings
E M A I L : jayne_hitchings@hotmail.com
Margaret Blackmore
TEL:
01743 450800
E M A I L : margaret.blackmore@telfordpct.nhs.uk
Videofluoroscopy protocols
Have you developed protocols and procedures for videofluo-
Bilingualism SIG
Would you be interested in joining a branch of the National
Bilingualism SIG in the West Midlands?
Claire Ewen
E M A I L : claire.ewen@uce.ac.uk
roscopy clinics, which you could discuss/share?
Jo Borrelli
TEL:
01429 522347
E M A I L : jo.borrelli@nth.nhs.uk
Dysfluency and Tourette’s
Online referral forms
Has your service created online referral forms or
communication checklists that parents/carers can access via
your website?
Mary Phelps
TEL:
01752 662221
E M A I L : mary.phelps@pcs-tr.swest.nhs.uk
Has anyone experience of working with children with
Tourette syndrome and dysfluency?
Hazel Irving
TEL:
01387 244530
E M A I L : hazel.irving@nhs.net
Asperger’s assessment
Have you been involved in the assessment of children with
possible Asperger’s syndrome? What formal and informal
Dysphasia
assessments, checklists etc do you use, particularly with
Do you work through group rather than individual sessions
children over 10 years?
and/or run carers’ groups for dysphasia clients? I would
Teri Boutwood
TEL:
01202 443208
E M A I L : teri.boutwood@bournemouth-pct.nhs.uk
appreciate ideas around functional as opposed to
impairment-based therapies.
Hayley Forrest
TEL:
01268 598578
E M A I L : hayley.forrest@btuh.nhs.uk
Motor neurone facial palsy
Have you worked with a child with chronic inflammatory
demyelinating polyradiculoneuritis? The child I work with is
Scotland Parkinson’s interest group
highly motivated using verbal and non-verbal forms of
Are you interested in joining a group of SLTs in Scotland,
communication, but has significantly reduced movement of
with an interest in Parkinson’s disease?
facial muscles.
Ann-Marie Anderson, Jenny Taylor
TEL:
01294 323045
E M A I L : annmarie.mainland@aaaht.scot.nhs.uk
Lucie Green
TEL:
020 8820 7619
E M A I L : lucie.green@learningtrust.co.uk
www.rcslt.org
July 2005 bulletin
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RCSLT-JULY-Book Reviews p24
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b o o k rev i ew s
Book Reviews
Deafness in Mind: Working
psychologically with
deaf people across
the lifespan
SALLY AUSTEN, SUSAN
CROCKER (eds)
Whurr, 2004
£45
ISBN: 1-86156-404-X
CO N T E N T S :
R E A D A B I L I T Y:
VA LU E :
*****
*****
*****
SUSAN HAMROUGE
Specialist SLT/educational audiologist
RCSLT Adviser
(* Editors note: d/Deaf refers to deaf people who use spoken
language in the hearing world and Deaf people who
embrace deaf culture and who usually use sign language
as a first language.)
bulletin July 2005
NATIONAL AUSTISTIC
SOCIETY / VODAFONE UK
2005
This book has four parts. Part one,
‘Introducing deafness,’ considers controversial
debates within the d/Deaf* world and the
medical, audiological and socio political
differences between congenital and acquired
deafness.
Part two examines the psychological
models applied to deafness, while part three
focuses on deafness and mental health issues
and the effects of additional difficulties.
There is discussion of the role of the
psychologist in cochlear implants, SLI in
psychological therapies and the need for
interdisciplinary working.
Part four offers new developments in
psychology and deafness. The editors
acknowledge there is a lack of evidence-based
written material available in this area and the
book helps to address this balance.
The book also promotes the idea that it is
not necessary for clinicians to acquire new
skills in order to work with deaf people.
Rather, the application of robust scientific
practice in the form of psychological models
means that clinicians can apply their skills in
the area of deafness.
The book also reinforces the fact that
d/Deafness refers to an audiological term that
tells us little about a person’s psychological
state.
This book goes a long way towards
understanding that and I strongly
recommend it as an addition to training
establishments’ reading lists and the
clinician’s book shelf.
24
Public Autism
Resource and
Information Service
(PARIS)
This new website (www.info.autism.org.uk) is
aimed at people with autism, their carers, and
professionals working with them.
The website itself is quick to load, and easy
to read and navigate. Most visitors are likely
to have some prior knowledge of autism.
However, even those who are new to the
subject should find that they are well
supported by the search and help facilities
provided.
The entries are in standard and easily
understood summaries. The content ranges
from information on assessment, diagnosis,
education, employment and hospital services
through to a variety of support groups. In
addition, each entry contains helpful
hyperlinks to the relevant email addresses
and websites.
As with all such websites, maintaining and
enhancing relevant content is the tricky
part. However, plans to extend the coverage
still further are in hand. Overall, the
website does what it sets out to do and is a
welcome additional source of information
on autism and autistic spectrum disorders.
PARIS would have been a valuable tool to
me had it been available when I was trying to
establish the right diagnosis and support for
my child.
U S A B I L I T Y:
CO N T E N T:
*****
*****
DANNY BURKE
Father
BOOK OF THE MONTH
‘Charlie who couldn’t say his name’
DAVENE FAHY
Limerock Books, 2004
£10
ISBN: 0-97465-890-1
This is an invaluable book for all SLTs who
work with children aged approximately four
to seven years.
The book has beautiful, clear and
colourful pictures, there is a minimum of
text on each page and the story lasts for
around five minutes.
The story features a boy with sound
difficulties who has problems talking to his
aunt and being understood at school. It
raises important issues from the child’s
point of view about how it feels to be not
understood and what it is like to be teased.
It also introduces the SLT who comes to
help Charlie.
I feel that children with sound difficulties
will identify with Charlie and it may help
them understand how they are feeling.
It could be a useful story to read to an
early key stage one class. This could aid
discussion around sensitive issues, such as
the teasing of children with sound
difficulties. Parents may also find this a
useful book.
The one drawback is that it uses some
American terms, eg ‘Mom’ and ‘recess’.
However, these could be easily substituted
when the adult is reading the story and
certainly do not detract from the overall
benefits of the book.
CO N T E N T S :
R E A D A B I L I T Y:
VA LU E :
*****
*****
*****
CEARA GALLAGHER
SLT , I CAN Early Years Centre at Ballynahinch
Primary School, Chair of SLIC SIG
Would you like to join the
Bulletin review team?
Send your details, including your specialty to sandra.burke@rcslt.org
www.rcslt.org
p25 JULY
25/7/05
2:20 pm
Page 1
To advertise
in Bulletin
contact . . .
Katy
Eggleton,
telephone
020 7878 2344
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
RCSLT-JULY-SIG p26
25/7/05
12:49 pm
Page 21
S p e c i f i c I n te re s t G ro u p n ot i ce s
Head and Neck SIG (South)
The committee would like to inform all SLTs
that the SIG now covers laryngectomy. This
was previously covered by the Voice (and
Laryngectomy) SIG. Both SIG memberships
have agreed this will be more appropriately
represented in the Head and Neck SIG
(South). We will continue to run two half
and one whole study days each year.
Contact Zimian Huang, tel: 0207 377 7177,
email:
Zimian.Huang@bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
North West/North Wales Adults with
Learning Disabilities SIG
6 July, 10 – 3.30pm
AGM 10 – 10.30. One-day workshop
‘Developing a borough-wide
Communication Plan’ for adults with a
learning disability
Area: Cheshire
Contact: Lorna Pink.Tel: 0151 477 2053,
email: lorna.pink@sthkhealth.nhs.uk
London Special Interest Group in ASD
6 July, 9 for 9.30 - 3.30pm
Intervention: good practice across the ages,
strengths and restrictions. Presentations from:
the little group (pre-school setting); a
mainstream service and social skills groups
for adolescents with Dr Vicky Slonims
RCSLT, Conference Room, 2 White Hart Yard,
London SE1 1NX
Costs: £10/new members £15
Contact Penny Williams, secretary, tel: 020
7414 1431 or email:
penny.williams@lambethpct.nhs.uk
SIG in Voice (Scotland) (S4)
7 July, 9.30 for 10 - 4pm
Action on ENT – successful sites across
Scotland, Setting up an SLT led
videoendoscopy clinic, The Northwick Park
model, Claire Wells, Setting up a one-stop
clinic; The Glasgow Royal Infirmary model,
Catherine Dunnet
Lecture Theatre, Level 0, Ronald Miller
Education Centre, Wishaw General Hospital,
Wishaw.
Members £15/non member £20
Contact Jill MacRaild, tel: 01698 366423 or
email: wgstherapy@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk
SIG Palliative and Supportive Care (L26)
11 July, 1pm registration - 4.30pm
Palliative care on paper – SLTs in print.
Exploring the process of getting work and
projects published, Dr Paula Leslie, research
SLT, Justin Roe, Macmillan SLT; Feedback
from the SIG’s CQ3 working party
LASER Headquarters, Macmillan Cancer
Relief, 4th Floor, Cambridge House,
26
bulletin July 2005
Cambridge Grove, Hammersmith, London W6
Members free/non-members £7
Email:
Samantha.eckman@stgeorges.nhs.uk, tel:
020 8725 1163. Send cheque to ‘SIG
Palliative and Supportive Care’ to Belinda
Gaskell, SLT Dept, Charing Cross Hospital,
Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF
SIG Head and Neck (South) (E30)
14 July, 9.15 - 12.30pm
Deglutition in the laryngectomee, Yvonne
Edels and Eryl Evans
RCSLT, White Hart Yard, London SE1
Members free/non-members £7/students
£5 – please pay on the day
Contact Claire Twinn, tel: 020 7188 6233 or
email: Claire.Twinn@gstt.nhs.uk
Hertfordshire SLI SIG (E37)
20 July, 10.30 - 12.30pm
Introduction to a treatment for auditory
processing and phonological awareness
difficulties: Fast for word programmes from
scientific learning. Theory, practice and results
two years on, Elaine Giles, independent SLT
(authorised provider of Fast for Word and
The Listening Program)
Postgraduate Centre, Lister Hospital, Coreys
Mill Lane, Stevenage, Herts (A1M Junction 8)
Members free/non-members £2/students £2
Contact Cathy Hagan, tel: 01525 719575
email: cathy.hagan@btconnect.com
ASE Autism SIG East (E35)
Please note change of date and venue 6
September, registration from 1.15 - 4pm
AGM then Jabadao: using dance and
movement for communication, Tina Wood OT
Postgrad Centre, Lister Hospital, Stevenage
Members free/non members SLT/other
professional £8/SLTA/student £4
Membership fees (for 6 months) SLT £5 /
SLTA / student £3
To book your place, contact Yvonne Wolsey,
tel: 01462 427032. Please indicate if you
need a map.
Managers SIG (C22)
15 September, 10 - 3.30pm
Inter-professional learning, Julie Nettleton,
director of inter-professional learning; CPD,
HPC and RCSLT logs (including a
workshop), Anna van der Gaag
Baker Building, University of Central
England, Perry Barr, Birmingham
Members free/non members £10
Email: lorna.povey@wolvespct.nhs.uk
Yorkshire SIG for Generalist Paediatric
SLTs (N29)
22 September, 10 - 12pm
AGM then a presentation on the ELKLAN
training programme
Tadcaster Health Centre
Cost: non-members £5/fee for the year £5
Contact Jane Harrod, tel: 01924 816157
SIG in Oncology (Scotland) Inaugural
meeting
23 September, 9 - 4pm
Local oncology SLTs agree our existing
system of having one meeting per year as a
‘special topic’ of the dysphonia SIG is now
insufficient. This SIG aims to cover not only
ENT/HNC topics but the wider needs of all
oncology patients
Ebeneezer Duncan Centre, Victoria
Infirmary, Glasgow
Contact Jan Stanier, email:
Jan.Stanier@rah.scot.nhs.uk
SIG in Specific Learning Difficulties (E26)
One-day conference
4 November, 9.30 - 4.30pm (registration
9.30 - 10)
Practical ideas for developing narrative skills,
Professor Martin Cortazzi and Dr Lixian Jin;
Narrative in foundation years, Judith Carey;
Narrative with older children and adolescents,
Helen Springer; Tried and rested, exhibitors
representing publishers of materials for SLTs
The Institute of Materials, 1 Carlton House
Terrace, SW1Y 5DB
Non-members £65/members £50/student
£20 - all refreshments included
Contact Karen Rivlin, email:
karenrivlin@aol.com or Betsy Wrench, tel:
0107 938 8135
Local Groups
Mid and West Kent Local Group
4 July, 7.45 for 8pm start
Working in harmony
Meetings Room, Sevenoaks Hospital
Contact Cherry O’Neill, tel: 01732 838756 or
email: cherry.oneill@btinternet.com
To advertise your RCSLT-registered SIG event
for free send your notice by email only in the
following format:
Name of group and registration number, Date
and time of event, Address of event, Title of
event and speakers, Costs, Contact details
Details may be edited
Send to: viv.robinson@rcslt.org by the
beginning of the month before publication.
For example, by Monday 4 July 2005 for the
August Bulletin.
www.rcslt.org
OBC JULY
25/7/05
2:19 pm
Page 1
Royal College of Speech and
Language Therapists
2 White Hart Yard, London SE1 1NX
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Conference outline: We communicate in a varied and complex environment that is often poorly prepared to accommodate individuals with
communication problems.Speech and language therapists aim to prepare people with communication, eating, drinking and swallowing problems to
lead independent lives. However, many of these people find themselves in hostile or ill-informed environments. Join the Royal College of Speech and
Language Therapists to examine the communication environment – from supermarkets and cinemas to schools and hospitals. Help us to identify
the barriers, good practice and identify solutions to the problems that exist.The aim of the day will be to produce a statement of good practice.
Costs: RCSLT members £35; non-members £62.The day will include the RCSLT annual general meeting from 12.15 - 1pm. Attendance to
the AGM-only is free. If you also require lunch, this will cost £10
For more details or to book your place email: shirley.pollaya@rcslt.org or tel: 0207 378 3024
The Royal College of Surgeons is home to the recently refurbished Hunterian Museum collections – a fascinating mix of comparative anatomy and pathology specimens;complete skeletons,bones,skulls
and teeth;historical surgical and dental instruments together with modern surgical instruments and technologies.As the Hunterian publicity literature says: ‘come and be inspired by this free exhibition’.

The Communication Context - Royal College of Speech and

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