RCSLT membership

Trade union representation

The RCSLT is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK but unlike some other allied health professional bodies, for example, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, we do not have a separate trade union arm.

Instead, we work closely with Unite, the union for speech and language therapists and encourage members to join as soon as they begin their speech and language therapy career. Unite is the second largest union in the UK and as such has a powerful voice in representing its members. For example, any industrial action called by Unite would require both a positive vote and achieving a turnout threshold for the workforce in question.

The background to professional bodies also being unions is steeped in history and complexity. The separation of pay and conditions negotiations from the RCSLT as a professional body goes back to the 1950s, and SLTs have been part of a separate trade union ever since.

While each of the professional bodies have different arrangements for pay and conditions negotiations, in terms of overall membership costs, they vary with some more than the combined costs of RCSLT and Unite fees and some less.

Become a member

Application forms

To apply for RCSLT membership, or change your details, please download and complete the relevant form:

• Become a member (PDF)
• Become a student member (New Online Form)
• Become a newly-qualified member (PDF)
• Overseas trained (Non-MRA) (PDF)
• Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) application (PDF)
• Membership declarations (PDF)
• Payment form (PDF)

Please email all application forms to membership@rcslt.org for processing. Scanned application forms and clear photos of the application form will be accepted.

Which category is right for me?

UK residents

• Certified: I qualified as SLT in the UK and studied an RCSLT accredited degree. I am registered with the HCPC and successfully completed my NQP framework. You can also join the Certified category if you meet the MRA eligibility criteria.
• Non-Practising: I was previously a Certified member and am currently on a career break or maternity leave.
• Newly Qualified Practising: I am a new graduate SLT and have studied an RCSLT accredited degree. I am registered with the HCPC and working towards completing my NQP framework.
• Newly Qualified Non-Practising: I am a new SLT graduate and have studied an RCSLT accredited degree. I am currently not practising and not registered with the HCPC. Please note, you can be registered with the HCPC but join the NQP-Non Practising category if you are not practising.
• Returner: I have previously completed an RCSLT accredited degree and been either a Certified or NQP member before. I have been away from the profession and am not currently registered with the HCPC. I am now completing my Returning to Practise programme to register with the HCPC. Please note, NQP members who did not complete their framework before they left the profession, will need to complete it once they are registered with the HCPC and start practising.
• Retired: I was previously a Certified or Non-Practising member and I have now retired and no longer work as an SLT.
• Student: I am currently studying an RCSLT accredited degree in the UK.
• Assistant: I am working as a speech and language therapy assistant, technical instructor or support worker receiving regular supervision from a qualified SLT in the UK.
• Overseas Qualified Practising: I qualified as SLT abroad and do not meet the MRA eligibility criteria. I am registered with the HCPC and are working towards completing my OQP framework.
• Overseas Qualified Non-Practising: I qualified as SLT abroad and I am not currently practising as an SLT in the UK.

Non-UK residents

• International Affiliate: I qualified as SLT in the UK or aboard and am currently residing and practising outside the UK. HCPC registration is not a requirement for this category. You can also join the International Affiliate category if you qualified in the UK or abroad and reside outside of the UK and do not practise, but wish to be a member.

Magazine subscription only

• Individual/Corporate subscriber: If you have an interest in speech and language therapy, you can join the Individual or Corporate subscriber category to subscribe to the RCSLT’s Bulletin magazine. To subscribe, complete the Bulletin subscriber form (PDF).

Further queries

To discover more about why it makes sense to become a member of the RCSLT, please contact us or call 020 7378 3010/11.

If you’re ready to become a member but unsure of which membership category to apply for, please contact us.

Membership fees

Membership renewal for 2024-2025

Please ensure that you are in the correct membership category when renewing your membership as insurance cover cannot be backdated.  If your circumstances have changed (for example, if you are taking a career break) and you need to update your membership category, you can do this by emailing membership@rcslt.org or calling 020 7378 3010/3011.  

Members who pay by direct debit 

Your membership will automatically renew on 1 April 2024. We will collect fees for the new membership year on 5 April 2024 unless you inform us otherwise.  

Members who paid by card 

Please contact the RCSLT membership team by phone on 020 7378 3010/3011 or email membership@rcslt.org to make payment from 7 March to 1 April 2024.  

If you have a UK bank account, you can qualify for a £15.00 discount against your membership fees if you set up a direct debit payment. If you would like to pay in this way, please download the RCSLT payment form, complete option 1 and then email it to membership@rcslt.org. This will be processed from 7 March ahead of the new membership year starting on 1 April. We can collect your fee in either one annual payment or in monthly instalments, depending on your preference. We no longer accept cheques as a method of payment.

Financial support 

The RCSLT is here to support you and we have a welfare fund for any members experiencing financial difficulties. Please visit our website for more details or contact our enquiries team by emailing info@rcslt.org or call 020 7378 3012. Remember, you can claim tax relief on your membership fees, which can be back dated for up to four years. You can find out more about how to do this on the HMRC website. This also applies to your HCPC registration fee. 

Membership card 

To access your new membership card from April, log into your member dashboard in the RCSLT website. In your profile section you can also update your details and tell us a bit more about your working life to inform and strengthen our policy and influencing work and help prioritise our work based on your needs. 

Membership fees for 2024-25

* Includes £15.00 discount for payment by direct debit

Coming to work in the UK

Health Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Registration with the HCPC is a legal obligation if you want to work as an SLT in the UK.

You must be registered with the HCPC before you apply for membership of the RCSLT.

SLTs from Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Australia or Canada

You can apply to become a member of the RCSLT if you are a member of a professional association within the Mutual Recognition of Credentials Agreement (MRA).

To become a certified member of the RCSLT (CertMRCSLT), you will need to:

• provide your HCPC registration details (number and date of registration)
• request a letter of good standing from your professional association if it is in the MRA, which will be need to be posted directly to the RCSLT
• meet the individual professional association requirements as described on the RCSLT member application form (MRA) (PDF)

SLTs who are not members of an MRA professional association

You may still be able to join the RCSLT, subject to additional checks.

Overseas qualified practitioners (OQP)

SLTs who have qualified outside the UK may be able to apply for RCSLT membership as overseas qualified practitioners (OQP).

Under current arrangements, OQPs are entered into the supervised category of RCSLT membership when they first join.

Before being given certified RCSLT membership, these entrants to the profession are expected to:

• complete up to one year in a clinical setting under supervision
• complete the OQP competency-based framework

This timeframe is a guide and may vary according to the individual.

To become an OQP member of the RCSLT, you need to:

• be registered with the HCPC and meet certain minimum threshold standards before you can apply for RCSLT membership
• provide a copy of your SLT degree/qualification certificate and a reference from your supervisor as described on the RCSLT member application form (non-MRA) (PDF)

OQP competency-based framework

This competency-based transitional framework for OQPs sets out a balanced set of clear expectations and standards. The framework can be used to support learning and development specific to practice in the UK context.

It will also support you with your continuing professional development (CPD) by informing you about the competency framework that underpins the RCSLT CPD requirements.

You can use the RCSLT CPD diary to record your CPD and your progress through the competency framework.

Download the OQP speech and language therapy competency framework (Word).

RCSLT standards

The RCSLT has set standards for the SLT workforce that may exceed the threshold standards set by the regulator (HCPC). The regulatory standards are largely generic and are applied for all allied health professionals.

In order to uphold standards for the SLT workforce, the RCSLT may recommend that additional training be included in the competence framework.

Further enquiries

If you have questions regarding the MRA process, please contact us or call 020 7378 3012/3038.