About the project
Health Education England (HEE) provided funding to deliver a campaign to support inclusive engagement in advancing practice and research opportunities, illustrating SLT role models and career journeys. There is currently no speech and language therapy specific advanced practice (AP) course and current AP courses are often general, having little relevance for AP roles within the profession. There is a need to raise awareness to the credentialling journey and subsequent employment opportunties within the AP space to encourage the development of more specific courses, supporting progression and aligning AP options with other allied health profession (AHP) bodies.
Therefore, RCSLT aimed to provide examples of SLTs who have become an AP, including their journey and subsequent roles. RCSLT also aimed to discuss the options of developing a specific credential for students to complete in their AP course.
Read more about the overall workforce reform programme.
Purpose
The purpose of this project was to encourage use of the Professional Network, update the RCSLT website with the most up-to-date and relevant information and to begin looking into an AP credential, specific to the SLT profession.
To support inclusive engagement in advancing practice, we engaged with multiple HEIs and HEE to discuss options within specific credentials. The HEE Advancing Practice Conference was also attended to develop knowledge and understand the direction of advancing practice.
A shared meeting was also held with members to discuss the position from the perspective of the RCSLT and HEE, and to understand current barriers and issues that members are facing. In depth notes were developed, alongside a flow chart to demonstrate the RCSLT’s current understanding and suggestions.
An RCSLT online professional network has been activated to act as a central location for members to share resources and discuss work related questions.
New information and guidance around advancing practice has been developed and two video case studies produced, to demonstrate the current pathways and experiences of those who have trained to become advancing practitioners.
All new resources will be held on a new central advancing practice hub on the RCSLT website.
