Answers to commonly asked questions.

What support is there for members facing cutbacks/job regrading?

The RCSLT offers support to those members being faced with cutbacks, service restructure and job regrading, by providing access to specific resources and expert advisers.

The RCSLT has limited capacity to help with specific work-based issues, such as regrading or changes to terms and conditions. In these instances, we would direct members to their union for more support. In the UK, the union for SLTs is Unite.

If you’re an RCSLT member, you may find our leadership resources useful when dealing with budget-holders and decision-makers.

Building business cases for speech and language therapy

The RCSLT’s management provides guidance for members to support them in building business cases in our leadership resources.

Leadership mentors

RSCLT leadership mentors can support members facing these types of issues and provide extra support that is not based on a clinical area, for example, service-transformation.

Can the RCSLT disseminate my survey or other research recruitment opportunity?

The RCSLT can disseminate approved research participant recruitment opportunities, such as surveys, focus groups or interviews to members. However, the RCSLT receives a high volume of review requests and can only disseminate a limited number of these.

The RCSLT is committed to supporting the development of new research and evidence-based approaches to therapy, and our review process helps us to make sure that any disseminated projects align with the RCSLT’s strategic vision.

The dissemination methods will be determined by both current and forthcoming RCSLT projects as well as other factors as highlighted in the review process, for example the volume of surveys received on a particular topic, the scale and potential impact of the project, and coordination with other RCSLT communications that may be scheduled.

The RCSLT can help disseminate research recruitment opportunities via a variety of communication channels, including:

We would remind members to make the most of networks available to you via the RCSLT. For example, you may wish to share research opportunities yourself via relevant Clinical Excellence Networks (CENs), Professional Networks or Research Networks.

Applying to RCSLT to share an opportunity

If you would like RCSLT to disseminate your research opportunity through our channels, please provide this information to info@rcslt.org for review by the panel:

  • Your RCSLT membership number, if applicable (we are able to consider applications from non-members)
  • Open and closing date (if a survey), or deadline for expressions of interest for participation.
  • Your target group e.g. students, practising SLTs, SLTs in a particular clinical or geographical area etc (please note that we are unlikely to share projects recruiting service users.
  • The study proposal (and survey/interview questions where applicable) in a readable, offline version which does not require online completion to access (Word or PDF format).
  • Confirmation that ethical approval for your project has been received and evidence, if available.
  • A brief description of how the project relates to the strategic vision of the RCSLT. This may include a comment on what you believe the potential impact/implications of this work will be on the speech and language therapy profession.
  • Details such as survey link (if applicable) to be shared, should the request be approved.

The RCSLT review panel considers applications regularly, but please allow sufficient time for the review to take place before your deadline. We advise you try to leave around 4 weeks where possible.

Please note, the RCSLT cannot act as formal ‘gatekeepers’ for research participant recruitment and should not be approached in this way. RCSLT should not be named on ethics applications as gatekeepers

If your opportunity is not shared by RCSLT

If the panel does not consider the opportunity to be suitable for circulation, you will be notified in writing. Some reasons for the RCSLT choosing not to circulate opportunities include:

  • Research is not related to speech, language, communication or swallowing needs or is not relevant to the speech and language therapy profession.
  • Research relates to a commercial product or is intended as a marketing tool.
  • Research supports a viewpoint that is believed to be contentious or controversial, or otherwise unsupported by the leading policy makers, eg the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
  • Research does not align with the RCSLT’s strategic vision.

If your request has been rejected by the panel, and you disagree with their decision, you can advise RCSLT in writing via info@rcslt.org. A review of the decision will be undertaken. The review panel will then respond to the review, in writing, within 10 working days.

The dissemination of a research recruitment opportunity by the RCSLT is not evidence of the RCSLT endorsing or approving the project.

1  of  2