Speech and language therapists awarded highest honours

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) will award outstanding individuals RCSLT honours, fellowships and honorary fellowships on the eve of its annual conference in Edinburgh, on Wednesday 27 September 2006.

Mr Andy Kerr, MSP, Minister for Health and Community Care, will present the UK-wide awards, which recognise the exceptional contribution of therapists and academics to the profession of speech and language therapy.

This year's award winners include:

RCSLT honours:

Baroness Michie of Gallanach has served as RCSLT vice president from 1989-2000 and from 2002 to the present. During both periods she has been an active supporter of the RCSLT and the profession as a whole. She has lobbied on behalf of speech and language therapy in a number of contexts, most particularly within the House of Lords. She is very proud of her roots as a speech and language therapist.

Bernadette Boyle has made a longstanding and distinguished contribution to the study of speech and language therapy clinical education. She has acted as the University of Strathclyde's clinical coordinator for undergraduate speech and language therapy programmes for over 20 years.

Janet Scott, from Southern General Hospital Glasgow, has developed special skills with children and adults with multiple disabilities and complex communication needs. She has been coordinator of the Scottish Centre of Technology for the Communication Impaired since 1987.

Dr Shelagh Brumfitt has served the public for over 30 years, through her work with people with communication impairment. She played a major role in the development of the B.Med Sci (speech) degree at the University of Sheffield and was course director from 1992-2003.
Kathleen Williamson has carried out major projects for the RCSLT, which will shape practice for the foreseeable future. Seconded from Sheffield Speech and Language Therapy Agency to project manage the production of the professional standards for speech and language therapists, Communicating Quality 3, her work sets a standard for other allied health professional groups.

Until 1988 SLTs working in independent practice did not have a representative body that catered for their particular needs. Aware that they often work in isolation from their colleagues, Maria Farry formed the Association for Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) to offer support and representation and to ensure the highest possible standards in the sector. Maria chaired ASLTIP for its first eight years.

RCSLT fellowships

(Given to RCSLT members who have given distinguished service to the profession in the context of research, publishing and teaching):

Sally Millar is a senior research fellow at the University of Edinburgh and has been joint coordinator of the Communication Aids for Language and Learning (CALL) centres since 1991. Under Sally's co-leadership CALL has generated £4.3 million in core and project funding.

Carole Pound is a co-founder of Connect, the communication disability network. As Director of Training and Innovation, Carole has worked tirelessly to provide training for over 2,500 healthcare professionals, developing therapy and support services for people with aphasia and their families.

Over her 25 years of practice as a clinical expert in her field of ENT/head and neck cancer, Fiona Robinson has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. She has been the manager of the Nottingham adult speech and language therapy service for over 20 years and also set up the Nottingham Head and Neck Oncology Conference in 1983.

Over the past 20 years, Professor Joy Stackhouse has developed a distinguished career in research into speech processing in children with speech and literacy difficulties. She currently holds a research chair in the Department of Human Communication Sciences at the University of Sheffield. Prior to this she held a research chair at the University College London.

RCSLT honorary fellowships

(Acknowledging and honouring non-SLTs who have contributed outstanding services to speech and language therapy:

Since taking up his ENT consultant post at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust in 1982, Mr Patrick Bradley has made outstanding contributions to head and neck cancer practice. He was an early member of the British Voice Association and championed speech and language therapy in its early meetings.

Sternberg award

Each year the RCSLT awards a £1,000 award for clinical innovation, kindly sponsored by Sir Sigmund Sternberg. This year's award goes to Philippa Charatan and Helen Piggott for their Target Profile Diagram. This software tool provides a clear and accurate summary of the language strengths and needs of pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Its use in MLD schools in Milton Keynes has brought significant benefits in collaborative working information sharing and development of service provision.

ENDS

Notes for editors:

  • The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) is the professional body for speech and language therapists in the UK and has over 13,000 members. It is responsible for setting, promoting and maintaining high standards in education, clinical practice and ethical conduct.
  • Over 200 delegates will attend the RCSLT annual conference at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh on 28 September. The conference theme will be "Plugging the evidence base gap - important research in speech and language therapy".
  • There are 10,524 speech and language therapists registered with the Health Professions Council and the majority work in the NHS across the UK. There is a recognised shortage of speech and language therapists in the UK. This means many clients (particularly children) are experiencing severe delays in accessing therapy.
  • There is increased need for speech and language therapy intervention because people are living longer, and many more are living longer after cancer treatment and with problems such as dementia and stroke that affect communication; there is increased recognition of problems such as autism and learning difficulties; and improvements in neonatal care mean the number of pre-term babies surviving with developmental problems, such as cerebral palsy is increasing.
  1. If children with communication difficulties cannot access treatment, research shows this can lead to behavioural problems1 and up to one third will suffer mental health problems, creating enormous costs later in life. And if they cannot access education, their life chances and employment prospects are extremely poor2. This fits with the recent speech from PM Tony Blair about the importance of early intervention to prevent children being socially excluded and later offending.
Visit: http://www.rcslt.org for more information.

1 Snow and Powell, Developmental Language Disorders and Adolescent Risk in Current Issues in Criminal Justice 16(2) Australia (2004)
2 Locke, Ginsborg and Peers, Development and Disadvantage in Early Years, International Journal of Language and Communication Disorders Vol 27 No 1 (2002)


The awards ceremony will take place at the Scotsman, 20 North Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YT on 27 September between 18.30 and 19.30. To attend the awards ceremony contact:

RCSLT Communication manager Steven Harulow, tel: 0207 378 3004, mob: 0790 369 2426, email: steven.harulow@rcslt.org

Photographs of the presentations will be available. To arrange interviews please contact Steven Harulow.

For further information on the activities of the RCSLT in Scotland contact RCSLT Scotland Policy Officer Kim Hartley, tel: 0131 226 5250 (office); 0771 2525329 (Mobile) email: kim.hartley@rcslt.org