16 June 2009

RCSLT celebrates double MBE success

The RCSLT is today celebrating the award of two MBEs to its senior staff members in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours.

RCSLT CEO Kamini Gadhok has received an MBE for services to the allied health professions; RCSLT Northern Ireland Policy Officer Alison McCullough received an MBE for services to speech and language therapy in Northern Ireland.

Kamini Gadhok

Kamini has promoted the allied health professions' role as integrators of care across health, social care and education. She is a strong patient-focused campaigner, particularly around issues such as stroke and services for children with speech language and communication needs. She has forged strong relationships with ministers and civil servants through her involvement in a number of government initiatives and policy developments. The award of an MBE recognises in particular Kamini's ability to work beyond her responsibilities to the speech and language therapy profession, championing the work of all professions allied to health.

Kamini says, "I am absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award. The fact that two members of staff from the Royal College have received honours shows the importance of speech and language therapy and the allied health professions within modern health, education and social care services."

Alison McCullough

Alison's MBE recognises her tireless dedication to people in Northern Ireland who need support with their speech, language and communication. Alison chaired the NI Ministerial Task Force into Speech and Language Therapy Provision. Her determination helped to bring together professionals from health and education, developing a consensus and recommendations to support improvements in service provision.

Alison set up the 'Lets Communicate Network', a multi-professional/voluntary agency regional committee, which raised awareness of the needs of people with communication and learning disability. She was successful in gaining funding from the European Year of Disability for 'Safehands' - an award-winning project with Torbank special school and Safeway's supermarket.

Alison says, "I am thrilled to receive this reward in recognition of my services to speech and language therapy. I am passionate about raising awareness of the needs of those with communication difficulties in Northern Ireland and I hope that this award will enable me to raise the profile of our profession even further."

RCSLT Chair Mary Turnbull adds, "I am personally delighted that Kamini and Alison have received these awards. Kamini is a dynamic leader for the RCSLT and within the Allied Health Professions Federation. She is a strategic thinker and a great team player who delivers results for our organisations, our members and those who benefit from the services they provide.

"Alison is a dedicated professional who has worked conscientiously, as a clinician and a leader, for people with communication problems in Northern Ireland. Her MBE recognises her tremendous contribution to speech and language therapy."

Notes for editors

For more information and to arrange an interview with Kamini Gadhok or Alison McCullough, contact RCSLT Communications Manager Steven Harulow, tel: 0207 378 3004 or email: steven.harulow@rcslt.org

The 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.

The Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF) comprises 12 professional organisations representing over 130,000 members: The British Association of Art Therapists; The Association of Professional Music Therapists; The British Association of Dramatherapists; British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists; The British Dietetic Association; British and Irish Orthoptic Society; British Association/College of Occupational Therapists; Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; College of Paramedics; Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists; Society and College of Radiographers; The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Kamini Gadhok

Kamini Gadhok has been RCSLT CEO since December 2000. She heads a modern professional organisation that provides leadership for the speech and language therapy profession, and supports improvements to services for people with speech, language and communication needs.

Since her appointment at the RCSLT, Kamini has been involved in a number of government initiatives and policy development, including a secondment to the Department of Health to set up and be a member of the Care Record Development Board.

In 2008, she worked as an adviser with John Bercow, MP, supporting him during the Government sponsored review of services for children with speech, language and communication needs.

Qualifying as a speech and language therapist in 1983, Kamini had direct patient care responsibilities for 14 years and has had experience of working with children, older people, people with learning difficulties across all ages in hospitals, community health centres, special schools and mainstream schools.

Prior to her move to London in 1997, Kamini had three senior roles in Nottingham Community Health (NHS Trust). In 1997, she became NHS ethnic health projects coordinator and was seconded to the Department of Health to set up the Race Equality Unit, where she was section head until 2000.


Alison McCullough

Alison has been RCSLT Northern Ireland Policy Officer since 2005 and set up the College's office in Belfast. She is also employed part-time by Belfast HSC Trust as team leader for learning disability.

For many years Alison has been a part-time lecturer at the University of Ulster Jordanstown, teaching the Makaton language programme to students and providing input into the learning disability modules. She also participated in a European project called ATTRACT, which explored the value of teletherapy (video conferencing) in speech and language therapy nursery clinics.

Alison has been a practising clinician for 29 years and her clinical areas of specialist interest have been in paediatric special needs and swallowing problems (dysphagia). Alison has also been involved in championing the needs of those with communication disability and was on the Equality Commission's working group looking into accessible communication.

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