Leadership roles and the changing landscape

Introduction

Changes to the public sector across the UK are impacting on professional leadership and roles for SLTs in service structures. There is a drive to streamline and integrate leadership roles in some areas, challenging the historical model of uni-professional leadership, where SLTs were typically managed by other SLTs.

New service structures, provider models and arrangements for the commissioning of speech and language therapy require speech and language therapy managers to identify appropriate roles for themselves. This will help speech and language therapy managers and leaders to put themselves in a position where they can continue to influence change.

How SLT service design can be informed by National and Local policy, communication support needs in the population and your own service data is addressed (elsewhere) in the RCSLT Resource pack for managers [link service spec]. The following information focuses on how SLTs in a leadership role can improve services to people with communication support needs.

In this section

Different types of leadership
What is needed for the future?
Where SLTs provide professional knowledge and clinical leadership
Where SLT leaders and managers should be involved in providing service and line management
Where SLT leaders and managers should be involved in strategic roles
How should SLT leaders and managers engage with change?