Appointments to the board of trustees 2023

Find out more about the trustees:

Jemma Haines MBE, FRCSLT – General trustee

I qualified as an SLT in 2003 from Newcastle University. In my early career, I worked as a voice clinician and quickly understood the significance of the larynx during respiration. I subsequently developed two multidisciplinary Airways Services to support patients suffering with respiratory upper airway disorders.  I am now Chief Allied Health Professional at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and a NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre PhD Fellow. I have been actively involved with RCSLT since qualification, contributing to national guidelines, holding an advisor role and sitting on several committees. In 2021, in recognition of my leadership within the field of upper airway disorders, I was incredibly honoured to be made a Member of the Order of the British Empire and a Fellow of the RCSLT. I am so proud to be a SLT and feel fortunate to be as enthused and passionate about the profession today, as I was as a student in 1999. My family are the most important thing to me and I’m very lucky to have a supportive husband, three fabulous children and an untrainable cockapoo!

Lauren Edwards – Country representative for Wales

After spending time shadowing clinicians in local services as a teenager, I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a Speech and Language Therapist. I trained at the University of Manchester and worked as a Speech and Language Therapy Assistant every summer, before graduating in 2003.

I have an extensive career as a senior clinical leader within both the NHS and private healthcare sectors. Over the past 19 years I have worked in community, residential and acute physical health, mental health and learning disability settings in both clinical and corporate services. I have a broad range of clinical experience in paediatrics, adults, mental health and learning disability services, including specialist regional services.

Previous roles I have held include Chief Allied Health Professional in an integrated community and mental health trust in England, as well as Deputy Director for Quality and Deputy Director of Engagement. In addition, I chaired the national group that developed the standards for the degree-level apprenticeship for Speech and Language Therapy in use in England.

My current post involves professional and strategic leadership of the allied health professionals and health scientists across a large and complex NHS organisation with over 13,000 employees.

I have significant experience in developing quality and governance structures and processes within organisations, ensuring strong clinical and patient involvement and influence. I am passionate about the importance of being a learning organisation and driving a culture that promotes openness and excellence.

Ruth Crampton – Country representative for Northern Ireland

I qualified as a speech and language therapist from the Ulster University in 2005 and enjoyed working for 10 years in the NHS with a fantastic group of SLTs. I then took up a part time lecturing position in 2016 and started my independent practice at the same time. The lecturing in university allowed me to share my enthusiasm with new therapists. I now manage 12 independent SLTs across Northern Ireland, providing our services to individual families and educational settings. My passion for Autism and Early Intervention Services has grown over the years, leading me to undertake specialist training in the ADOS assessment and Natural Language Acquisition.

I am currently the past chair of ASLTIP, having undertaken the role of chair between 2019 and 2023.

I provide clinical supervision to independent SLTs across the UK and enjoy the opportunity to support the broadening portfolios our profession has to offer.

I received the ASLTIP Outstanding Leadership Award for my leadership of the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic. I have also completed the London Marathon three times raising money for local charities who support children I see in therapy sessions.

Sundeep Sidhu – Lay trustee (digital)

I’m a product, design, and technology generalist with 20+ years’ experience founding and leading teams to deliver new and better digital products at start-ups, agencies, consultancies, and global brands.

I’ve founded two small businesses, a marketing platform for membership-based organisations and a development coaching and training business working with large media brands.

In the last five years, I’ve worked at senior levels in design and innovation agencies and on digital transformation projects with roles as Chief Product Officer and Head of Customer Experience and Success.  Lately, I’ve been advising start-ups on their business and product strategies.

Personally, I’m curious, an explorer more than an expert, and always learning (with a long list of qualifications and acronyms after my name)!  I have an interest in inspiring the next generation, and in personal/professional development. I like people and working collaboratively and am a critical thinker, so great at making sense of complex situations and navigating complexity.

I volunteer my time as a trustee at RCSLT as I want to be actively involved in meaningful work that makes a difference, and having overcome my own fears and improved my confidence in public speaking, I understand the power of giving people a voice.

Reappointments

Leasil Burrow – Lay trustee (HR/OD) until the AGM 2024

I am an associate fellow at the University of Oxford where I direct and teach leadership on various executive programmes. I have a degree in Law from the University of Central Lancashire, an MSc in Major Programmes from the University of Oxford and have studied behavioural economics and corporate governance at Harvard Business School and neuroscience at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. I am also the founder and executive director of an organisational effectiveness and executive coaching company, specialising in transformational leadership and personal branding.