Previous board meetings

Wednesday 5 July 2023

Below is a summary of the meeting held on Wednesday 5 July 2023.

Meeting summary

• The meeting opened by hearing from Eleanor, an RCSLT member who talked about her career journey from working in an acute adult care team to a role in Health Education England as a RePAIR (Reducing Pre-registration Attrition and Improving Retention).
• It was followed by recent Advancing Healthcare Award winner Catherine who told the board about her achievements in establishing a new Fiberendoscopic Evaluation of Swallow (FEES) assessment service using endoscopy.
• The board reviewed and approved the minutes of 23 March 2023 meeting and the actions from the previous meeting.
• The CEO provided an update on his recent work including; speaking at an All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on speech and language therapy, meeting a number of MPs, speaking at several RCSLT events and undertaking media interviews including for the Sunday Telegraph and on ITV News.
• The board had an update from the chair of Professional Practice and Policy Committee (PPPC).
• The board took part in a workshop on member engagement and how we can better use our networks including hubs and Clinical Excellence Networks.
• The board received updates on the implementation of the eight focus areas of RCSLT’s operating plans from trustee sponsors.
• There was an update from the nominations committee on recent recruitment to the board. The new appointments will be ratified at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November.
• The board agreed the winners of fellow and honorary fellowship awards. The successful winners will be announced in the autumn and invited to a celebratory event in October.
• The board received updates on progress on key performance indicators (KPIs), the risk register and financial performance and projections.

Tuesday 23 March 2023

Below is a summary of the meeting held on Tuesday 23 March 2023.

Meeting summary

• The meeting opened with the Chair welcoming the incoming Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and recognising it was the last board meeting for the outgoing CEO.
• The board heard from RCSLT member Aysha on her career journey, passion for research and involvement in the development of some RCSLT guidance.
• The board reviewed and approved the minutes of 13 December 2022 meeting and the actions from the previous meeting.
• The CEO provided an updated on her recent work including attending:
  • Being involved in the Urgent and Emergency Care Strategy Expert Reference Group and working with NHS England and the Department of Education to campaign to ensure that the needs of children with speech, language and communication needs are prioritised.
  • The recent HCPC fees increase – and our work to raise concerns in partnership with AHPF.
  • An update on the work of the Covid-19 Airborne Transmission Alliance (CATA) which RCSLT is a founder member. The CEO is vice chair and will continue in this role, representing RCSLT after her retirement.
• The board took part in a workshop on a range of issues regarding the speech and language therapy workforce, led by the professional development team.
• The board received updates on the implementation of the eight focus areas of RCSLT’s operating plans from trustee sponsors.
• The board received updates on progress on key performance indicators (KPIs), the risk register and financial performance and projections.

Tuesday 13 December 2022

Below is a summary of the meeting held on Tuesday 13 December 2022.

Meeting summary

• The meeting opened with a member story from Jack who gave a synopsis of his story from deciding to become an SLT, through studying, qualifying and starting his first job. Trustees praised Jack’s creativity, honesty and energy for the profession.
• The board reviewed and approved the minutes of 5 October 2022 meeting and the actions from the previous meeting.
• The board approved the minutes of the 2022 annual general meeting and these will be made available online.
• The CEO updated the board on some of the key issues impacting the profession:
  – The challenges in children’s services particularly in respect of Covid and the ongoing demand and capacity issues.
  – The cost-of-living crisis and the need to promote the Welfare Fund to members
• The director of policy and public affairs presented the External Impact Report from the policy and public affairs team which included external impact from across the organisation.
• The board received a presentation on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), which is one of the eight focus areas within the RCSLT Strategic Vision 2022-27. The presentation included an overview on progress made in supporting members to be actively anti racist, diversity in the workforce and meeting the needs of diverse populations. The board discussed and commented:
  –  Interesting to see an increase in the number of students
  –  The need to embed EDI into work rather than just discussed
  –  The power of networks
  –  The increasing number of SLTs
  –  The need to bring more people in from lower economic social backgrounds
  –  The reduction in senior SLT posts across the country
  –  The need for EDI to be front and centre of all we do.
• The board received updates on the implementation of the eight focus areas of RCSLT’s operating plans from trustee sponsors.
• The board received updates on progress on key performance indicators (KPIs), the risk register and financial performance and projections.