RCSLT conference 2017

Aims and objectives

Attending the conference helped delegates to:

• Use the latest evidence base to inform and enhance their clinical practice to improve outcomes for  service users
• Disseminate evaluations of interventions and service delivery
• Share emerging innovations and approaches to service interventions
• Work with decision makers and budget holders to understand how speech and language therapy supports delivery of key priorities at national, service, population and individual levels
• Develop the business case for new workforce models and service redesign

Useful material from the conference

RCSLT Conference 2017 programme

RCSLT Conference 2017 poster programme

Presentations from the RCSLT Conference 2017

Wednesday 27 September 2017  AM presentations:

Parallel session 1: Creating and using evidence

Sound Start Study: A community-based randomised controlled trial of Phoneme Factory Sound Sorter.
Presented by Dr Yvonne Wren and Professor Sharynne McLeod

Evidence-based practice and research engagement from YOUR perspective: Exploring SLTs’ understanding and use of research and evidence-based practice in routine clinical work in the UK.
Presented by Professor Victoria Joffe, Jo Wallinger, Dr Emma Pagnamenta and Sai Prasanna Bangera

Parallel session 2: Equality and diversity

Refugee survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) with communication disabilities in Rwanda.
Presented by Dr Julie Marshall and Helen Barrett

Parents as agents of change: Empowering parents to reduce impoverished language in disadvantaged communities.
Presented by Caspian Jamie

Parallel session 3: Stammering

Stuttering and the COM-B model: Exploring parents’ views of post-treatment changes in participation.
Presented by Kevin Fower

Parallel session 4: Voice

Reliability of GRBAS evaluation of voice quality in children who have a history of airway reconstruction surgery and how this compares to parental report of voice-related quality of life.
Presented by Dr Wendy Cohen and Susie Lloyd et al.

Does time of day matter for voice assessment? Clinical implications of longitudinal fluctuations in voice parameters.
Presented by Professor Janet Beck et al.

Parallel session 5: Dementia

The VOICE Study: Developing and testing an evidence based communication skills training intervention for healthcare professionals caring for people with dementia in the hospital setting*.
Presented by Rebecca O’Brien

Collaboratively reducing stress and distress in people with dementia. 
Presented by Helen Moores Poole and Helen Fletcher

Parallel session 6: AAC

“Helpful to do it together”: Ensuring teams are equipped to support people who use AAC.
Presented by Laura Renfrew

Communication effectiveness using AAC: What is it? And how do we know if we have achieved it?
Presented by Deborah Jans

Parallel session 7: Workshop

What is the decision-making process for SLTs in deciding to feed infants on high flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy?
Presented by Rebecca Murphy

Parallel session 8 

RCSLT Outcomes Project.
Presented by Kamini Gadhok MBE and Kathryn Moyse

Parallel session 9

Research impact: Using research evidence to influence decision makers.
Presented by Dr Rebecca Palmer, Professor James Law, Professor Marian Brady, Bryony Simpson and Derek Munn

Wednesday 27 September 2017  PM presentations

Parallel session 1: Service delivery – children

Getting the balance right: Understanding needs, outcomes and provision for children and young people in Scotland
Presented by Marie Gascoigne and Pauline Beirne

‘Never do anything by halves… Be outrageous. Go the whole hog’. How a speech and language therapy service transformed its way of working to meet the communication needs of children in Falkirk
Presented by Glenn Carter and Mary Coleman

A journey towards maximum impact: Development and implementation of an evidence-based early language clinical pathway across Wales
Presented by Claire Butler and Helen Myall

Parallel session 2: Speech and language therapy: Giving Voice and raising awareness

Mujeres que dan palabra. ‘Giving Voice’ through women’s first person narratives in Spain and the UK
Presented by Dr Lidia Rodriguez Garcia et al

Scotland’s voices. Stories from the past; stories for the future
Presented by Professor Jois Stansfield et al

#SLTimpact: Sharing positive impact stories on social media to raise awareness of the profession
Presented by Robert MacBean and Zoe Roxburgh

Inclusive communication
Presented by Kim Hartley Kean

Parallel session 3: Adult dysphagia: The patient perspective

Collecting patient evidence to inform and contextualise treatment choices: Thickened liquids from the perspective of people with dysphagia post-stroke
Presented by Dr Arlene McCurtin et al

Parallel session 4: Clinical education

Using Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) in speech and language therapy pre-registration clinical education
Presented by Dr Wendy Cohen and Dr Claire Timmins

Parallel session 5: Child speech

Predicting persistent speech disorder in the early years: Findings from a population study
Presented by Dr Yvonne Wren

The relationship between performance on spoken diadochokinetic (DDK) tasks and oral motor tasks by children with speech difficulties
Presented by Dr Pam Williams

What is a complex intervention for children with speech sound difficulties?
Presented by Avril Nicoll

What does it take to change practice with children with speech sound difficulties?
Presented by Avril Nicoll

Parallel session 6: Training for early years/schools

Supporting early years practitioners to facilitate children’s language and communication development is effective: An independent study evaluating the effectiveness of the Elklan Talking Matters Programme
Presented by Dr Judy Clegg

Talk Boost KS2 an evidenced school-based intervention for children with delayed language
Presented by Louisa Reeves

Early intervention: Training implications for health visitors
Presented by Joanne Gibson

Auditing the communicating classroom: Participating with schools to change practice
Presented by Professor James Law et al

Parallel session 7: Workshop

Skills for work: Tools for measuring communication skills in adolescents
Presented by Mary Hartshorne and Maxine Burns

Parallel session 8: Workshop

Using Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTT) to describe what SLTs do: A useful tool for SLTs?
Presented by Dr Helen Stringer, Kate Toft and Dr Rachel Rees

Parallel session 9: Workshop

Assistive technology approaches to facilitate reading and writing in aphasia
Presented by Dr Celia Woolf, Dr Anna Caute and Katie Monnelly

Thursday 28 September 2017  AM presentations

Parallel session 1: Service delivery 

A preliminary investigation into the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of SLT led interventions for children with speech sound disorder versus programmes delivered by assistants
Presented by Dr Lydia Morgan and Dr Yvonne Wren

‘time to talk’™ – We’re Closing the Gap
Presented by Melanie Packer

Innovative practice education adding value to services in the community through evidence based interventions
Presented by Nicola Lawtie and Idalina Rodrigues

Parallel session 2: Supporting adults with diminished capacity

Feasibility of using the Mental Capacity Assessment Support Toolkit (MCAST) in clinical practice
Presented by Mark Jayes

Using participative research methods to explore the experiences of parents and carers of adults with severe learning disabilities
Presented by Dr Judy Clegg et al

The Keeping Safe Talking Mat – a visual communication resource to help people reflect on how their life is going
Presented by Lois Cameron

Parallel session 3: Assessments for children

British Sign Language receptive skills: How much has changed in 18 years?
Presented by Dr Ros Herman and Martina Curtin et al

Development of a clinical tool: The Early Sociocognitive Battery (ESB) in research and practice
Presented by Jennifer Warwick

Parallel session 4: Adult dysphagia

Videofluoroscopy of swallow: A study of intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of SLT ratings of aspiration, vallecular residue and pyriform sinus residue
Presented by Julie Coats

Validation of the Functional Intraoral Glasgow Scale as a practical measure of speech and swallowing in head and neck cancer
Presented by Eleanor Slaven

Audit of adherence to speech and language therapy recommendations for patients with dysphagia
Presented by Daisy Parkes-Smith

International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) pilot implementation
Presented by Alison Seiler et al

Parallel session 5: Use of technology to deliver speech and language therapy

ReaDySpeech for people with dysarthria after stroke: Feasibility of the intervention in a randomised controlled trial
Presented by Claire Mitchell et al

What are the factors influencing the implementation of self-managed computerised therapy for people with long term aphasia following stroke? A qualitative study
Presented by Jo Burke and Rebecca Palmer et al.

Words of the Week: Multi-purpose digital therapy materials
Presented by Amy Hanschell and Laorag Hunter

Parallel session 8: Workshop

Talk about Talk Secondary: An intervention for young people aged 13-16 with SLCN to develop their communication skills for work
Presented by Maxine Burns and Mary Hartshorne

Parallel session 9: Workshop

Beyond statistical significance: Exploring how research can best inform your clinical decision making*
Presented by Theresa Redmond

Thursday 28 September 2017  PM presentations

Parallel session 1: Developmental language disorder

The effectiveness of semantic therapy for word finding difficulties in post-16 students (16-18 years) with persistent language disorders
Presented by Lisa Campbell

Outcomes for early language delay: Does temperament make a difference?
Presented by Dr Julie Lachkovic

Assessing the effects of language groups for children with English as an additional language
Presented by Professor Tim Pring

Parallel session 2: Aphasia

Which words are most important for people with aphasia to relearn?
Presented by Dr Rebecca Palmer

Investigating the effectiveness of Elaborated Semantic Features Analysis (ESFA) in two different approaches
Presented by Professor Katerina Hilari

Experience of public patient involvement in aphasia research; co-design of an ICT user feedback questionnaire
Presented by Aine Kearns

Are mindfulness and other CBT techniques effective in improving communication in people with acquired, non-progressive aphasia? A systematic review
Presented by Sophie Cottrell

Parallel session 3: Innovation in service delivery: Young people

Ten years on: Language skills of young offenders in custody in England
Presented by Kim Turner

No Wrong Door – integrating speech and language therapy into services for multiply vulnerable young people
Presented by Carol-ann Howe

Using motivational interviewing to maximise the impact of speech and language therapy intervention
Presented by Alison Williams and Tom Damsell

Parallel session 4: Workshop

Important to me: Achieving meaningful outcomes for children and young people
Presented by Sandra Smith, Pauline Beirne and Dr Esther Walker

Parallel session 6: Workshop

Look who’s talking: Using birth cohorts to extend the evidence base in speech and language therapy
Presented by Professor James Law, Dr Yvonne Wren and Dr Jan McAllister

Parallel session 7: Workshop

Evidence-based practice in speech and language therapy: A workshop to develop critical appraisal skills and maximise engagement in the evidence base
Presented by Dr Judy Clegg and Professor Victoria Joffe

Parallel session 8: Workshop

More than research evidence: Considering the totality of evidence when evaluating treatments
Presented by Dr Arlene McCurtin and Professor Sue Roulstone

Parallel session 9: Workshop

How do we assess gesture in clinical practice? A prototype City Gesture Checklist (CGC)
Presented by Dr Anna Caute and Dr Abi Roper