Answers to commonly asked questions.
What support is there for members facing cutbacks/job regrading?
The RCSLT offers support to those members being faced with cutbacks, service restructure and job regrading, by providing access to specific resources and expert advisers.
The RCSLT has limited capacity to help with specific work-based issues, such as regrading or changes to terms and conditions. In these instances, we would direct members to their union for more support. In the UK, the union for SLTs is Unite.
If you’re an RCSLT member, you may find our leadership resources useful when dealing with budget-holders and decision-makers.
Building business cases for speech and language therapy
The RCSLT’s management provides guidance for members to support them in building business cases in our leadership resources.
Leadership mentors
RSCLT leadership mentors can support members facing these types of issues and provide extra support that is not based on a clinical area, for example, service-transformation.
Disseminating research recruitment opportunities
RCSLT can disseminate approved research recruitment opportunities (such as surveys, focus groups and/or interviews with members) via several channels. However, RCSLT receives a high volume of requests and can only disseminate a limited number of these. Therefore, all applications are assessed against a set of criteria by an internal review panel, to ensure an equitable approach to dissemination. RCSLT cannot guarantee that your opportunity will be shared via any/all dissemination routes. All opportunities shared via our channels, including social media, have been approved via this process.
Dissemination will be determined by current and forthcoming RCSLT projects, as well as by other factors incorporated into the review process, such as the volume of opportunities received on a particular topic, the scale and potential impact of the opportunity, and coordination with other RCSLT communications.
RCSLT is committed to supporting the development of new research and evidence-based approaches to therapy, and the review process helps to ensure that any disseminated projects align with RCSLT’s strategic vision.
Applying to RCSLT to share an opportunity
The review panel are now accepting new research recruitment opportunity requests. You can submit an online application here. Please note, only completed applications will be taken forward for review.
Applications are reviewed on a weekly basis, but please allow sufficient time before any closing dates for the panel to consider your request. If you are a member, please access the member version of this page for suggestions of dissemination routes that you can access in the meantime, including the new CEN Directory.
Unfortunately, due to the high volume of requests RCSLT receives from students, the review panel are unable to accept applications for undergraduate research recruitment opportunities. Student members are encouraged to consider sharing their opportunity via relevant Clinical Excellence Networks (CENs), Professional Networks and/or Research Networks.
Please note: RCSLT cannot act as formal ‘gatekeepers’ for research recruitment opportunities and should not be approached in this way. RCSLT should not be named on ethics applications. The dissemination of a research recruitment opportunity by RCSLT is not evidence of the RCSLT endorsing or approving the project.
If your application is successful, a member of the Research Team will contact you to explain where and when you should expect your opportunity to be shared. If your application is unsuccessful, you will be notified in writing. Reasons for this may include:
- The opportunity is not related to speech, language, communication or swallowing needs or is not relevant to the speech and language therapy profession.
- The opportunity relates to a commercial product or is intended as a marketing tool.
- The opportunity supports a viewpoint that is believed to be contentious or controversial, or otherwise unsupported by leading policy makers, e.g. the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence.
- The opportunity does not align with RCSLT’s strategic vision.
If you disagree with the panel’s decision, you can advise RCSLT in writing via info@rcslt.org. A review of the decision will be undertaken. The review panel will then respond to the review, in writing, within 10 working days.
