4 September 2025
The RCSLT are currently recruiting for a lead author and working group to help update our cleft lip and palate guidance. Recruitment will close on Sunday 21 September.
We are about to start a project to update our guidance on cleft lip and palate, working with experts by experience, including carers, alongside key organisations who have direct contact with them. We also need the contribution of RCSLT members, who will work with these experts, bringing their critical technical expertise to develop the updated guidance.
We are looking for a lead author (RCSLT member) plus other members of a working group and project reference group. The working group and project reference group will be a mix of RCSLT members, clinicians and experts by experience.
Our project is due to start Autumn 2025 with a scoping survey. The planned launch is currently scheduled for Spring 2027, but that is partly dependent upon the extent of the agreed scope.
Why get involved?
Benefits of volunteering for this project include:
- Working with other speech language therapists to determine the project scope and preparing and signing off the updated guidance
- Working directly with service users, carers, stakeholders and other professionals to shape the project scope and guidance
- The opportunity to reflect on and develop your own practice as well as sharing your own experience
- Potential exposure to upcoming policy changes and emerging research
- Being acknowledged as a contributor to the guidance
We will be recruiting for members/healthcare professionals first. If you are a member or other healthcare professional, you can find out more information about the roles and access the application form from the project page. Recruitment will close at 5pm on Sunday 21 September.
If you are an expert by experience, please email elizabeth.brookfield@rcslt.org and we will contact you when we begin recruitment for those roles.
Scoping surveys
We are now scoping the project requirements. The scoping phase enables us to confirm the extent of changes to be made to the guidance and identify any additional resources we may want to develop. We welcome the input of members and healthcare professionals as well as those with lived experience, please complete the survey relevant to you.
Both surveys close on 5 October 2025, 12pm.
