RCSLT and ASLTIP statement on best practice in supporting children and young people

Context

We are aware that there are challenges for speech and language therapists working with children and young people, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP) are working together to support the profession to collaborate across sectors, as well as with parents and carers, with the aim of improving best practice in children’s services. This will involve working with members, including the Clinical Excellence Network (CEN): SLTs on the Same Team.

Best practice in supporting children and young people

The RCSLT has worked with members and parents/carers to co-produce guidance which highlights key guiding principles for placing children and young people at the heart of delivering quality speech and language therapy: guidance on principles, activities and outcomes (PDF).

Collaborative working is key to good professional practice as highlighted both by the RCSLT, ASLTIP and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as the professional regulator. Speech and language therapists (SLTs) should work collaboratively with other colleagues, including other SLTs and parents/carers, to meet the needs of the children and young people they are working with. See RCSLT collaborative working guidance and ASLTIP code of conduct.

It is a legal requirement for all SLTs to adhere to the standards of the regulator, the HCPC. We would like to highlight the following standards of conduct, performance and ethics:

• Standard 2.5: you must work in partnership with colleagues, sharing your skills, knowledge and experience where appropriate, for the benefit of service users and carers.
• Standard 2.6: you must share relevant information, where appropriate, with colleagues involved in the care, treatment or other services provided to a service user.
• Standard 2.7: you must use all forms of communication appropriately and responsibly, including social media and networking websites.

See RCSLT guidance on meeting the HCPC standards and our statement on use of social media.

RCSLT Clinical Excellence Network (CEN): SLTs on the Same Team

The SLTs on the Same Team CEN is committed to promoting best practice in collaborative working between public and private sector SLTs to achieve the best possible outcomes for the people we jointly support.

Membership is free; just email Jenni at sltsonthesameteam@gmail.com.

You can also follow the CEN on Twitter – @SLTsSameTeam – and share your experiences of best practice in this area (#SLTsSameTeam).

Download this statement as a PDF