6 January 2025
I write to our RCSLT community today regarding the serious issue that occurred in Summer 2024, and the distress it has caused.
On 5 August, during a period of heightened racial tension and violence in the UK, it came to light that our Chief Executive’s X (formerly Twitter) personal account was following far–right activist Tommy Robinson.
Our initial response to this situation fell short of the standards and values we set as an organisation. This resulted in hurt, anger, and disappointment, particularly among members and staff who look to us for leadership and support.
Our public responses should have been swifter, transparent, and more empathetic – actions that would have better reflected the core values of both our membership and the organisation.
When members and stakeholders expressed their concerns in an open letter, the board of trustees established a sub-committee to conduct a formal investigation. We recognise this process should have begun earlier and with greater urgency, recognising the impact this would have on members.
Looking back, we understand our response at the time may have made many of you feel dismissed or unheard. This is additionally significant considering our profession’s commitment to giving voice to others. We are determined to do better – with concrete meaningful actions that reflect our commitment to equity, diversity, and belonging for all.
Today, I want to share with you more details of the independent investigation and its findings.
Investigation and findings
The board of trustees established a sub-committee comprising of four board members, all independent from the RCSLT executive team and CEO, to investigate. After an initial evidence-gathering and fact-finding phase, the sub-committee appointed a barrister, Charlene Ashiru at Littleton Chambers, as an independent investigator. This appointment reflected both the gravity of the situation and our commitment to being an inclusive organisation where all voices deserve to be heard.
In summary, the external investigator’s scope examined two key areas:
1. A factual examination of the CEO’s follow on X and his subsequent public responses; and
2. An assessment of RCSLT’s organisational actions and responses.
The investigation evaluated whether the conduct met the standards of behaviour reasonably expected of RCSLT as a public body; and if they were in line with the RCSLT values.
Summary of findings from the Independent Investigation
1. The CEO’s personal account was following Tommy Robinson on X. With the information and data available, it was not technically possible to determine exactly how, why, or when the follow occurred, but on the balance of probabilities it was deemed that this was an accidental follow (as opposed to a hack) of which the CEO was unaware.
2. Our response to the incident was slower than it should have been, both in initiating an investigation and communicating with members, staff, and the public.
3. We should have immediately initiated and followed our member complaints procedure following receipt of the Anti-Racism Action Collective’s letter.
4. Our responses to the incident lacked objectivity, empathy, and compassion, and failed to align with the values of the organisation.
Board recommendations
The findings have been accepted by the board who have recommended the following actions:
Direct communications
- The RCSLT should issue an official statement to members setting out the investigation process, together with a summary of the investigator’s findings and how the RCSLT will learn from them. Our CEO should also issue a personal apology for his actions.
- RCSLT Staff need to receive a response to their concerns about the incident and our subsequent response
- RCSLT to issue a comprehensive written response to address the concerns raised in the open letter, accompanied by an invitation for an in person, discussion.
Governance and policies
The investigation revealed gaps in our organisational framework for managing serious incidents. Updates and training are needed for our serious incident and social media policies, as well as a number of other policies and procedures to ensure that incidents are handled in an independent and transparent manner that aligns with our core values and the Nolan principles.
Implementation
The Board will actively oversee these actions to ensure their effective implementation and will maintain accountability for this work.
As your professional body, we deeply regret that we failed to meet the high standards you expect from us, and we acknowledge the distress and damage this has caused.
Our aim is to create an inclusive and fair speech and language therapy community where everyone feels valued and respected. However, we want to acknowledge that in this situation we let members down and behaved in a way for which we are truly sorry. We are genuinely committed to ensuring that the insights and recommendations from both the investigation and your collective feedback will drive meaningful and lasting change, so that we as an organisation can serve, support, and represent all our members.
Irma Donaldson
Chair
