The delivery and measurement of the outcomes associated with speech and language therapy is an essential component of delivering effective and high-quality services.
This page provides resources about outcome measurement, including information about the RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT) and the role of outcome measurement in speech and language therapy.
If you’re a speech and language therapist, please sign up or log in to access the full version of this content.
Last updated: August 2025
Outcome measurement in speech and language therapy
- Delivering evidence-based and person-centred services.
- Evaluating clinical effectiveness and supporting quality improvement.
- Demonstrating the impact of speech and language therapy.
Outcome measurement is also a requirement of Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
- Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
- Standards of proficiency – speech and language therapists.
- Standards of continuing professional development.
HCPC standards stipulate that registrants must be able to “evaluate care plans or intervention plans using recognised and appropriate outcome measures, in conjunction with the service user where possible, and revise the plans as necessary” (HCPC 2023:14).
The HCPC also expects registrants to “participate in quality management, including quality control, quality assurance, clinical governance and the use of appropriate outcome measures” (HCPC 2023:14).
RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT)
The RCSLT is working to support its members to improve the systematic collection of outcomes data and to assist with demonstrating the impact of therapy for individuals with speech, language, communication and swallowing needs.
As part of a programme of work on outcomes, the RCSLT has developed and piloted an online tool to support the collection of Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMs) (Enderby and John, 2015; Enderby and John, 2019). TOMs was selected as the ‘best fit’ tool after a systematic evaluation of available measures.
What is the ROOT?
The RCSLT Online Outcome Tool (ROOT) supports SLTs with collecting and collating TOMs data and generating reports.
The reports generated by the ROOT can be used by SLTs to inform clinical decision-making and offer the potential to demonstrate the impact of speech and language therapy interventions for individual service users and cohorts of service users.
Aggregated reports can be used to assist with service evaluation and quality assurances purposes, and to inform those funding speech and language therapy services.
This short video provides an overview of the ROOT.
Access the ROOT
Any UK speech and language therapy service can register to use the ROOT.
Take a look at all of the resources available to help you with getting ready to use the ROOT, including the training videos.
We’ve also created a collection of publications, resources and useful links related to the tool within the resources pages.
We are continuing to develop the tool in response to feedback. For more information, please contact ROOT@rcslt.org.
References
Enderby P, John A (2015) Therapy outcome measures for rehabilitation professionals, Third Edition. Guildford: J&R Press Ltd.
Enderby P, John A (2019) Therapy Outcome Measure User Guide. Croydon: J&R Press Ltd.
Using ROOT data in research
The RCSLT is currently exploring whether anonymised copies of data from the ROOT could be shared to support research and development of the evidence base for speech and language therapy. This project is called the “ROOT data access project”.
If access to the data for researchers was made available, they would need to apply by submitting a ‘data access request’. In the data access request, the researcher would need to demonstrate that using ROOT data in their project will benefit:
- people with communication and/or swallowing needs
- speech and language therapy services.
Watch a video about the project
Focus group and online interviews
As part of this project, we are speaking with people who have accessed speech and language therapy, and the carers of people who have accessed speech and language therapy (‘service users’). It is essential that we understand service users’ views on how anonymised data would be shared with researchers.
It is not possible to consult with each person who has data submitted to the ROOT by their speech and language therapist, but it is possible to consult with a group of individuals who are recruited to act as advocates and the voice of service users.
We are holding an in-person focus group, which will take place in London on Thursday 16 October, and online interviews to gather the views of service users.
Aims and objectives
Our aim:
To hear the views of service users about the proposed plan to share anonymised ROOT data for research purposes.
Our objectives:
- To record the views of service users on:
- The acceptability of sharing anonymised ROOT data for research purposes
- The integrity of proposed procedures for data sharing (the ‘data access request’ process)
- Whether it is important for a member of the public to sit on the data access request panel and review the requests
- To use the recorded views to feedback into and modify the proposed data access request process.
How to apply
The deadline for applications has now passed.
Summary of recommendations
To support best practice in relation to outcome measurement, it is recommended that speech and language therapists are aware of the importance of:
- The routine measurement of the outcomes of therapy, using an appropriate approach and tools.
- The use of validated outcome measurement tools.
- Capturing the service user’s perspective on their outcomes and their experience of care.
- Using outcome data in the context of other data and alongside other available tools, frameworks and resources, to support the delivery of quality services.
- Outcome measurement being embedded within a model of working that emphasises the need for reflection, and that holds the notion of health benefits and outcomes as an integral part of practice.
Outcome measurement resources
The RCSLT provides a collection of resources to support SLTs with implementing and using outcome measures, including:
- Outcome measures checklist for AHPs
- Guidance to support measuring outcomes outside individualised care
- Making data count learning modules
If you’re a speech and language therapist, please sign up or log in to access all of our resources in full.
