Supporting speech and language therapy in your work

Preceptorships

The RCSLT has developed preceptorship guidance to help ensure that speech and language therapy clinicians can develop confidence and competence in their roles.

Preceptorships are recommended for speech and language therapists entering the profession, returning to the profession after a significant break or in bases where they are undertaking a significant change in their clinical and professional role or scope of practice (include international recruits).

Improve your awareness of speech and language therapy

The Box

Developed specifically to aid communication work in the justice system, The Box is a free, online learning service designed to give professionals in the justice system the ability to identify communication issues and the skills to support individuals experiencing them.

Communication Access UK

Find out more about inclusive communication and pledge your support to aid inclusive communication through the Communication Access website.

Health inequalities

Find out how health inequalities have an impact on people’s lives and how speech and language therapy can help mitigate this.

Find a speech and language therapist for your team

If you’re looking for a speech and language therapist to provide clinical support for someone with speech, language, communication or eating and swallowing needs, visit out page how to find a speech and language therapist.

If you’re looking to hire a speech and language therapist, you can place an advert on the RCLST jobs site.

As well as the public resources available across our website, members of multidisciplinary teams might benefit from joining an RCSLT registered Clinical Excellence Network, commonly known as a CEN

What is a CEN?

Clinical Excellence Networks (CENs) are independent groups organised by Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and support workers e.g. Speech and Language Therapy Assistants (SLTAs) to support continuing professional development (CPD). This may involve holding study days, reviewing and disseminating the evidence base, being involved in research, providing networking opportunities, and contributing to influencing.

Each group has a unique format and character as defined by the needs of the CEN membership. Members are usually SLTs, speech and language support workers and SLT students, but some CENs may open their membership offer or select events to other professionals, e.g. nurses, OTs, SENCOs, etc. CENs are run by committees who are elected by the CEN membership. CENs are self-funded.

CEN topics

CENs focus on a clinical area or on an aspect of professional practice. CENs registered with the RCSLT can choose to focus on any topic, provided that practice is not subject to a ‘do not use’ recommendation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Focus on an area of practice does not constitute or imply endorsement by the CEN, its members, or by the RCSLT.

Part of the remit of CENs is to examine and contribute to the evidence base for their clinical area, so any CPD events organised and resources shared by them should include evidence both for and against approaches to practice.

How are CENs linked to the RCSLT?

The RCSLT provides support to registered CENs in recognition of the invaluable work that they do to create excellence and innovation in the speech and language therapy profession and to deliver best practice in support of service users. As independent groups, CENs are not required to register with the RCSLT, however they may choose to register to access support and resources. RCSLT provides suggested guidance to registered CENs but does not have oversight of their activities.

As part of our support for CENs, we share contact information and some CEN events details with our members through our website. The RCSLT is not responsible for decisions made by individual CENs or the content they produce including events. Please contact the CEN directly if you have any queries about an event you’re interested in attending or if you wish to discuss a topic within their area of clinical practice.

For legal purposes, CENs would usually be considered as unincorporated associations. Due to the independent nature and activities of CENs the RCSLT accepts no legal liability in relation to CENs, registered or otherwise.

If you are not a member of the RCSLT but would like to know more about the CENs, please contact the CEN Development Officer at cen@rcslt.org, or our Enquiries Team at info@rclst.org .

RCSLT members can discover more details about CENs including contact information by signing in and visiting our CEN pages for members.