Speak Out February 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

Professional practice

1.7a We advocate for the role of the speech pathology profession and the needs of individuals and communities to employers, the community, legislators, policymakers and funders. SPA’s GP Education Kit was developed in conjunction with Queensland branch to promote the profession and benefits of speech pathology input with GPs and other professionals. Policy briefs have been written about Developmental Language Disorder and Childhood Apraxia of Speech and contain clear messages about the impact of these conditions and what we believe needs to be done to provide better outcomes for the identified population group. SPA’s document Clinical education in Australia: Building a profession for the future includes information about best practice and new and innovative recommendations for future developments in clinical education. If you work in the private sector then take advantage of the free self-paced learning module that has been designed to help you explore innovation in clincial practice. It can be found under the Professional practice tab of the 'On Demand' section of SPA’s Learning Hub Standard 2.4a 'We participate in professional development, supervision and/or mentoring to develop knowledge and skills relevant to our roles and to maintain currency' SPA has recently developed information for members to help you Plan your CPD to optimise your professional learning. This can be found in the Learning Resource Centre on SPA’s Learning Hub alongside an array of events including Communities of Practice. If you work in private practice, keep an eye out for details about SPA’s monthly evening events for private practice owners (large or small) called Collaboratives, as well as the two virtual SPA X Realise Business courses planned for this year. The first Collaborative is called Profiling tools to drive high performing teams and client relationships. The eight month course will provide support if you are starting a business or are in the early stages of developing or growing your business.

and represents the minimum standards SPA would recommend for general policy and procedures within a speech pathology practice. The polices can be adapted to ensure you meet your obligations and needs of your practice. Privacy of personal information, including health information, is more than a professional and ethical responsibilit, it is a legal requirement. In Australia the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), regulates the handling of an individual’s personal information and applies to all health service providers and all of the information that they collect in the provision of a health service. The aim of SPA’s Privacy Guide is to provide members with information and resources so that they may increase their understanding and knowledge of current privacy legislation and more specifically the Australian Privacy Principles and includes a step-by-step guide to developing a Privacy Policy. All of these documents can be found on SPA’s Private Practice Essentials page Compliance with NDIS certification and verification for registration is also supported and many resources, including a NDIS Policy and Procedure manual can be found on SPA’s page about the NDIS Please remember WorkPlacePLUS can provide initial free advice to members who have questions about matters related to legislation or policies around employment matters, the national award (for speech pathologists, AHAs and office support staff), industrial relations and/or human resource management. Contact Anna Pannuzzo on either (03) 9492 0958 or 0419 533 434, or by email . Standard 1.5 'Maintain high standards of communication, information sharing and record keeping' See documents on SPA’s Professional Resources page to access FAQs for advice to support you to maintain accurate, timely, complete and secure records of practice. If you work in a Residential and Aged Care facility then see the FAQ about Clinical record keeping in facilities

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Speak Out | February 2021