Speak Out June 2020

Association news

Board report - May 2020 The second SPA Board meeting for 2020 was held with a condensed format, via virtual means, on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May 2020.

o Waive the Administration Fee for Direct Debit payments ($15 per member); o Maintain 2020/2021 membership fees at 2019/2020 levels (not include the agreed 2% CPI increase); o Deferral of Direct Debit installment payments for a period of two months; and o Offer online professional education vouchers for members who pay their membership in full by the required date. The Association’s new Learning Management System (LMS), built on the Pointsbuild platform, has recently been launched. ‘The SPA Learning Hub’ gives members access to quality learning activities, developed and presented by leading educators, researchers and clinicians. Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists Following an extensive review process, the Board of Directors approved the final draft of The Professional Standards for Speech Pathologists (Version 16). This draft will be presented for legal review, prior to being disseminated to the membership. An implementation plan and transition period will apply. National and Branch Alignment Strengthening the alignment between the Board of Directors and Association Branches was discussed, with the 2020- 2022 Strategic Plan to be used as a vehicle to streamline priorities. Research Grants The SPA Board agreed to amend research grant guidelines to allow expenses associated with open access publication within Speech Pathology Australia research grant budgets. It was agreed that this is not only is open access beneficial to the researcher, it also provided the membership with further access to Association funded research. Fellowship and Awards Committee Life Member, C Bowen and Fellow Member, S Horton were appointed to the Fellowship and Awards Committee, for a three-year term. The Board will next meet on Friday 28 and Saturday 29 August 2020. Gail Mulcair Chief Executive Officer Other items addressed at the meeting include: Learning Management System

The Board of Directors welcomed incoming Directors, Alison Smith (QLD) and Bronwyn Sutton (QLD) to the meeting, as observers. Alison and Bronwyn will be formally appointed to the Board of Directors at the Association’s Annual General Meeting on 25 May 2020. As would be expected, much of the May 2020 Board of Directors meeting focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the membership and the Association. The rapid and significant changes made by the Association in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, were acknowledged, with positive member feedback having been received. The Board approved a new Business Continuity Policy, which ensures the Association is able to address the needs of the membership in unforeseen circumstances, such as the current environment. Consideration is currently being given to how the Association can guide members as restrictions ease and face-to-face services are re-introduced. The newly formed COVID-19 Speech Pathology Advisory Panel, with broad representation from different sectors of the profession, met for the first time on 30 April, with approximately 30 in attendance. Input from this group will inform updates to the Speech Pathology Guidance Document as well as resources involving risk assessment and infection prevention and control. The recent member survey aimed to assist the Association in understanding the significant and wide-ranging impacts of COVID-19 on the membership. The feedback received will be used to inform the development of resources and provision of services, that meet the needs of the membership. The member survey results highlighted members’ concerns in relation to achieving the Professional Self -Regulation requirements including attesting to at least 1,000 practice hours in the past five years and meeting the required CPD points, in order to maintain Certified Practising Speech Pathologist status. Signatories to the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) and the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professionals (NASRHP) have endorsed that the Association offer members a twelve- month extension to meet the minimum practice hours and continuing professional development requirements. It was agreed this 12-month extension would be offered to members In recognising the impact of COVID-19 on members, the Board of Directors agreed to offer the following range of membership renewal incentives for the 2020/2021 membership period:

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June 2020 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

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