Speak Out OCTOBER 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

Association NEWS

Board of Directors meeting report AUGUST 2021

The third Board of Directors meeting for 2021 was held via Zoom videoconferencing on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 August. The Board of Directors were excited to welcome the Association’s first external Director, Inma Beaumont, to the meeting. Some of the meeting highlights are outlined below. Definition of 'practice' The Board of Directors agreed to amend the definition of speech pathology practice to be more inclusive of the breadth of the profession. The new definition will be operationalised into Association functions including professional self-regulation (PSR) and certified practising member status from July 2022. The future definition, "Speech pathology practice encompasses roles in which a speech pathologist uses their knowledge, skills, professional attributes and ethical judgement to contribute to culturally responsive, lawful, safe and effective delivery of evidence-based speech pathology services. Practice in speech pathology is not restricted to direct services to individuals and is inclusive of all activities related to the provision of services to individuals, communities and populations with communication and swallowing needs. Speech pathologists may work in various roles such as practitioner, regulator, consultant, advocate, manager, academic, researcher, and in policy development and prevention and promotion. Speech pathology practice may be remunerated or part of a formal volunteer arrangement.’ Another component of this work is to consider and revise the Association’s core document Speech Pathology Scope of Practice , which is underway. COVID-19 While the Association continues to provide members with timely information in relation to the rapidly changing COVID-19 situation across Australia, the current level of fatigue and stress within the membership has become evident. To support members in managing workplace stress, resulting from their work with clients and their families during this time, the Association has partnered with a range of professionals, including mental health and mindfulness practitioners to develop a comprehensive self-paced learning program titled Riding the Tide of Work and Life Stress. Release of the first module of this complimentary program is imminent. CINAHL Complete trial A proposal to support members who do not have access to full text journals, was supported by the Board of Directors, with Speech Pathology Australia to offer

CINAHL Complete to the membership on a limited and trial basis. More details on this for members will follow. National Conference A strategic discussion paper regarding Speech Pathology Australia conferences was presented to the Board of Directors. The paper outlined a range of considerations in offering face-to-face events as opposed to virtual or hybrid events. While virtual events may improve accessibility, the significant infrastructure costs associated, and online fatigue were acknowledged. Incidental opportunities offered by face- to-face conferencing including social and networking events, informal discussions regarding research findings and development of early career researchers, were considered. While conversations will continue in relation to conference offerings with the Association’s incoming Conference Coordinator, the Board of Directors agreed that Speech Pathology Australia will continue to offer the National Conference in a face-to-face format wherever possible, which includes the planned National Conference in Melbourne next year. Website review The Association’s website review continues to progress well, with the Information Architecture (design) having been finalised. Tenders to build the website will be invited shortly. Speech Pathology Week While a full report is not yet available, the Board of Directors acknowledged the success of Speech Pathology Week 2021, with a number of representations seen in mainstream media, in addition to the Association’s social media efforts. A summary of the Association’s and members’ activities will be provided once complied. Book of the Year Given the current lockdowns in Melbourne, with a likely further extension, investigations will occur to potentially host the 2021 Book of the Year ceremony in Adelaide, South Australia in lieu of the planned Melbourne event. Student Engagement and Retention Project The Association’s Publications Manager, Rebecca Faltyn, joined the meeting to provide an overview of the Student Engagement and Retention Project. The project, which is being conducted in a number of phases, aims to find improved ways to engage and communicate with student members, identify the unique wants and needs

5

October 2021 | Speak Out