Speak Out OCTOBER 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

Association NEWS

Call for Director nominations

In accordance with Speech Pathology Australia’s Constitution, nominations are currently sought to fill four upcoming vacancies on the Board of Directors. Speech Pathology Australia’s Board of Directors is responsible for the strategic development, implementation and evaluation of the Association's policies and procedures within the rules of the Constitution. Directors hold major responsibility within the Association and as such, many Directors have never previously undertaken a role with similar legal, financial and strategic management responsibilities. Every possible support and assistance is provided by experienced Directors, the Chief Executive Officer and National Office staff. This key leadership role offers a wonderful opportunity to develop new skills and contribute significantly to the strategic direction of the Association and the speech pathology profession. Directors are required to attend four Board meetings each year. Voting members are encouraged to nominate, while retiring Directors are eligible to renominate. Elections will be held if more than four nominations are received. Speech Pathology Australia is committed to ensuring that the governance of the Association is informed by the perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander We want to hear from you! AHP Workforce project AHP Workforce have been working hard behind the scenes with the Association to get everything in place so that you can contribute to this important workforce project. Very soon you will receive an email containing a questionnaire where you will have the opportunity to have your say about the speech pathology workforce. This will help the Association to understand and respond to your needs and the needs of the speech pathology profession. The first cab off the rank in this project was the development of a very exciting, international first, geospatial tool that helps SPA to see where the need for services is compared to the supply of speech pathologists across Australia. We are about four weeks away from launching a campaign to gather data from you that will inform the workforce map and the future needs

people. Accordingly, the Association’s Constitution was amended, at the 2021 Annual General Meeting, with one General Director position to be filled by an individual from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. Director nomination forms and an information package are available on our website. Each nomination must address key selection criteria and completed nomination forms must be received at National Office by Monday 31 January 2022. (Late nominations cannot be considered). Please note, under the current Constitution the Association cannot have any more than two Directors from any one state or territory, with the exception of members from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. Given that there are two Victorian based Directors continuing in their current term, the Association can only accept nominations from Victorian based members that have an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background, on this occasion. The appointments will be effective from the 2022 Annual General Meeting in May for a period of two years. For further information, please see the Director position description, contained within the policy and procedures manua l available on Speech Pathology Australia’s website, or contact the Association’s Chief Executive Officer, Gail Mulcair.

of the speech pathology workforce. The tool is only as good as the data you can provide us! So please take the time to respond to the questionnaire when it lands in your inbox. Fine out more about AHP Workforce www.ahpworkforce.com Dr Susan Nancarrow and Dr Anna Moran

7

October 2021 | Speak Out