Speech Pathology Australia - Allied Health Assistant Feature

STUDENTS WHO WORK AS AHAs

S tudents who are undertaking a course in speech pathology are sometimes employed as allied health assistants (AHAs). The Association supports the employment of speech pathology students as AHAs under the supervision and guidance of a speech pathologist, and acknowledges that the knowledge and experience that they bring may be helpful to that role. However, that knowledge and experience also require students and employers to make important considerations and to have a clear understanding of the student’s role. Context and role While working as an AHA, speech pathology students have the same responsibilities and scope of practice as other AHAs. Some tasks that may be appropriate for the student to complete in the course of clinical education would not be appropriate for them to undertake in their role as an AHA. These include administering or interpreting assessments, developing client goals or a therapy plan, engaging in clinical problem-solving, or altering the treatment plan created by the supervising speech pathologist. Speech Pathology Australia’s Parameters of Practice document, appendix B, offers a list of tasks that may and may not be appropriately delegated to AHAs, including speech pathology students working in that role.

Supervision Allied health assistants, including those who are speech pathology students, must follow a therapy program set by a qualified speech pathologist and receive regular supervision. This is the case across different employment arrangements, including where the AHA is contracted through a third party or directly by a client’s family. Supervision of AHAs serves a different purpose than clinical education. Students on placement will be familiar with guidance that fosters increasingly independent decision-making and critical self-reflection. The supervision required for the delivery of AHA services may have more directive elements as speech pathologists are responsible for determining the client’s needs, whether tasks can be delegated to an AHA, the AHA’s skill in delivering the service, what training and protocols the AHA requires, and the type and frequency of supervision. The Association’s document, Working with an allied health assistant to support clients, may help student AHAs and supervisors understand how supervision is undertaken in this context. In addition, the Working with allied health assistants webpage has helpful templates for supervising AHAs and Student AHAs and their employers should be aware that once an individual has received their qualification in speech pathology, they should no longer work as an allied health assistant. In this situation, employers would need to consider whether they will continue employment under a new contract as a qualified speech pathologist. SPA has created a document on speech pathology students working as AHAs , which provides detailed considerations for students working as AHAs. This includes information on scope of practice, finding work as an AHA, professional indemnity insurance, and a comparison of the work performed on a student placement and as an AHA. training/coaching for delegated tasks. Considerations and resources

Nathan Cornish-Raley Professional Support Advisor

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Speak Out | June 2021