Speech Pathology Australia Annual Report 2023

President’s report

As we reflect on 2023, it has been a year characterised by transition, growth and steadfast commitment to our strategic objectives as we continue to advance the speech pathology profession in Australia. 2023 marked the commencement of our new 3-year strategic plan, a roadmap developed to address the evolving needs of our members and the broader community. Our commitment to enhancing access to equitable and evidence-based speech pathology services for individuals with communication and swallowing needs remains unwavering. Our Association’s new values inclusive, proactive, responsive and tenacious, alongside our vision and purpose, underpin our commitment to inclusion and equity, and to fostering a diverse and sustainable speech pathology workforce that can deliver culturally safe and responsive practice for all. Our strategic plan, with its three core priorities, guided our actions throughout 2023. We advocated for equitable, timely, and inclusive access to speech pathology services through advocacy initiatives and partnerships, and our awareness raising campaigns helped to break down barriers and ensure that all individuals receive the communication support they need. Communicating for Life , this year's Speech Pathology Week theme, saw a 225% increase in media mentions, significant growth in social media engagement, and a surge in visits to our website. National Office made 39 individual national and state government submissions, and continued to meet MPs and various government advisors. Developing the cultural capacity of our members and Association employees is a key strategic priority. In 2023 we continued to progress our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan, and we released the Association's Commitment to Combatting Racism and a new Anti-racism position statement. We were also proud to introduce the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culturally responsive capability framework to members. The framework aims to be a practical tool to guide organisations and individuals on how to implement cultural responsiveness in their workplaces. This framework reflects the Association's strong commitment to supporting organisations and individuals to develop capabilities to ensure a culturally responsive workforce, centering on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of seeing, knowing, being, doing and belonging. I would like to acknowledge and extend my deep appreciation and thanks to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee for sharing their knowledge and expertise; for their time and commitment. While we have achieved much as an Association, there is still more work to be done as we continue to build and strengthen our commitment to reconciliation. Central to our mission is the cultivation of a diverse, skilled, and sustainable speech pathology workforce. We have made significant strides in this regard, investing in professional development opportunities and initiatives aimed at nurturing emerging talent. We released the Speech Pathology Workforce Analysis Report: Preparing for our future to address concerns of a shortage of speech pathologists in Australia. The report’s recommendations included focusing on enhancing capacity of our existing workforce, increasing supply and distribution of speech pathologists, and improving the quality of our data to support advocacy for speech pathology services and workforce.

Kathryn McKinley National President

6 Speech Pathology Australia | 2023 Annual Report