SpeakOut_December2014_FINAL_eCopy

SPOTLIGHT ON PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT

Board Meeting Report

Mentoring update First off, a big thank you to those of you who registered as mentors after reading the October Speak Out . We now have mentors available in nearly all states, although we will need many more as students begin to graduate, find employment and discover they need more support. As the year draws to a close we have tallied 41 mentoring partnerships this year. Increased success of partnerships has been observed, in terms of ongoing regular contact between mentee and mentor, relative to other years, due to the new more mentee driven processes in place for establishing partnerships. Evaluations of the program will be sent out to participants as they reach the 12 month mark, although partnerships may continue beyond this point if they are still meeting the needs of the mentee and mentor. We are anticipating increased uptake of the mentoring program with the introduction of Provisional Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist status, so please consider mentoring as a form of professional development for yourself in 2015. Mentoring – Not just for new graduates While many new grads take up the opportunity of some extra professional support through joining the mentoring program, more experienced speech pathologists can also benefit from mentoring both as mentees and mentors. Speech pathologists who have worked for several years and are now: • relocating; can benefit from the support of a mentor who has skills, experience and local knowledge in the desired location and field of practice. It’s also important to remember that mentors gain much themselves, through participating in mentoring partnerships including: • increased confidence; • reduced professional isolation for sole therapists; • new knowledge of resources, practices and work places which the mentee shares; • sense of contribution and giving back to the profession. To join the mentoring program, as either a mentee or mentor, please go to the Mentoring Program webpage: http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/ information-for-members/mentoring-program . For any queries regarding professional support (supervision and mentoring) please don’t hesitate to get in touch – psa@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au . Meredith Prain Professional Support Advisor • changing field of practice; • new to a senior role; and/or • undertaking a research project.

The final Board meeting for 2014 was held on the 14–15 November 2014. An important component of the meeting was the review and approval of the Association’s Budget for 2015. A range of budget proposals for the operational and strategic activities of the Association were presented for consideration, with the Board accepting the final budget, following some amendments. Aged care, disability, data governance, website re-development and supporting enhancements to professional development delivery are just some of the key strategic focuses included within the 2015 budget. Further information on these important strategic activities will be communicated with members over the coming year. Some further highlights from the meeting include: • The Board agreed to maintain active involvement in the International Communication Project into 2015 and beyond. Strategic Goals and Key international collaborations for the project are currently under consideration by the International Strategic Advisory Group and Working Party. • It was noted that a range of meetings have been established with Ministers, Shadow Ministers and Ministerial Advisors communication disorders and speech pathology services in Australia report and associated recommendations. The main aim of these meetings is to secure a positive Government commitment to the Senate Report’s recommendations. • Advocacy priorities have been determined for the ensuing period, bearing in mind the Senate Inquiry and key areas of required lobby. These include: Aged Care, Disability, Primary Health Networks, School-aged services, and Data improvements and governance . • The Association continues to lobby, on behalf of the profession, for inclusion within the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS) for Health Professions, with a further submission put forward for consideration within the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council Review of the scheme. A report on the review of NRAS has not been released at this time. • 2015 will see significant work undertaken in relation to development of Models for Clinical Education, Models of Professional Development and the profession’s 2025 Blueprint , and has been supported by budget approvals. • Investment Strategies and the National Office premises were carefully considered, with the input of a financial services consultant, with the current premises unable to cater for an expanding level of staff required to meet the needs of the membership. Re-location options were discussed. • Methods of highlighting and celebrating Speech Pathology Australia’s Award Recipients were discussed, with a range of ideas proposed for 2015. • The Board noted the high level of positive feedback being received from the membership in relation to CPDLive Events . These events will continue to run through 2015. The next Board meeting will be held in February 2015. following the release of the Senate Inquiry into the prevalence of different types of speech, language and

Speak Out December 2014

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