Speak Out low res October 2016

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10 Speak Out October 2016
Association news
Are you interested in the role of Speech Pathology
Australia in credentialing recognition of expertise within a clinical
area, advanced practice and extended scope roles?
Do you work in a role recognised as advanced practice or
extended scope?
Did you know that the only allied health specialist role recognised
by the ministerial council is a podiatric surgeon?
What is the project?
SPA has funded a six month project to develop a credentialing
framework for those who are beyond entry-level practice.
The project will have a special focus on credentialing around
recognition of expertise within a clinical area, advanced and
extended scope of practice.
Professional credentialing is:
“The formal processes used to verify qualifications, experience,
professional standing and other professional attributes for the
purpose of forming a view about their competence, performance
and professional suitability to provide safe, high-quality healthcare
services within specific organisational environments.” (Australian
Council for Safety and Quality in Healthcare 2004, p.3)
What are the benefits of this project and why has SPA
initiated this?
Speech Pathology Australia has initiated the project in response to
member and consumer feedback. Members are seeking means
to differentiate their services. Consumers, referring agencies and
employing organisations are seeking means to identify expertise.
It is expected that the development of a credentialing framework
will facilitate a transparent, replicable, transferable and equitable
approach to the recognition of expertise, within a clinical area,
advance practice and extended scope of practice.
The project will involve:
• As the first key part of the project an environmental scan of
current and best practice in credentialing and recognition of
expertise within a clinical area is underway.
• Once the scan is complete we will ask for your input to guide
the next stage of the project: translating the findings from the
scan into a credentialing framework that best fits the speech
pathology context in Australia. It is likely we will call on you
to respond to a survey or to take part in some interviews or
focus groups.
• Using your input and information from the environmental
scan, a final discussion paper and credentialing framework
will be constructed for presentation to the SPA Board in
February
• Finally, it is hoped we will have the capacity within the project
to develop a pilot strategy to take the framework forward in
2017.
Who is involved?
Project team
Anna Moran – Credentialing Framework Project Officer
Stacey Baldac – Senior Advisor Professional Standards
Trish Johnson – Senior Advisor Ethics and Professional Issues
Project advisory committee
A project advisory committee has been assembled. It will
meet formally twice, and will informally advise the project team
throughout the life of the project. The advisory committee includes
representatives from SPA, allied health advisors, university
academics, an NDIS representative and speech pathologists
working in advanced practice roles.
Board of Speech Pathology Australia
Updates will be provided for Board review in October and a draft
framework will be presented to the Board in February 2017.
You
Please contact us at any time with your thoughts or input. We are
particularly keen to hear from you if:
• you have developed expertise in an area of speech pathology
practice e.g. through a higher degree or through significant
clinical experience;
• you work in an area that is recognised as advanced or
extended scope of practice;
• you employ speech pathologists working in an area of clinical
expertise, advanced or extended scope of practice;
• you teach or deliver training to speech pathologists in an area
of clinical expertise, advanced or extended scope of practice;
• you have systems or processes in place that help you to
identify where clinical expertise, advanced or extended scope
of practice may be required in your workplace;
• you have systems or processes in place that help you to
manage competency around clinical expertise, advanced or
extended scope of practice in your workplace.
About Anna Moran
After graduating as a physiotherapist in 2001 from Sydney
University (and after a few interesting segues, including a two
month stop in St Petersburg to learn Russian), I was fortunate
enough to stumble into a wonderful research position under the
enduring mentorship of Professors Pam Enderby and Susan
Nancarrow in Sheffield, England. It was under their supervision
I gained my PhD from the University of Sheffield (exploring the
role and impact of allied health assistants in community based
services.
I re-located to the Albury-Wodonga region eight years ago to take
up a position at Charles Sturt University to lecture allied health
students in what they considered the “world’s worst” subject
research methodology, and coordinate the integrated Honours
program only slightly more appreciated.
Credentialing Framework Project
Speech Pathology Australia has instigated a six month project to develop a
credentialing framework to focus on recognition of expertise with a clinical
area, advanced and extended scope of practice.