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2015 ANNUAL REPORT Speech Pathology Australia
3
President’s Report
Speech Pathology Australia continues to
grow. In 2015, the Association reached
a record membership of 6929. In 2011
the membership year closed with 4750
members on our books. In four years, the
Association’s membership has grown by a
staggering 45 per cent.
It is reassuring to know that when the
Association speaks on behalf of the
speech pathology profession, it does so
confident in the knowledge that it represents
the overwhelming majority of speech
pathologists in Australia.
As the Association’s membership continues
to grow we are clearly looking to the future.
In November 2015 we launched
Speech
Pathology 2030 – making futures happen
.
This exciting endeavour seeks to develop
a shared vision for how our profession can
and will respond to the challenges of the
next decade and beyond. There is nothing
certain about the future. It’s why we must
plan for it.
One of the greatest challenges for our
Association every year is making Australians
aware of the myriad of ways speech
pathologists work to assist individuals with
communication and swallowing difficulties.
In 2015, the theme for Speech Pathology
Week was
Talk With Me
. A theme designed
to allow members and their State Branches
the opportunity to promote all the different
aspects of the profession, the work that we
do, and the various workplaces and settings
in which we do it.
In another exciting initiative, the
Association’s Book of the Year Awards
was conducted in 2015 in conjunction with
the State Library of Queensland. In a first,
the awards ceremony was hosted at the
State Library of Queensland in its beautiful
theatrette on the banks of the Brisbane
River. In a celebration of children’s literature,
Gregg Dreise, the winner of the Indigenous
Children’s category, played the Didgeridoo
and conducted the ‘Welcome to Country’.
After receiving over 110 nominations I was
proud, on behalf of the Association, to
present the five winning authors with their
award.
The Association’s advocacy work in 2015
continued and included a large number of
written submissions, to both national and
state inquiries. Speech Pathology Australia
appeared at an inquiry into education for
students with disability, and meetings and
formal discussions with a wide range of
key stakeholders; including a number of
State and Federal Ministers and Shadow
Ministers. In the international sphere, the
International Communication Project (ICP)
has engaged the consultancy firm, Weber
Shandwick, to map out a plan of action
to strengthen the ICP’s advocacy and
engagement endeavours. More detail on
the latter is outlined within the pages of this
annual report.
They say it is the small things in life that
matter. It is true. Early in 2015, our National
Office produced an ‘infographic’ (see page
12) that provided a snapshot of Australian
‘speechies’. The infographic has been
popular with members and has appeared
and reappeared in numerous publications
and been used as the backdrop at events.
It provides a quick, ready-reckoner of what
our profession looks like in Australia. In
summary, the infographic highlights that a
‘typical’ Australian speech pathologist is
female, working part time (about four days
a week), in her late 30s, Bachelor Degree
educated, living and working in a major city
area, Australian born, and working in private
practice.
Our Association’s ability to serve its
members and our clients is only possible
because of the hard work, efforts and
dedication of Board members, our Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) and the staff that
work for our National Office. The staff of the
Association’s National Office ensure that the
business of our organisation is conducted
in a professional, efficient and timely
manner. Without the skill and guidance of
our CEO, Gail Mulcair, Speech Pathology
Australia would not be the fine professional
Association it is today.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge the
commitment of the Board of Directors who
volunteer their time and expertise to provide
the strategic direction and management
of the Association. At the Annual General
Meeting the Association farewells Asher
Verheggen, who is stepping down after
serving on the Board for the past two years.
Thank you Asher for your service and
commitment to the Association in this role.
By the time you read this report, 2016 will
be well and truly underway. The challenges
and hurdles that confront the Association
continue to appear. But our strength
of numbers, the professionalism of our
members, and the dedication of our paid
employees and unpaid volunteers, ensures
that the future for Speech Pathology
Australia is one that is bright and rewarding.
Gaenor Dixon
National President