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4 Speak Out August 2017
SPA Board report – May 2017
Association news
Appointment of auditor
The Board appointed HLB Mann Judd as the Association’s
auditors, to complete the audit of the 2017 financial accounts.
2017-2019 Strategic Plan
Discussion centred on prioritisation of goals, resourcing
considerations, identification of risks to completion, mitigation
of identified risks, progress reporting and maintaining the
plan’s currency.
The Board determined that the priorities in the short term
included:
• Communication Accessible Communities. A
communication access collaborative will be formed to
determine a clear position and work towards developing
accepted national standards.
• Advocacy to support the Early Language and Literacy
Coalition’s call for a national strategy for early language
and literacy in Australia.
• To drive Access for All preparation work will begin in
areas of for service and workforce mapping.
• Timely Service priorities will include specific target
groups, such as young people within and at risk of
contact with the justice system, as well as continuing
work in areas of aged care and disability.
• Clients and Communities Driving Service Delivery will
initially focus on the formation of an Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Advisory committee to ensure cultural
responsiveness practice within the profession and to
advise on a number of initiatives.
In order to resource the Association’s strategic and advocacy
priorities, a number of positions will become available.
Policies
In addition to a number of policy revisions, the following new
policies were approved and will be uploaded to the website
shortly:
• whistleblowing and grievance,
• member mandatory declaration,
• majority world countries and developing communities
grants.
It was also agreed that the volunteering policy and position
statement will be reviewed with member resources developed
around participating in volunteer and fundraising activities.
Fellowship and awards
The Fellowship and Awards Committee will be conducting a
review of the Awards criteria, with the aim of strengthening
requirements.
Submissions and advocacy
The Association’s representations and actions were noted
across a range of areas, including mental health, youth
justice, access for students with disability within schools,
aged care and the NDIS. Particular mention was given to the
significant progress on the NSW Speech Pathologists within
Schools project, which has received NSW Department of
Education funding, and will be launched in the near future.
University Accreditations were ratified by the Board for the
following programs:
• Bachelor of Speech Pathology, Bachelor of Speech
Pathology Honours and Master of Speech Pathology at
Flinders University,
• Master of Speech Pathology at the University of
Melbourne,
• Master of Speech and Language Pathology at Macquarie
University.
Competency Based Occupational Standards (CBOS)
The Board ratified the plans for the development of a steering
committee to commence scoping the review of CBOS in
keeping with its periodic review cycle.
Mutual Recognition Agreement
The Board reviewed the final amendments to the Mutual
Recognition Agreement and while certain points of clarification
will be sought, in principle agreement was given for the
revised agreement to be signed at the ASHA Convention in
November 2017.
Member Communities and Branch Facebook Groups
The significant number of members participating within closed
Facebook groups was noted. The Board will seek further data
on the demographics of those involved in Facebook groups,
specifically wishing to review the age of members utilising
social media and to consider effective engagement strategies
across the broader membership.
Marketing Strategy
The Board agreed to engage a marketing strategist to
facilitate a workshop with Directors, Branch Chairs and staff
to form a comprehensive communications and marketing
strategy.
The Board will next meet at National Office in Melbourne on
Friday 25 and Saturday 26 August.
Gail Mulcair
Chief Executive Officer
THE MAY 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING WAS HELD AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE,
SYDNEY ON 26 – 27 MAY 2017. SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MEETING INCLUDE: