Speak Out August 2017

A NUMBER OF resources to support the uptake of supervision have been developed over the past few years, to address the issue that many members were seeking mentoring due to a lack of supervision. However, increasingly those who are in supervisory relationships are not recognising these relationships for what they are. In the last couple of years members have contacted me to register a mentoring partnership, but it became clear upon further questioning that the relationship was supervisory in nature. The three key indicators that a professional support relationship is supervisory rather mentoring are: • both speech pathologists work for the same organisation; • the speech pathologists meet 1:1 for more than 1 to 2 hours a month; • the less experienced speech pathologist is not receiving discipline-specific professional support from anyone else in the organisation. Speech Pathology Australia recommends that all early career speech pathologists receive one hour per week of clinical supervision, so if there is a more senior speech pathologist in the workplace, there is an expectation that this more senior clinician will provide supervision to the less experienced clinician. The value Speech Pathology Australia places on adequate and appropriate professional support is evident – one of the requirements to progress from provisional to full CPSP status is 12 points in PSR Activity Type M, with the Association preferring supervision over mentoring if both options are available. Mentoring relationships need to be registered but supervisory relationships do not. Further information can be found on the SPA website. For information about progressing from provisional to full CPSP go to Members Professional Self Regulation Supervision go to Members Supervision For mentoring go to Members Mentoring Are you in a supervisory relationship and don’t even know it? Spotlight on professional support

Amanda Dansky (SPA Aged Care Working Party) hosted the Speech Pathology Australia’s networking pod at the 2016 LASA National Congress. Kym Torresi joins the SPA Aged Care Working Party

It is with pleasure that SPA announces the appointment of Kym Torresi to the ACWP. Kym brings 25 years of clinical experience working with people who are ageing across acute, subacute, home and community, and residential aged care settings in both public

and private sectors. Furthermore, her high-level knowledge of sector reforms gained through various management roles will be an asset to the group. Kym has worked extensively within home, and community-based services to support the independence of people who are ageing, an area of practice especially impacted by current aged care sector reforms. She also provides ongoing supervision and mentoring to community-based speech pathologists. Kym has previously represented the Association at meetings of the National Aged Care Alliance (NACA). Her clinical expertise in areas of augmentative and alternative communication and previous experience in community capacity building projects in relation to communicative access are also directly relevant to the Association’s current aged care project plan. Kym also brings a unique understanding of disability and aged care interface issues, invaluable as the NDIS and aged care reforms continue to roll out simultaneously. Congratulations Kym, we are very much looking forward to working with you. The Association was delighted to receive a large number of high-quality applications for the vacancy on the SPA Aged Care Working Party (ACWP) from members with extensive experience and diverse interests in aged care. The Association would like to extend a sincere thank you to all those who expressed interest in the vacancy. We hope to engage all applicants in some way through subcommittees or working groups to help progress strategic initiatives and bring together a network of highly experienced and passionate members working in aged care. Wonderful to see this profile continuing to grow! Jade Cartwright National Advisor Aged Care

Or contact Meredith Prain psa@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Dr Meredith Prain Professional Support Advisor

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August 2017 www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Speak Out