One question / comment that I can guarantee will be implicitly uttered or explicitly muttered is “of course he’s saying that, parents paid him”. Now quite frankly this gets my goat and I’ll set out my reasons why in this blog post.
Some quick facts about SLTs in the UK:
- To be a SLT you need to have studied an RCSLT (see below!) accredited course at uni – typically a BSc or a MSc.
- Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) is a legally protected title.
- All practising SLTs must be members of the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and maintain their membership.
- SLTs don’t have to be members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) however most do as it provides insurance as part of the fee (amongst other benefits).
- Independent SLTs can choose to join the Association of Speech & Language Therapists in Independent Practise (ASLTIP) but they don’t have to to practise independently. Another fact is I was Chair of ASLTIP a few years ago!
Some facts about me:
- In the past I have been commissioned by a number of Local Authorities and my recommendations have been accepted in full by their legal teams.
- In the past I have been commissioned by a number of NHS trusts and my recommendations have been accepted in full by their legal teams.
- I am regularly commissioned by Solicitors and paid via Legal Aid.
- I am regularly commissioned by families and paid directly.
- Whoever I am commissioned by the fee is exactly the same and I, like other SLTs; EPs and OTs working in this SEN appeals, am overwhelmed with referrals.
- No matter who commissions / pays for a SLT the SLT’s true “client” is the child themselves.
When I consider the sly dig uttered in tribunals “of course he’s saying that, parents paid him” it is hard to maintain my professionalism and not state the fact that the Local Authority’s Speech & Language Therapist is commissioned by either the Local Authority direly; via a Service Level Agreement between the LA and the NHS team or directly via the NHS and that said SLT is more-often-than-not the employee of either the LA or the SLT. I never quip back as usually the representing Solicitors and / or Judge shuts this point down pretty sharpish.
Now ask yourself, who is more likely to be able to act independently and represent a child’s needs in a balanced, unbiased, way: the SLT paid directly by the Local Authority / NHS OR the Independent SLT paid directly by the child’s parents (who the very next day maybe commissioned by another LA; the NHS; Charities; Solicitors or another family)? ?
Comments welcome as per usual ?