Return to Practice options for Speech and Language Therapists
Speech and Language Sciences at Newcastle University offers a range of options for people who are planning to reregister with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a speech and language therapist. If you initially qualified as a speech and language therapist (SLT) and have been out of practice for over two years you will have to reregister with the HCPC before you can use the title or seek work as a SLT. All of the courses offered here will provide you with supervised and accredited learning that will contribute towards your 30 (2-5 years out of practice) or 60 (over 5 years out of practice) days of professional skills and knowledge updating. We can offer advice that will help you return to practice and re-start your career.
You are advised in the first instance to take up one of the Continuing Professional Developmentmodules we offer. These modules include evidence based practice, specialist clinical, leadership and research topics. They are standalone modules, leading to 20 Master’s level academic credits which you can use to demonstrate Master’s level achievement to a prospective employer and to contribute towards a Postgraduate Master’s degree, certificate or diploma in Evidence Based Practice in Communication Disorders, should you wish to pursue further study. We typically offer up to ten modules per year for you to choose from.
As an integral part of enrolling on one of these modules you will be registered as a student at Newcastle University, with all the benefits that brings, including access to our world class library and its online resources. In addition you have access to an online teaching course in library and literature search skills that will provide an excellent foundation for future study and evidence based clinical practice and to a large online resource of Evidence Based Practice (EBP) materials.
Modules are typically taught over two or three full days at Newcastle University. It is expected that each module will require approximately ten study days in total. Self-study is supported by email; a virtual learning environment; discussion boards and Facebook groups. Some modules are taught partly on line and partly face to face (blended learning). There is reasonably priced accommodation available on campus at Carlton Lodge and in Newcastle through Newcastle Gateshead Tourist Office.
An example of the benefits of a standalone module is Principles of Evidence Based Practice. You will learn how to formulate answerable clinical questions; search for the best evidence; critically evaluate the evidence for assessment and intervention; apply the evidence base to clinical practice. These skills are all essential in clinical practice and will form a foundation for structuring your continuing professional development as a clinician. You will be able to demonstrate these skills to a future employer.
Further information about module content and fees is available on our CPD website. If you have any queries email Helen Stringer, the programme director for the MSc in Evidence Based Practice in Communication Disorders and Return to Practice Course Tutor.
In addition we offer the Royal Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) Return to Practice Distance Learning Course. This course leads to a Certificate of Completion from the RCSLT. You do not enrol as a student at Newcastle University and are unable to access the library or other University facilities. Newcastle University has been running this course since 2005.
The course is in the form of ‘distance learning’ i.e. you study at home with support from a tutor at the University. You access the course from a CD that we will supply to you, so you must have use of a computer with PowerPoint. The course is modular, with each of the nine units requiring approximately ten hours of study. You can choose how you apportion your time within each unit. At the end of each unit there are self-assessment questions which you must complete and submit in order to obtain your completion certificate from RCSLT.
The modules are:
- Study skills
- New developments in SLT Practice Part 1
- New developments in SLT Practice Part 2
- Reflective Practice and CPD
- Working in the NHS
- Working in the Social Care Sector
- Working in the Education Sector
- Policy and Legislation
- HPC Standards of Proficiency
The course costs £450. This covers the course content and tutorial support. It also includes your Certificate of Completion from RCSLT. Copies of difficult to obtain reading required for the course are also included. Please note, the content of this course has not been updated and does not include information about the most recent Policy and Legislation passed by the current Coalition Government.
For further information and advice please email Helen Stringer, the programme director for the MSc in Evidence Based Practice in Communication Disorders and Return to Practice Course Tutor.
Further information about returning to the profession and the requirements for professional registration can be obtained from the Health and Care Professions Council www.hcpc-uk.org