Professional Qualifications and professional memberships

• BSc Hons Speech & Language Pathology (Manchester University)
• Post-Graduate Certificate: Speech & Language Therapy Cleft Palate and Velopharyngeal Anomalies
• Registered member of the Royal College of Speech & Language Therapists
• Membership of Health Care Professions Council
• Representative for UEA at the RCSLT Committee of Representatives of Education in SLT
   

Career summary

I spent a number of years in clinical practice working in a variety of settings with children across the spectrum of speech, language and communication disorders. In 1997 I specialized in working with clients who had clefts of the palate, and from 2001 – 2007 was Deputy Regional Lead SLT in the CleftNetEast team based in Addenbrookes Hospital. I have been a lecturer at UEA since 2007 and Course Director of the BSc (Hons) Speech & Language Therapy programme since 2009.

Scholarship

I am currently completing my MAHEP at UEA and am writing up my dissertation. This is looking at speech and language therapy graduates’ perspectives of their learning on the BSc course. As a result of this work I co-presented a poster titled ‘Problem-based Learning and the Making of Speech & Language Therapists’ at the RCSLT National Conference in September 2012. I am interested in the use, application and effectiveness of problem-based learning both at university and in clinical practice.  I am also involved in developing the AHP Professionalism Charter. I am a member of the Participation Team in AHP.

Enterprise and Engagement

During 2011 I was involved in a number of local projects promoting the Year of Communication. In September 2011 I organised a symposium for early years practitioners and professionals titled ‘Making 0-3 Count’. This brought together over 200 delegates from Norfolk and Suffolk whose work involves them with caring for and educating young children.

I am currently working with the nursery at UEA to explore training needs for their staff. I am interested in promoting all aspects of very young children’s health and well-being and in particular in developing their communication skills.

I am also exploring opportunities that creative art projects provides for developing a communication dialogue between children and carers and this has involved working with the Sainsbury’s Centre for Visual Arts.

In 2012 I joined a team of my fellow lecturers to progress Professionalism in the School and co-wrote articles for professional publications outlining our work. Together with Rosie Mason (OT lecturer) I have been asked to present the work on the Professionalism Charter to a group of speech & language therapists in Reading.

My areas of expertise and knowledge are: developmental speech and language difficulties, deafness and hearing impairment, and cleft lip and palate. In addition I contribute to the phonetics teaching. My teaching duties are spread across all three years of the programme. I am also a tutor for problem-based learning groups in Years 1 and 3.

• SLT Course Director

• Subject Block Coordinator for Deafness and Hearing Impairment.