Starting university is undoubtedly a nerve-wracking time. We thought we would try and make it easier by introducing some friendly faces, also known as some of the teaching staff! Read through and find out a little bit about the lecturers who will be by your side till graduation! This is not a complete list of the teaching staff.
Speciality and areas taught: My clinical speciality is working with people who stammer and/or clutter and so I lead on teaching in these areas, in collaboration with Dr Helen Jenkins (Head of Department). I also have a keen interest in professional practice, activism and raising awareness of the unique role of SLTs, so you’ll likely hear me talking about these topics within and beyond the University. In addition to my teaching and course lead roles, I really enjoy supporting the admissions process, so you’ll often find me working at open events, reviewing applications and supporting interviews.
How you got into SLT: I completed a careers quiz at college that suggested a number of possible paths, including graveyard attendant (!) and speech and language therapist. I knew I’d received speech and language therapy as a child but remembered very little about it, so had a chat with my mum and she put me in touch with a SLT who worked in her school. I was lucky enough to have a series of observation experiences including a day at a hospital, a day in a community clinic and a day carrying out home visits to babies with dysphagia and, quite simply, fell in love. I remember being struck by the relationships that the therapists had with the individuals and families that they served and by the breadth of the work they did, with no two days being the same. And I haven’t looked back since.
Why you decided to move into teaching: I’d worked in the NHS and independent practice for a number of years and was looking for a new challenge. I had enjoyed working with the University as a practice partner and collaborating on Giving Voice initiatives, as well as working with Helen Jenkins on learning more about the Camperdown Program, so when a job came up, I decided to apply.
Speciality and areas taught: I am joint Course Lead and have a specific responsibility for student experience which is great as I get to know students well on more of a one to one basis.
Throughout my career as an SLT I have worked in a variety of clinical areas mainly focusing on learning disability and complex needs and more recently in the field of Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) working with all ages and within a variety of settings as part of my role within a regional AAC assessment centre.
I started my role at BCU in 2012. I teach across many modules on the course but particularly on the professional practice stream at each level. I am the module coordinator for a final year professional practice module that students complete just before going out on their final year placement. I love my role as a personal and placement tutor supporting students to be as successful as possible whilst on the course and out on placement.
I am currently very involved in developing the SLT apprenticeship course that we are hoping to start here at BCU in September 2022, a very exciting project to be working on.
How you got into SLT: My parents and sister both worked in AHP / medical professions within the NHS and I knew I wanted to work in a similar role. I shadowed a close family friend who was an SLT which sparked my interest particularly in this profession. I loved the idea that we could work with people of all ages and within many different settings which would inevitably would bring variety to the job and open up many opportunities which it has!
Why you decided to move to teaching: Whilst working clinically I regularly took students on their placements and got involved in opportunities at BCU such as interviews. I also taught several sessions for the L4 and 6 students on the topic of AAC and thoroughly enjoyed these opportunities. I loved being a part of the education process leaning how to support students to develop skills in both theory and practice.
Although I really enjoyed my clinical work when an opportunity arose to be seconded to BCU as placement coordinator, I jumped at the chance and was successful in my application.
Being a part of the BCU team is brilliant, I have learnt so much and developed skills to enable me to work in the HEI sector. I have also been fortunate to be able to complete my PG Cert as well as my MSc. Teaching on the BSc and MSc course has allowed me to broaden my clinical knowledge and keep up to date in a range of clinical areas.
Speciality and areas taught: Children’s speech sound disorders; literacy; use of simulation as a learning and teaching methodology
How you got into SLT: I was always going to be a graphic designer until my art teacher discovered SLT through meeting Margaret Edwards (a well-known SLT at the time). I hadn’t even heard of SLT but he arranged a meeting for me with Margaret and I’ve never looked back since. Doesn’t say much for what my art teacher thought of my art work!
Why you decided to move to teaching: I didn’t really. I was working as a Principal Therapist in Language Units and was also part of a research group into children’s speech sound disorders at what was then Birmingham Polytechnic. A post came up and the leaders of the group suggested I apply. I didn’t as I didn’t think I could do it. Then another post came up and they suggested I apply again and, well, it seemed rude not to!
Your speciality and areas taught:
· Head and Neck Cancer and Voice - I was a Macmillan Speech and Language Therapist for 19 years (until November 2020).
· Also teach re anatomy and physiology, person-centred care, management plans, report-writing, advanced communication skills, transactional analysis and supervision.
· Provide placements in BCU clinic to support trans clients gain communication confidence, voice care workshops and some individual voice therapy for people with muscle tension dysphonia (providing have been seen by ENT first!).
· Support teaching on aphasia and motor speech disorders
How you got into SLT: My first degree at Liverpool University was in Linguistics and German so I was really interested in languages. In my holidays, I volunteered with the Association for All Speech Impaired Children.
My Great uncle had a stroke and was aphasic and I found that I was able to communicate creatively with him. I worked for a year as a Speech and Language Therapy assistant after graduating.
I studied Speech and Language Therapy on a postgraduate course at City University, London, but returned to the North West to take up my first SLT job in Wigan, which was 8 sessions working with kids in clinics, schools, and an ‘observation’ unit, and 2 days working with adults. I quickly realised it was easier to be a specialist and took up a post in Voice, Dysfluency and Laryngectomy only after 2 years of qualifying. Then I decided I wanted to live in London, so got a Voice and Head and Neck post at the Whittington Hospital and enjoyed working in Camden and Islington, along with over 80 SLTs! Wanting more than a tiny flat, I moved to Shropshire and after a couple of more generalist adult posts – including working in a spinal injuries unit and a medium secure psychiatric unit, as well as stroke wards – I took up a Macmillan Speech and Language Therapy post, still continuing to see a caseload of voice clients including children, trans women, etc., and enabling me to complete an MSc.
Why you decided to move to teaching: I always enjoyed supporting students on placements and one of my Cardiff-based students asked their teaching team if I could run a session on ‘quality of life’, I did annual sessions for 3 years, I then became Visiting Lecturer at the University of Manchester for 5 years and in January 2018 took up a post at BCU. This enabled me to complete a PGCE and (even though in April 2021 I became a senior lecturer full time), through the BCU clinic, to continue to practise as an SLT– the best of both worlds!
Your speciality and areas taught: Not much yet as I’m a pretty new member of the team, I started in March 2021 after leaving my role as a Specialist SLT for the NHS and for a telehealth service. My specialisms are:
Speech Sound Disorder
Developmental Language Disorder
Telehealth
Working in schools
Research methods (I’m currently studying part-time for a Masters in Clinical Research)
How you got into SLT: I am one of the very fortunate people to have known what I wanted to do from a young age and on my careers interview when I was 12 I stated I wanted to be a SLT or a SEN teacher! I heard of SLT as a career when my Grandad accessed SLT services when he had lung and throat cancer, he told me that ‘I’d be good at that job, love’ and that was it.
Why you decided to move to teaching: After almost 20 years in various paediatric roles both in the NHS and with independent practices I decided to take the leap into teaching as I’ve always loved having BCU students on placement and enjoyed the training aspect of the role. Being part of the BCU teaching team has been great so far, the team have been very supportive and welcoming and made me feel like part of the team already. I’ve met a few of the student cohorts both online and in person but I’m really looking forward to working with more of the students face-to-face in in the next academic year.
Your speciality and areas taught: Adult acquired communication needs, specifically motor speech disorders. I also teach conversation analysis and its specific application to both SLT clients and healthcare interactions themselves.
How you got into SLT: I was interested in health careers as a pupil at secondary and my school had a careers library (where you could shelter on rainy days during lunch) so some friends and I were reading info about different careers, and I found SLT. For some reason it really appealed to me – I liked English, science, languages so it seemed to tap into that. I then spent lots of time getting observation opportunities with different SLTs including the rehab team at Chelsea and Westminster where I first met someone with aphasia. That was it – I did my A-levels and then came to the University of Central England in Birmingham as it was then.
Why you decided to move to teaching: I really enjoyed working with students so when a job for a new placement facilitator came up at BCU I decided to go for it but I didn’t dream I would even get an interview let alone the job but I did so I joined BCU in September 2002 and have held a number of posts in the department since then. My favourite one is now – senior lecturer with some responsibility for our clinic service- I get just the right mix of teaching, supporting students on placement, supporting clients with aphasia and motor speech disorders, co-producing with our Experts by Experience and running our return to practice course. It’s always busy!
Your speciality and areas taught: I’m a speech and language therapist and I teach about Bilingualism, the development of children’s language, and assessment and therapy for children’s language disorders. I’m also the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion champion for the department and am passionate about making speech and language therapy accessible and acceptable to all who need it. I teach on the 3rd year research module too and am working towards a PhD – so I know what it’s like to be a student!
How you got into SLT: I think it was meant to be, really. I was studying on a different course (Dentistry of all things) and after two years, that didn’t work out for me. I found out about speech and language therapy and discovered it contained everything I loved, so I didn’t look back. I trained at BCU too!
Why you decided to move to teaching:
Well, that wasn’t an easy decision because I loved my clinical work and I do still miss working with children and families. On the other hand, I was ready for a new challenge. I really enjoyed having students on placement with me and I wanted an opportunity to work more with future SLTs. Teaching students is my favourite part of the job – I love that we’re constantly learning from each other.
Speciality and areas taught: Dysphagia and adult acquired
How you got into SLT: Prior to SLT I worked in a lab as a research chemist but the molecules didn’t talk to me, I couldn’t talk to them so I used to distract all my colleagues by talking too much. I decided that I wasn’t in the right career so I decided to change to something which was more sociable. I made a New Years resolution that by the end of the year I would have changed my career …and 10 months later I found myself back at university studying Speech and Language Therapy – a decision I have never regretted. I remember when I started studying I said “the last thing I am going to do is any of that swallowing stuff” ….well here I am all those years later ……..
Why you decided to move to teaching: I love my clinical work but I also loved working with students and I love doing new stuff so when this job opportunity came up I decided to go for it and I have been here for 7 years now. Teaching also gives me great experience for when I apply for my next role as an extra in a Marvel movie……
Thank you for reading!
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