Susan Nancarrow

A survey of Australian speech-language pathologists (SLPs; n = 1,638) distributed in November and December 2021 explored personal characteristics and experiences of the workforce. Almost 30% of SLPs who responded reported having experiences or perspectives that were relevant to service users and a quarter described other lived experiences, which included disability, cultural and linguistic background, mental health, caring responsibilities, neurodiversity, and being… Show more

A survey of Australian speech-language pathologists (SLPs; n = 1,638) distributed in November and December 2021 explored personal characteristics and experiences of the workforce. Almost 30% of SLPs who responded reported having experiences or perspectives that were relevant to service users and a quarter described other lived experiences, which included disability, cultural and linguistic background, mental health, caring responsibilities, neurodiversity, and being LGBTQI+.

Conclusion
This commentary affirms the value of diversity among allied health professions to enrich practice with individuals and communities. By understanding the diversity of the speech-language pathology workforce and perspectives of historically marginalised or invisible groups, the profession can introduce strategies to more meaningfully engage and support people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives in the workforce and enhance service equity and accessibility for people with communication and swallowing disabilities. This commentary focusses on SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 8, SDG 10. Show less

The allied health professions have gained legitimacy through the pursuit of research evidence and the standardisation of practice. Yet there remains very little analysis or understanding of these professions.

Adopting a theory of the sociology of health professions, this unique text explores the sociological, economic, political and philosophical pressures that have shaped the professions. Drawing on case studies and examples from occupations including optometrists, occupational… Show more

The allied health professions have gained legitimacy through the pursuit of research evidence and the standardisation of practice. Yet there remains very little analysis or understanding of these professions.

Adopting a theory of the sociology of health professions, this unique text explores the sociological, economic, political and philosophical pressures that have shaped the professions. Drawing on case studies and examples from occupations including optometrists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to emerging vocations, including pedorthists and allied health assistants, this book offers an innovative comparison of allied health professions in Australia and Britain.

By telling the story of their past, this original book prepares the allied health professions for a new and different future. Show less

The project aimed to develop a practice guide to map, measure, analyse and ultimately
enhance service integration in primary care at the level of the patient, service and system
(micro, meso, macro), using Lismore GP Super Clinic (LGPSC) as a case study. The project
was developed to address the following objectives:
 To describe the nature and strength of integration of the LGPSC at clinical,
organisational, professional and systems levels.
 To develop a framework for… Show more

The project aimed to develop a practice guide to map, measure, analyse and ultimately
enhance service integration in primary care at the level of the patient, service and system
(micro, meso, macro), using Lismore GP Super Clinic (LGPSC) as a case study. The project
was developed to address the following objectives:
 To describe the nature and strength of integration of the LGPSC at clinical,
organisational, professional and systems levels.
 To develop a framework for analysing and describing integration at clinical,
organisational, professional and system levels that may be relevant to other primary
care settings.
 To generate a practice guide incorporating a tool to assist the LGPSC (and other
integrated services) to analyse and evaluate their integration, and based on this
reconfigure, to enhance service delivery outcomes.
The LGPSC and other stakeholders were engaged in the research as partners, rather than
‘subjects’. This was facilitated through, consensual interpretation with stakeholder consultation
and feedback, consistent with Kodner’s definition [18]. Show less

This paper proposes six principles that have the potential to enhance health workforce flexibility, specifically:
1. Measure health system performance from the perspective of the patient.

2. Minimise training times.

3. Regulate tasks (competencies), not professions.

4. Match rewards and indemnity to the levels of skill and risk required to perform a particular task, not professional title.

5. Ensure that practitioners have all the skills they need to perform the… Show more

This paper proposes six principles that have the potential to enhance health workforce flexibility, specifically:
1. Measure health system performance from the perspective of the patient.

2. Minimise training times.

3. Regulate tasks (competencies), not professions.

4. Match rewards and indemnity to the levels of skill and risk required to perform a particular task, not professional title.

5. Ensure that practitioners have all the skills they need to perform the tasks required to work in the environment in which they work

6. Enable practitioners to work to their full scope of practice delegate tasks where required

These proposed principles will challenge some of the existing social norms around health-care delivery; however, many of these principles are already being applied, albeit on a small scale. This paper discusses the implications of these reforms. Show less

Background
Interdisciplinary team work is increasingly prevalent, supported by policies and practices that bring care closer to the patient and challenge traditional professional boundaries. To date, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the processes of team work, and in some cases, outcomes.

Method
This study draws on two sources of knowledge to identify the attributes of a good interdisciplinary team; a published systematic review of the literature on interdisciplinary team… Show more

Background
Interdisciplinary team work is increasingly prevalent, supported by policies and practices that bring care closer to the patient and challenge traditional professional boundaries. To date, there has been a great deal of emphasis on the processes of team work, and in some cases, outcomes.

Method
This study draws on two sources of knowledge to identify the attributes of a good interdisciplinary team; a published systematic review of the literature on interdisciplinary team work, and the perceptions of over 253 staff from 11 community rehabilitation and intermediate care teams in the UK. These data sources were merged using qualitative content analysis to arrive at a framework that identifies characteristics and proposes ten competencies that support effective interdisciplinary team work.

Results
Ten characteristics underpinning effective interdisciplinary team work were identified: positive leadership and management attributes; communication strategies and structures; personal rewards, training and development; appropriate resources and procedures; appropriate skill mix; supportive team climate; individual characteristics that support interdisciplinary team work; clarity of vision; quality and outcomes of care; and respecting and understanding roles.

Conclusions
We propose competency statements that an effective interdisciplinary team functioning at a high level should demonstrate. Show less

This book is designed as a companion text for the variety of support workers in the field of rehabilitation. It recognises the diversity of roles and array of training and education options; formal routes such as S/NVQ and schemes which are tailored to an individual workplace. Therefore the focus of the book is simply to provide an accessible introduction to rehabilitating the patient, no matter what discipline or service leads this activity.
Enabling Independence provides practical… Show more

This book is designed as a companion text for the variety of support workers in the field of rehabilitation. It recognises the diversity of roles and array of training and education options; formal routes such as S/NVQ and schemes which are tailored to an individual workplace. Therefore the focus of the book is simply to provide an accessible introduction to rehabilitating the patient, no matter what discipline or service leads this activity.
Enabling Independence provides practical information by reflecting different approaches to assisting with rehabilitation. The first section introduces the framework for the book and considers the philosophy of enablement. The second section is dedicated to ‘enhancing function’ and details the most common activities of daily living, such as mobility and dressing. This is followed by a ‘problem oriented approach’ in the third section, which addresses typical problems which support workers are likely to encounter, such as patients who fall or experience fatigue. The final section considers issues in delivering the rehabilitation support, such as team working and supporting carers. Show less

The healthcare professions have never been static in terms of their own disciplinary boundaries, nor in their role or status in society. Healthcare provision has been defined by changing societal expectations and beliefs, new ways of perceiving health and illness, the introduction of a range of technologies and, more recently, the formal recognition of particular groups through the introduction of education and regulation. It has also been shaped by both inter-professional and profession-state… Show more

The healthcare professions have never been static in terms of their own disciplinary boundaries, nor in their role or status in society. Healthcare provision has been defined by changing societal expectations and beliefs, new ways of perceiving health and illness, the introduction of a range of technologies and, more recently, the formal recognition of particular groups through the introduction of education and regulation. It has also been shaped by both inter-professional and profession-state relationships forged over time. A number of factors have converged that place new pressures on workforce boundaries, including an unmet demand for some healthcare services; neo-liberal management philosophies and a greater emphasis on consumer preferences than professional-led services. To date, however, there has been little analysis of the evolution of the workforce as a whole. The discussion of workforce change that has taken place has largely been from the perspective of individual disciplines. Yet the dynamic boundaries of each discipline mean that there is an interrelationship between the components of the workforce that cannot be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to describe four directions in which the existing workforce can change: diversification; specialisation and vertical and horizontal substitution, and to discuss the implications of these changes for the workforce. Show less